KKR secured victory despite Klaasen's heroic performance

In the other IPL match on Saturday, Kolkata Knight Riders began their 2024 campaign with a four-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Phil Salt, an England white-ball international, set the tone for the Knight Riders with a half-century. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell then smashed an unbeaten 64 runs off 25 balls to lead the Knight Riders to a total of 208-7.

Despite Thangarasu Natarajan taking 3-32 for the Sunrisers, they initially struggled in their chase of 209. Sunil Narine bowled excellently, taking figures of 1-19 and not conceding a boundary from his 24 balls. Russell took two wickets.

In the final four overs, Heinrich Klaasen (63) and Shahbaz Ahmed (16) had a 58-run seventh-wicket partnership. They passed 50 after just 14 balls, leaving Sunrisers needing six runs off the final three balls. Klaasen hit eight sixes in his 29-ball innings.

Harshit Rana dismissed Shahbaz off the third ball of the over and also took the wicket of Klaasen two balls later, finishing with figures of 3-33.

Cummins needed six runs off the last ball to win, or four to draw and force a super over, but Rana bowled a dot ball to secure victory.