Morris, Samson script RR's 6-wkt win over KKR
Mumbai: Chris Morris' (4 for 23) best bowling performance of the season so far and followed by a responsible 41-ball 42* from skipper Sanju Samson helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) crush Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Saturday.
RR scored 134 for the loss of four wickets with seven ball to spare. Earlier, Chris Morris's four-wicket haul, in which he picked lower order power-hitters Andre Russell, Pat Cummins and Dinesh Karthik, helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) restrict Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 133 for nine in 20 overs.
Russell, Cummins and Karthik had played explosive innings in the last match against Chennai Super Kings to take their side to 202 from 31/5. But on Saturday, they just couldn't get going. All three of them were caught while trying to hit the South African out of the boundary.
Morris, who was bought for Rs 16.25 crore ahead of this season by RR to become the most expensive player in IPL history, returned with figures of four for 23 in four overs. He was ably supported by left-arm pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who took one for 22.
Saurashtra pace bowling duo Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya who opened the bowling were also impressive with the senior pro taking 1/25 and the junior 1/31 as KKR could never find their bearings.
Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 133/9 in 20 overs (R Tripathi 36, D Karthik 25, C Morris 4/23, M Rahman 1/22, J Unadkat 1/25, C Sakariya 1/31).
Rajasthan Royals 134/4 in 18.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 22, Sanju Samson 42 not out, David Miller 24 not out, Varun Chakravarthy 2/32, Shivam Mavi 1/19, Prasidh Krishna 1/20). RR win by 6 wickets.