Hasaranga's 4/20 helps RCB beat KKR by three wickets
Navi Mumbai, Mar 30: Royal Challengers Bangalore batters overcame some nervy moments after leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga spun his way to a four-wicket haul to register a three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a low-scoring IPL match here on Wednesday.
Hasaranga lived up to his Rs 10.75 crore price tag as his four-wicket burst helped RCB dismiss KKR for 128.
The Sri Lankan was ably supported by the pace trio of Akash Deep (3/45), Harshal Patel (2/11) and Mohammed Siraj (1/25) after RCB won the toss and elected to bowl at DY Patil Stadium here.
In reply, Sherfane Rutherford (28), David Willey (18) and Shahbaz Ahmed (27) played crucial innings as RCB survived some anxious moments before overhauling the target, scoring 132 for 7 in 19.2 overs after Tim Southee (3/20) and Umesh Yadav (2/16) blew away their top-order.
Yadav and Southee troubled the top-order batters with their pace and bounce, leaving RCB at 17 for 3 at one stage.
While Anuj Rawat (0) got a thick outside edge off Umesh, Faf Du Plessis (5) got a leading edge to the point fielder and Virat Kohli (12) paid the price for playing away from the body.
Willey and Rutherford then tried to rebuild the chase with a 45-run stand but Sunil Narine broke the partnership in the 11th over as he had the former caught at midwicket.
Coming to the crease, Shahbaz pulled Andre Russell for two maximums as RCB amassed 15 runs to ease the pressure.
Needing 36 off 30 balls, Shahbaz hit another six off Chakravarthy before being deceived by the bowler as RCB slumped to 101 for 5.
With pressure mounting, Rutherford went for a slog only to be caught behind off Southee.
Needing 17 off last two overs, Harshal Patel smashed two fours, while Dinesh Karthik (14 not out) blasted a six and a four in the first two balls of the last over to take the team home.
Earlier, KKR batters struggled with the extra bounce and went for shots too many despite losing wickets at regular intervals.
None of the batters could capitalise on the starts as KKR lost six wickets for 57 runs to slip from 44 for 3 to 101 for 9 in 14.3 overs.
Big-hitting West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell was the highest scorer for KKR with a 18-ball 25, while Umesh Yadav (18) and Varun Chakravarthy (10) added 27 runs, the fourth-highest for the 10th wicket in IPL history, to provide some respectability to the total.
Venkatesh Iyer was the first to be dismissed with Akash Deep striking on his first delivery, while Ajinkya Rahane's shaky start ended when he was holed out in the fifth over off Siraj as KKR slipped to 32 for 2.
Nitish Rana too perished quickly with David Willey producing a stunning catch as KKR slipped to 44 for 3 in the first six overs.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer then paid the price for an irresponsible shot, hitting straight to Du Plessis at long-on for Hasaranga's first wicket.
Despite the match situation, West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine went for his shots, sending Akash Deep across mid-off before top-edging him for a maximum.
However, Hasaranga came back to strike twice in two balls as KKR slumped to 67 for 6 in 9 overs.
While Narine ended up giving an easy catch to point fielder, Sheldon Jackson was cleaned up with a ripping googly.
Sam Billing, who survived an LBW appeal in his first ball, slammed a six before making his way back to the hut with a miscued pull which was comfortably held by Kohli at long-on.
Russell then smashed three sixes and a four before edging Patel to Karthik, while Tim Southee mistimed one to Du Plessis to become Hasaranga's fourth victim.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 128 all out in 18.5 overs (Andre Russell 25; Wanindu Hasaranga 4/20, Akash Deep 3/45, Harshal Patel 2/11).
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 132 for 7 in 19.2 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 28, Shahbaz Ahmed 27; Tim Southee 3/20, Umesh Yadav 2/16).
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
