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Durban: Laxmi Ratan Shukla hit an unbeaten 48 as Kolkata Knight Riders beat defending champions Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets to end their campaign in the IPL at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.
Rajasthan had to win this match to keep their semi-finals hopes alive by Kolkata achieved the victory target of 102 in 19.3 overs thanks to an unbeaten 57-run partnership between Shukla and Ajit Agarkar.
Displaying clamness under tremendous pressure, Shukla hit 2 sixes and 3 fours in his 46-ball 48, while Agarkar remained not out on 13. Shukla was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding knock.
Kolkata were 38 for five in 10 overs as they got off to a bad start as opener Sourav Ganguly was dismissed for a duck on the last ball of the first over by Munaf Patel.
On the first delivery of the next over, Amit Singh trapped captain Brendon McCullum (9) plumb in front of the wicket.
Munaf took his second wicket when he had Yashpal Singh (6) caught at third man by Rob Quiney.
Brad Hodge (6) was run out in the first over by Johan Botha who in his second over dismissed David Hussey (9) to reduce Kolkata to 37/5.
Earlier, Kolkata restricted Rajasthan to 101 for nine in 20 overs.
Playing his first match in this IPL, Charl Langeveldt took 3 wickets, while Ajit Agarkar took 2 as three Rajasthan batsmen were run out thanks to the agility shown on the field by the Kolkata team.
The Rajasthan innings failed to gain any momentum whatsoever as a result of which only 4 of their batsmen managed double figures.
Put in to bat, Rajasthan got off to a bad start as Langeveldt struck with his first ball in this IPL by having Rob Quiney (1) caught behind by wicket keeper Shoaib Shaikh.
Swapnil Asnodkar was run out in the third over before Langeveldt struck again in his next over when Naman Ojha (22) edged a leg-cutter and keeper Shaikh dived to his right to take a fantastic catch.
Ajit Agarkar too struck in his first over when Johan Botha (8) edged the ball onto his stumps.
Langeveldt came back for a second spell and had Niraj Patel (14) caught by Sourav Ganguly.
Big hitters Yusuf Pathan and Tyron Henderson were run out in consecutive overs as Rajasthan were reduced to 62/7 in 12 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja and captain Shane Warne tried their best to lend some respectability to the Rajasthan total but both were clean bowled in successive overs.
Rajasthan have replaced Graeme Smith with Tyron Henderson, Niraj Patel with Abhishek Raut and Swapnil Asnodkar with Siddharth Trivedi. Kolkata have brought in Charl Langeveldt, Sourav Sarkar and Shoaib Shaikh.
Brief Score: 20 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 102 for 6 (Shukla 48*, Munaf 2-15) beat Rajasthan Royals 101-9 (Langeveldt 3-15, Agarkar 2-15) by four wickets.
