KOLKATA, India (AP) — Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became the leading wicket-taker in Indian Premier League history as Rajasthan Royals crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets on Thursday.
Chahal grabbed 4-25 to surpass Dwayne Bravo’s record of 183 and stretch his wickets tally for the season to 21.
Chahal’s bowling buckled down Kolkata at 149-8 before young left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal (98 not out) smashed a 13-ball half-century and sped Rajasthan to 151-1 in only 13.1 overs.
The victory pushed Rajasthan to No. 3 with 12 points and dropped Mumbai Indians to No. 4 on net run-rate. Kolkata slipped to No. 7 with 10 points as the battle for four playoff spots heats up.
Jaiswal put the game beyond Kolkata’s reach in the first over when he smacked 26 against Nitish Rana’s offspin bowling.
Jaiswal came close to equaling Yuvraj Singh’s IPL record of a 12-ball half-century before flicking Shardul Thakur to deep square leg for a single to complete his fifty off 13 balls.
Jos Buttler was the lone wicket to fall without scoring when he was run-out off a direct throw from Andre Russell at the non-striker’s end before captain Sanju Samson also made a rapid unbeaten 48 off 29 balls to the disappointment of Kolkata fans at the Eden Gardens.
Jaiswal’s power-hitting saw the left-hander hitting 10 fours and five sixes while Samson was also ruthless, smashing five sixes and two fours in a century stand.
“I didn’t have to do anything, just rotate strike and watch,” Samson said while praising Jaiswal’s batting. “It’s time to give Chahal the legend tag. Very grateful to have him, you just need to give him the ball without saying anything.”
Earlier, Trent Boult (2-15) lived up to his knack of picking up wickets in the powerplay when he dismissed two big Kolkata hitters in Jason Roy (10) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18).
Chahal then squeezed the runs in the middle overs with his sharp legspins and googlies. Chahal had the big wickets of top-scorer Venkatesh Iyer, who made 57 off 42 balls, and Rana as both tried to accelerate by going for big shots.
Chahal then returned in the death overs and accounted for the wickets of Thakur and another Kolkata power-hitter Rinku Singh, who made 16 off 18 balls before holing out in the deep against the leg-spinner in the penultimate over.
Chahal now has 187 IPL wickets including his seventh four-wicket haul.
“Jaiswal’s innings was praiseworthy,” Rana said. “I bowled first (over) because I thought I could gamble as a part-timer and get the in-form Jaiswal out but it was his day.
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