In a thrilling Indian Premier League match, Jos Buttler led Rajasthan Royals to a stunning two-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, chasing down a record target with his sensational unbeaten century. Sunil Narine’s maiden T20 hundred was not enough to stop Buttler’s brilliance as Rajasthan pulled off a remarkable win at the Eden Gardens. The match witnessed high-scoring fireworks from both teams.

Buttler’s unbeaten 107 off 60 balls overshadowed Narine’s 49-ball hundred, guiding Rajasthan Royals to a successful chase of 224/8. Despite a collapse in the middle overs, Buttler’s heroics, along with Rovman Powell’s quickfire 26, sealed the victory. Narine’s all-round display, with two wickets and a catch, was impressive, but Buttler’s century powered Rajasthan to the joint-highest successful chase.

Rajasthan Royals, struggling at 121/6, found hope in Buttler and Powell’s partnership as they launched a counterattack. Buttler’s second century of the season, along with Parag’s brisk 34, kept Rajasthan in the hunt. A late collapse threatened their chase, but Buttler’s determination steered them to a thrilling win despite physical discomfort.

Chasing a daunting target, Rajasthan bolstered their batting with Buttler as an Impact Substitute after early setbacks. Buttler’s century, complemented by Parag’s explosive partnership, revived Rajasthan’s chase. Despite losing wickets in clusters, Buttler’s resilience and late heroics guided Rajasthan to a historic victory, maintaining their top position in the IPL standings.

Narine’s aggressive knock of 109 and Raghuvanshi’s brisk 30 propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to a challenging total of 223/6. Despite some quick wickets, Narine’s power-hitting dominated Rajasthan’s bowlers. Boult’s crucial dismissal of Narine ended KKR’s innings at 223, setting up a thrilling run chase.

In a nail-biting finish, Buttler’s brilliant century sealed the win for Rajasthan Royals as they pulled off the joint-highest successful chase in IPL history. Despite KKR’s strong bowling efforts, Buttler’s exceptional innings proved to be the difference-maker in a high-scoring encounter. The match showcased a thrilling display of T20 cricket with Buttler emerging as the standout performer, leading his team to victory.

Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) Back into the side as an Impact Substitute after an injury, Jos Buttler struck a counter-attacking unbeaten century to help Rajasthan Royals mount the joint-highest successful chase in Indian Premier League (IPL) history against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday.

Buttler hammered an unbeaten 107 off 60 balls, blasting nine boundaries and six maximums as Rajasthan Royals raced to 224/8 in 20 overs after Sunil Narine blazed to his maiden IP century, a 56-ball 109 that had helped KKR reach a massive 223/6.

Rajasthan Royals looked down and out at 121/6 in the 13th over, but Buttler found an ally in Rovman Powell, who blasted a 13-ball 26, triggering a counter-attack as they launched an audacious chase. Powell was out but Buttler continued with his brilliant batting despite looking drained of energy and limping and jogging for runs.

Buttler struck his second century of the season after reaching the three-figure mark against RCB last week, reaching the mark in 55 balls as he nursed the tail to guide Rajasthan Royals to a brilliant victory and maintained their hold on the top position with 12 points from seven matches. KKR remained on eight points from six matches. It was Buttler’s seventh hundred in IPL, going past Chris Gayle with only Virat Kohli in front.

Chasing a big target, Rajasthan Royals bolstered their batting by bringing in Jos Buttler as an Impact Substitute. However, they were soon in trouble as fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for 19 off nine balls with the team score reading 22/1 in the second over.

Jaiswal hammered three fours and one six in his brief innings, indicating that RR were going to go for the target. Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson took the score to 47 before the skipper went back to the dug-out, unable to capitalise on life as he could manage only 12 off eight balls.

Buttler finally found a willing partner in young Riyan Parag as they raised fifty runs in 21 balls to take the score to 97. Parag blazed to 34 off 14 balls, hitting four boundaries and two maximums as they kept Rajasthan in the hunt. He struck a six and a four off Vaibhav Arora and handed the same treatment to Harshit Rana in the eighth over. However, he was out at the most inappropriate time for RR as Rana had his revenge as he holed out to Andre Russell at deep midwicket.

Bengaluru, April 16 (IANS) The Sunrisers Hyderabad set a new record by scoring 287/3 in their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, leading to a debate on one-sided matches in white-ball cricket. The bowlers faced tough competition as RCB lost by 25 runs, despite the high score.

With the highest-ever score in IPL history, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s big hits raised questions about the balance between bat and ball in T20 cricket. Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi sparked the debate online, questioning the need for such one-sided contests that favor the batters.

In a social media post, Shamsi asked fans if they enjoy watching bowlers struggle as the ball is constantly being smashed out of the park. Fans expressed their support, calling for pitches and boundaries that provide an even contest between bat and ball. The debate highlighted the divide between those who prefer high-scoring games and those who value a balance between the two aspects of the game.