Kolkata Knight Riders' Harshit Rana, left, and captain Shreyas Iyer celebrate their team's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League cricket match in Kolkata.
Karn Sharma's extraordinary final-over assault on Mitchell Starc gave Royal Challengers Bengaluru a glimmer of hope, but the Kolkata Knight Riders kept their cool to eke out a nail-biting one-run victory off the last ball in match 36 of Indian Premier League 2024 at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (April 21). RCB needed 21 runs off the last over bowled by left-arm pacer Starc while chasing a daunting 223-run target set by KKR. The result seemed a foregone conclusion with Karn and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, but the former nearly turned the match on its head. Karn, a leg-spinner with no real pedigree with the bat, hammered three sixes off Starc to reduce the margin to three runs off two balls. But Starc redeemed himself with a fabulous return catch to dismiss Karn (20 runs off 7 balls, 3x6) and Lockie Ferguson was run out off the last ball as RCB ended up at 222 all out in 20 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Harshit Rana, left, and captain Shreyas Iyer celebrate their team's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League cricket match in Kolkata.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Karn Sharma, left, walks off the field after losing his wicket as teammate Mohammed Siraj reacts during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine, facing the camera, celebrates the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Cameron Green with teammates during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Rajat Patidar bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrate the wicket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Faf du Plessis during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Ramandeep Singh bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Shreyas Iyer bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Andre Russell bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Phil Salt bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata.