Two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders snapped a four-match losing streak in IPL 2023 to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 21 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday night. The win helped Nitish Rana’s side climb to 7th place on the IPL 2023 Points Table with 6 points from 8 matches, ahead of five-time winners Mumbai Indians on net run-rate (NRR).
KKR have a NRR of -0.027 as compared to MI’s NRR of -0.620, although Rohit Sharma’s side have played one less match than the Knight Riders. Virat Kohli-led RCB remain in fifth position with 8 points from 8 matches.
IPL 2023 Points Table - KKR moves up with 6 Points now. pic.twitter.com/uZKuzmNiZ3
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 26, 2023
MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continue to lead the Points Table with 10 points in 7 matches, ahead of defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT), who also have 10 points. CSK can extend their lead at the top of the Points Table as they take on IPL 2022 runners-up Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match No. 37 of the IPL 2023 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday night. RR are third on the points table with 8 points, same as fourth-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Virat Kohli rises to 2nd in Orange Cap race
RCB stand-in skipper Virat Kohli rose to second place in the Orange Cap race behind his teammate Faf du Plessis. Kohli, who scored his fifth fifty of IPL 2023 making 54 against KKR on Wednesday, now has 333 runs in 8 matches at a strike-rate of 142.3.
Regular RCB captain Du Plessis, who played as an ‘Impact Player’ due to injury, was dismissed for 17 against KKR. The former South African captain now has 422 runs in 8 matches at a strike-rate of 167.4. CSK opener Devon Conway remains third in the Orange Cap race with 314 runs in 7 matches and can add to his tally when he faces RR on Thursday night.
#ViratKohli moves to second place in the orange cap race.#MohammedSiraj hits the peak.#IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/hiiXnFJC1B
— CricTelegraph (@CricTelegraph) April 26, 2023
KKR all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer rose to 5th place on the run-scorer’s list and now has 285 runs in 8 matches with 1 century and 1 fifty and a strike-rate of 154.05.
Mohammed Siraj regains Purple Cap
RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj took back the IPL 2023 Purple Cap from GT leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Siraj claimed 1/33 against KKR with the wicket of Andre Russell and now has 14 wickets from 8 matches, but with an economy rate of just 7.31.
Rashid Khan also has 14 wickets but his economy rate is slightly higher at 8.07. KKR off-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who was ‘Player of the Match’ against RCB, rose to third place on the Purple Cap race after claiming 3/27. Chakravarthy now has 13 wickets in 8 matches, same as Arshdeep Singh who has 13 in 7 matches.
