Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday beat Rajasthan Royals by 25 runs at the Eden Gardens to set up Qualifier-II clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Earlier, skipper Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell revived Kolkata Knight Riders with magnificent batting as the hosts recovered from a disastrous start to post a challenging 169 for the loss of seven wickets against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier league Eliminator match, here at the Eden Gardens stadium on Wednesday.
Sent in to bat first, the Knight Riders had their worst start of the season with Krishnappa Gowtham (2/15 in three overs) and Jofra Archer (2/33) reducing them to 46/3 inside the powerplay.
But Dinesh Karthik continued his sublime form to lead them to safety with a 38-ball 52, containing four fours and two sixes.
After Karthik's departure, Russell came up with his destructive 29-ball unbeaten 49, studded with three boundaries and five sixes.
The sixes however were a rarity in the first half of the Knight Riders’ innings and it was only in the 14th over that Shubman Gill hit the first shot over the ropes in his crucial fifth wicket partnership with Karthik.
Karthik and Gill added 55 runs in 38 balls as the Under-19 World Cup winning youngster Gill impressed with his stroke-making skills en route his 17-ball 28 (3x4, 1x6).
From being 63 for 4 midway into the innings, Kolkata brilliantly stepped on the gas in the second-half, scoring 106 runs in the last 10 overs with Russell in charge of the proceedings.
Jaydev Unadkat, who leaked 33 runs from his two overs, was a big letdown from Rajasthan's perspective as the Ajinkya Rahane-led side could not choke the hosts despite a a sound start.
Starting the proceedings for Rajasthan, Krishnappa Gowtham left Kolkata in tatters with a twin blow of Sunil Narine (four) and Robin Uthappa (three) in his first two overs before Barbadian pacer ensured their lowest powerplay score of the season — 46/3 — dismissing Nitish Rana (3).
Narine smashed Gowtham's through covers for a boundary to start off the proceedings in his signature style but the off-spinner fired in a quicker one next up and the Trinidadian was beaten and stumped in the second ball.
In the first ball of his next over Gowtham plucked a smart return catch off Robin Uthappa's top-edge for a soft dismissal while Archer reduced Kolkata to 24/3 inside four overs.
There was more misery in store for Kolkata as opener as an under-pressure Chris lynn did not survive long as their top four batsmen folded for 51 in eight overs.