KKR vs RR: Recapping a thrilling IPL 2022 encounter from April 18

Revisiting RR vs KKR: Jos Buttler's 2nd hundred of the season, Yuzvendra Chahal's masterclass hattrick was too good for Shreyas Iyer's fighting 85 as Rajasthan triumphed on April 18.

Kolkata Knight Riders will look to find a winning combination and end their five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 when they take on Rajasthan Royals in match no.47 of the season at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. While KKR are in desperate need of a win, RR are sitting comfortably in the top half of the points table.

The last time these two sides met on April 19 in IPL 2022, they produced a game that had every ingredient of a classic thriller - a hundred, high scores, a hat-trick and heartbreak. It was perhaps the best IPL match of the current season, on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the most-watched T20 league in world cricket.

200+ both sides.Hundred by Buttler.Five wicket haul by Chahal.Hat-trick by Chahal.Terrific knock by Shreyas.Final over thriller.What a match. pic.twitter.com/zVYHOBu8fp

Despite all the drama and fightback posted by Shreyas Iyer, Rajasthan Royals had managed to seal a seven-run win to hand Kolkata Knight Riders their third successive loss at the Brabourne Stadium. While Jos Buttler’s second hundred in the IPL lifted Rajasthan to 217, Yuzvendra Chahal’s match-winning hat-trick dealt the final blow to KKR, who were in with a chance before they were dismissed in the last over.

BUTTLER 100

Buttler’s 61-ball 103 had nine fours and five sixes as the Royals scored an imposing 217/5. Buttler added 97 runs for the opening wicket stand with Devdutt Padikkal (24 off 18 balls), who only faced deliveries worth three overs in the first 10 overs. After Padikkal’s departure, Buttler was then joined by skipper Sanju Samson (38 off 19 balls), who was equally destructive in their 67-run second-wicket stand in just 5.4 overs. Some of Buttler’s shots were just out of the ordinary, which showcased why he is considered the most dangerous T20 batter/opener in the current era.