Rajasthan Royals humiliated Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2012

Rajasthan Royals 164-5 (Brad Hodge 44, Ashok Menaria 40, Brett Lee 2-29) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 142 all out (Manoj Tiwary 59, Lee 25, Kevon Cooper 3-28) by 22 runs.

Rajasthan Royals kept cruising in the IPL 2012 as they won the match against the formidable Kolkata Knight Riders by their sheer team work.

Rajasthan Royals thrashed 164 runs with five wickets still in hand at the end of the scheduled 20^th over and Kolkata Knight Riders were sent back to the pavilion for 142 runs.

Brad Hodge (Rajasthan Royals) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his timely aggressive knock of 44 from 29 balls.

The 7^th match of the Indian Premier League 2012 was played at Sawai Mansing Stadium, Jaipur on April 8, 2012. The capacity home crowd appreciated Rajasthan Royals throughout the Twenty20 match and were overjoyed with the victory of their team.

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders Captain, Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to field following the tradition being carried on by the skippers in the tournament. Rajasthan Royals lost an early wicket on the third ball of the second over for just one runs. Their Captain, Rahul Dravid and the incoming batsman Shreevats Goswami started the attack which was led by the first who earned one six and a four in the third over. Dravid continued with the acceleration as Goswami also contributed a couple of boundaries and took the score to 44 when the first was run out for 26 off 24 balls with two sixes and even fours.

Goswami became the next victim when he was clean bowled by Rajat Bhatia for 23 runs after adding 17 runs with the newcomer Ashok Menaria. The third wicket was lost at 61 runs in 8.4 overs when Brad Hodge came in the centre and consolidated the innings with Menaria. Hodge opened up in the 14^th over, dispatched two sixes and a four in the 14^th over off Yusuf Pathan and added two more boundaries in the following over bowled by Jacques Kallis.

The duo added 64 quick fired  runs in 7.3 overs when Hodge was caught behind by the wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Brett Lee for 44 from just 29 balls assisted with two sixes and three fours. Owais Shah was the new batsman who continued with the aggressive game pattern with Menaria and they collected 14 runs in the 18^th over with three fours. Shah hit one six and a four on the first two balls of the 19^th over from Lee but Menaria was bowled on the fourth ball for 40 off 30 deliveries with one six and a four.

Owais Shah remained unbeaten on 23 off 11 balls with one six and two fours as the Rajasthan Royals plundered 164 runs for the loss of five wickets.

Brett Lee was the most successful bowler with two wickets as Rajat Bhatia chipped in with one wicket.

Kolkata Knight Riders had a dreadful start when they lost their three top order batsmen Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum and the skipper Gautam Gambhir for mere 8 runs and the fourth wicket was gone at 25 in 5.4 overs. Manoj Tiwary and Yusuf Pathan tried to stabilise the innings as the first added two fours in the 9^th over and the latter was creeping at the other end.

The duo took the score to 66 runs when Yusuf Pathan was caught at deep square leg off Siddharath Trivedi for 15 runs. Tiwary held one end as the wickets kept on tumbling at the other and the late order batsmen were exposed by the rival bowling. They had lost seven wicket at 94 runs in 14.4 overs when Brett Lee joined in with the reliable Tiwary. The tempo of the game was changed instantly as they gathered 14 runs in the 17^th over and Lee murdered Amit Singh for 18 runs in the 18^th over which included two towering sixes and a four as Tiwary completed his fifty on the first ball of the 19^th over.

The eighth wicket partnership contributed 38 runs and the score was moved up to 132 runs when Lee was bowled by Kevon Cooper for 25 off 11 balls with 2 sixes and even fours. Manoj Tiwary was the top scorer with 59 from 49 balls with 7 fours as the whole team was bowled out for 142 runs in 20 overs.

Cooper was the highest wicket taker with three, Ankeet Chavan, Amit Singh and Trivedi held two each as Johan Botha claimed one wicket.

Rajasthan Royals won the match in an authoritative manner by 22 runs, earned two points and are leading the table with four as Kolkata Knight Riders have lost both of their games played so far.