Kolkata Knight Riders made the most of their decision to bowl first at Barsapara Stadium on Wednesday, picking up wickets at regular intervals to limit Rajasthan Royals to a modest total of 151/9. Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout bowler, as usual, with impressive figures of 2/17, but he was well-supported by Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, and Vaibhav Arora, all of whom matched his wicket tally.
It was only a late 16-run cameo from tailender Jofra Archer that pushed Rajasthan beyond the 150-run mark, with the Englishman’s seven-ball stay offering some thrilling IPL action.
Archer walked to the crease in the 19th over after Harshit had dismissed Dhruv Jurel and immediately cut a short, wide delivery to square leg for a six. This didn’t sit well with the KKR bowler, and given his fiery temperament, a confrontation seemed inevitable.
The very next ball, Harshit bowled a full delivery, which Archer smacked straight down the ground. However, Harshit’s quick reflexes saw him get a hand to the ball, stopping it in its tracks. Realizing Archer was outside his crease, Harshit quickly aimed a throw at the stumps.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Shimron Hetmyer was caught in a panic, worried for both his life and his wicket.
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The speed at which the ball came at him, along with Harshit’s deflection, had him tumbling awkwardly to the ground in the background, adding a comical touch to the chaos. The whole incident quickly became a hit on Twitter, much to the delight of fans.