A rampant Kolkata Knight Riders top-order powered through to claim a clinical seven-wicket win against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL encounter on Friday evening.

Chasing 183 to win, an 86-run opening stand between Phil Salt and Sunil Narine saw the Knight Riders take apart a defeated RCB bowling attack as they sat on 86-0 in the sixth over.

Narine scored a quick-fire 47 off 22 balls (including two fours and a whopping five sixes) before he tried to cut and was bowled out by Mayank Dagar in the seventh over.

Salt departed shortly thereafter as he went for a pull and was caught at the deep square leg boundary to walk back for 30 off 20 (two fours and two sixes).

Then a 75-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer (no relation) continued where their openers left off as Venkatesh brought up his 13th T20I half-century.

Venkatesh was caught for 50 off 30 balls (three fours and four sixes) but the damage was done and KKR were cruising over the finish line.

Shreyas remained unbeaten on 39 off 24 balls (two fours and two sixes) as he smashed a six over deep midwicket to hand Kolkata victory with 19 balls remaining.

Earlier on, Indian superstar Virat Kohli carried his bat with his second consecutive IPL half-century as RCB posted 182-6.

After skipper Faf du Plessis departed for eight, Kohli and Cameron Green then put on a 65-run second-wicket partnership before Green was bowled for 33.

Glenn Maxwell, who was dropped on two occasions, chipped in with a handy 28 off 19 balls. Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik smashed three sixes for a 8-ball 20.

Kohli continued his sublime form of late, ending unbeaten on 83 off 59 balls (hitting four fours and four sixes).

BDST: 1204 HRS, MAR 30, 2024
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