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Match Report:

Scorecard

Lynn primes KKR for playoffs tilt

Buttler just misses IPL record as Kolkata put one foot in final four with win over Rajasthan

The result: Rajasthan Royals 10-142 (Buttler 39, Kuldeep 4-20) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 4-143 (Lynn 45, Stokes 3-15) by six wickets with 12 balls remaining.

The match in a tweet: A mature Chris Lynn guides Kolkata to third spot on the table, Buttler just misses out on IPL record and the playoffs race heats up at Eden Gardens #RRvKKR


Lynnsanity on hold: Cricket fans the world over are used to seeing Chris Lynn bombard bowling attacks with brute force, but this season’s IPL has been a far cry from the master blaster that has earned lucrative contracts on the back of his big hitting. The 28-year-old has a strike rate of 131.7 in the competition, well down from last season’s effort of 180.9. Once again, Lynn showed patience for the Knight Riders, his 42-ball 45 exactly what his franchise needed at the top of the innings. This is the second occasion where the Queenslander has struck a score at close to a run-a-ball and guided his side home to two points.

The Buttler serves Mavi: Eden Gardens was very nearly the site of a history-making performance, as Jos Buttler fell just 11 runs shy of scoring an IPL-record sixth straight half-century. It looked inevitable when the Englishman took young Indian quick Shivam Mavi for 28 runs off his second over - the equal-highest in this edition of the tournament, both overs bowled by Mavi – but after the stunning over things quietened. Buttler was starved of the strike, facing just 11 of the next 38 balls, and when he did eventually begin an over on strike, his attempt to innovate with a reverse-sweep found Javon Searles at short third man to end his spell of 50s.

Kohli dominant in RCB's 10-wicket triumph

Captain Karthik: Dinesh Karthik’s abilities while chasing have been compared to those of MS Dhoni. Kolkata's captain has remained unbeaten in four of his last seven innings whilst chasing, three of those matches resulting in victories. He forms a potent middle order with the likes of Andre Russell, Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill and looks likely to play a major role should the Knight Riders qualify for the playoffs.

The next stop: Rajasthan will face the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the early game on Saturday night, with both side’s jostling for the two spots that remain in the playoffs race. Should Kolkata win over top-of-the-table Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday morning, they will book a playoffs berth regardless of other results.

Australian viewers can watch the 2018 season of the IPL exclusively on Fox Sports