Karn Sharma’s incredible last-gasp strike off Mitchell Starc gave Royal Challengers Bangalore a glimmer of hope, but Kolkata Knight Riders fell short on Sunday The tension was maintained in the IPL match on Sunday, winning by one run off the last ball. Royal Challengers needed 21 off the last ball bowled by left-arm pacer Starc while chasing the daunting 223-run target set by Knight Riders. With Kahn and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion, but the former almost turned the game on its head. Karn, a leg-spinner with no real pedigree with the bat, hit three sixes off Starc to reduce the two-ball deficit to three. But Starc made amends with his return, dismissing Kahn (20, 7b, 3×6), Rocky Ferguson was run out on the last ball, and RCB ended up with 222 in 20 overs.

However, in a game that was more twisty than a hilly road, KKR took the lead with opener Phil Salt hitting an aggressive 14-ball 48 and skipper Shreyas Iyer Iyer) shot 50 off 36 balls and scored 222 in six innings.

But Royal Challengers were not left in limbo with their chase. Will Jacks (55, 32b; 4×4, 5×6) and Rajat Patidar (52; 23b, 3×4, 5×6) set the stage well for the third wicket with a 102-run alliance Only 48 pitches were thrown.

But RCB soon fell from 137 for 2 to 155 for 6, with Andre Russell making clever use of changes from the slow ball, causing a double to Jacks and Russell in just three balls The blow knocked back both Jax and Russell.

Sunil Narine (2/34) also picked up two wickets in his last game to reduce RCB to 155 for six, but Dinesh Khatty Dinesh Karthik kept their hopes alive with a brilliant partnership with Impact Sub Suyash Prabhudesai.

Russell made things even tougher for RCB in the penultimate over when he dismissed Karthik with a slower ball – 21 runs off 6 balls. Kahn came close to dragging RCB over the line, but the night at Eden Gardens belonged to the Knight Riders, who produced a heart-breaking late win.

KKR currently have five wins from seven games and have climbed to second place with 10 points, two points behind leaders Rajasthan Royals.

It was RCB’s sixth consecutive defeat and seventh in eight games as their season ends in tenth place with just two points.

But RCB had their moments too and Jacks was at his most furious against Starc, scoring 22 runs in his 29-ball 50, his best in four games. the second time.

Jacks’ performance had an impact on Patidar, who scored a 21-ball fifty, dismissing KKR’s best bowler Narine, while RCB maintained a run rate of over 12.

Virat Kohli started with a first-ball boundary and pulled Harshit Rana for six in the first over before scornfully taking on Starc.

He stepped back and delivered the ball with his legs, hitting the ball over fine leg and the whole Eden Gardens chanted “Kohli, Kohli”.

But his innings was cut short in a controversial manner when Kohli’s delivery appeared to be waist-high and Rana took the catch.

He was out of the crease when the ball was struck, but replays confirmed the ball was falling along its trajectory, so the decision was upheld on review.

Kohli had a heated discussion with the on-field umpire before leaving the field, his anger in full view.

In the next over, Varun Chakravathy dismissed Faf du Plessis with seven for seven.

Earlier, on a day when Narine (10, 15 balls) failed to get going, Salt, the world’s second-ranked T20I batsman, was on fire and smashed 3 sixes and 7 4s to give KKR An explosive start was later exploited as Iyer hit seven fours and a six.

Andre Russell (27 not out, 20) and Ramandeep Singh (24 not out, 9) gave the home team some late momentum.

However, at the end of a tight contest, the battered RCB bowling unit struggled to reduce KKR’s odds to 75/3 as KKR lost 4 wickets in 26 balls in the crucial middle over.

Venkatesh Iyer (16) and Rinku Singh (24) failed to switch their opening slots as RCB kept chipping away at KKR’s batting order.

But as KKR kept going, Iyer kept his composure to score his 20th IPL fifty and his first fifty of the season.

After reaching 50 in 35 balls, he was out on the next ball.

Russell was unusually quiet in the game, shooting 27-for-20 (4×4). Ramandeep Singh’s cameo of 24 off nine balls, including two fours and two sixes, helped them register a third consecutive total of over 200 at the Eden Gardens.

Siraj wisely took 1/40 with his yorkers and wide yorkers while Cameron Green returned with figures of 2/35 for RCB The best in hand.

Yash Dayal also picked 2/56 but lost too many runs.

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