KKR vs SRH, IPL 2024 Match Updates in 13 points: Andre Russell, Heinrich Klaasen & other class acts in the nail-biter

Andre Russell's unbeaten 64 off 25 balls, and bowling figures of 2/25 helped the Kolkata franchise win their first match of IPL 2024.

A closely contested game, it also saw some big sixes come off the bats of players like Andre Russell (7 sixes) and Heinrich Klaasen (SRH, 8 sixes)

Russell said in the post-match interview: "Sometimes it comes up on my Instagram and then I realize how well I am striking."

'It's a luxury to have the two (Russell and Sunil Narine) in the team'

Punch.ev Electric Striker of the Match - Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Sixes of the match: Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Fours of the match: Abhishek Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

For Kolkata Knight Riders

Phil Salt - Ramandeep Singh (54 runs off 29 balls)

Andre Russell - Rinku Singh (81 off 33)

For Sunrisers Hyderabad

Mayank Agarwal - Abhishek Sharma (60 off 33)

Heinrich Klaasen - Shahbaz Ahmed (58 off 16)

Andre Russell has hit 50 percent of them! Muscle from Russell, and the ball clears 80-90 meters to land well beyond the ropes.

Eight sixes off the bat of Heinrich Klaasen alone.

Shahbaz Ahmed's strike rate of 320 at the other end kept the tempo high.

"It was electrifying" at Eden Garden

"I just want to keep playing like this"

Pat Cummins: "Close game in the end. Wonderful game of cricket; unfortunately didn't go our way."

Cummins and SRH have much to be proud of. The discipline in the team was visible from the start. The fielding was on point. Heinrich Klaasen did what Heinrich Klaasen was expected to do. The Hyderabad franchise were chasing a big score of 208. They kept at it even when wickets fell and the run rate slowed down. In the end, they put 204 on the board. A last ball finish... they kept the Kolkata Knight Riders on their toes to the last.

That was an incredible effort! What a thriller

It's come down to the last ball! It goes for dot. Captain Pat Cummins will be disappointed.

Great over from Harshit Rana. At the beginning of the over, it was looking like SRH's match to lose - till he took those two massive wickets - Shahbaz and then Heinrich Klaasen!

Suyash Sharma catches it. Klaasen is gone for 63 (29).

Suyash Sharma, 20, was a substitute player.

What a difference this catch has made!

Harshit Rana bowling the final over of the game is on fire...

Is that he made it off 5 balls. Strike rate? 320!

Shahbaz - Klaasen's huge partnership ends

Klaasen - Shahbaz's partnership has changed the tide for SRH

It just does not get more unpredictable than this!

Shahbaz breaches strike rate of 400!

: Klassen hits another MASSIVE SIX to bring up half-century

SRH are 190/5 with 7 balls remaining

Klaasen just one run short of a 50.

SRH needed 39 runs in two overs at the start of the 19th over. Klaasen's 6 takes them closer to target. But Shahbaz Ahmed and Heinrich Klaasen still have their job cut out...

Shahbaz has 10 from three balls - SRH are 170/5 at the end of 18 overs.

Klaasen is on 30 off 19 balls. Scratch that... another six. He's on 36 off 20 balls. Hyderabad need a lot more of this.

Hyderabad are 149/5 at the end of 17 overs

Caught by Andre Russell. Samad is gone for 15 off 11

Followed by a FOUR. SRH need 65 from 21 balls.

But that won't be enough for SRH, who need 76 runs off 24 balls. Klaasen could turn things around - but he needs to start NOW

Heinrich Klaasen hits a SIX - sends the ball flying over 83 meters. Finally a boundary after 27 balls

Misses it. Hurts his finger. KKR aren't leaking any unnecessary runs to Hyderabad

60/1 Mayank Agarwal (5.3 overs)

71/2 Abhishek Sharma (7.2 overs)

107/3 Aiden Markram (11.4 overs)

111/4 Rahul Tripathi (12.5 overs)

Economy: 4.75

Wickets: 1

Runs: 19

Match-winning spell? Could well be.

SRH are at 111/4. Need 98 to win from 42 balls.

Sent for smart review - it's NOT OUT. Abdul Samad stays

Sunil Narine strikes; catch taken by Harshit Rana at fine leg

Hyderabad are 108/3

KKR's Varun Chakaravarthy concedes 3 runs for big wicket

Aiden Markram is gone. c Rinku Singh; b Varun Chakaravarthy

Hyderabad have wickets in hand; can they overcome the first 200-plus score of the season?

Rohan Pandit getting medical aid.

Hyderabad are 99/2; Rahul Tripathi on 14 (12); Aiden Markram 15 (8 balls)

100 coming up for Sunrisers soon.

Big six from Tripathi.

Sunrisers coach Daniel Vittori: "It's a real six-hitting ground as we saw with Andre. We can stay in touch with the score if we keep hitting those sixes."

Chakaravarthy drops Markram. Andre Russell looked pained.

Earlier in the over: Ramandeep Singh substituted; KKR's Suyash Sharma replaces Ramandeep

Hyderabad are 77/2; Rahul Tripathi on 2 (6); Aiden Markram 5 (2 balls)

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Markram gets a four off the first ball he faces.

Short ball from Andre Russell does Abhishek Sharma in; he's gone for 32 off 19 balls

Sunil Narine made his IPL debut in 2012. Has taken 163 wickets in as many matches, with best bowling figures of 5/19.

Narine concedes just two runs in the over. SRH are 67/1

Abhishek Sharma steps back to make room, sends the ball flying towards the boundary. Powerplay over.

Tripathi comes out to bat.

Harshit Rana to Agarwal. Agarwal takes the bait; sends the ball flying towards the boundary. Ramandeep waits for it. Agarwal is gone. Rana sends him off with a flying kiss.

Varun Chakaravarthy's over goes for dot, 4, 6, 1, 1, 6. SRH are 58/0, racking up the runs at a rate of 11.6o

50 comes up for the Sunrisers Hyderabad!.

Abhishek Sharma is NOT OUT.

Mayank Agarwal clears the ropes for a six. SRH are 36/0 with 16.1 overs remaining

Ramandeep makes a run for it, gets his hands to the ball. Takes a tumble, can't hold on to the ball. Agarwal is safe - again.

Abhishek Sharma: 5 (6)

Mayank Agarwal: 17 (12)

Extras: 5

Impact player Abhishek Sharma puts a Starc delivery away for a four.

Mayank Agarwal's 10-ball 12 is a good start. But SRH still need 192 runs off 108 balls

Harshit Rana to Mayank Agarwal. It could be out... Yes, umpire says it's out. Call for smart review. Reversing the original decision - Not out. Agarwal stays

Mayank Agarwal puts it away for a four.

Knicks the ball, gets a four

Mitchell Starc bowling the first over for KKR - first boundary comes off a wide

Three KKR players got to strike rates of 200 or more: Andre Russell (256), Ramandeep Singh (205.88), Mitchell Starc (200)

Andre Russell's 25-ball 64 includes 7 sixes! Strike rate? 256!

Hits it for a four off the first ball

c Markram b Natarajan KKR are 200/7

Russell and Rinku Singh have changed the game completely. Adding 70-plus runs in just four overs

Over fine leg for six, and it's 20-ball half-century for the Jamaican-born allrounder who breaches strike rates of 200 all the time.

KKR are 174/6 at the end of the 18th over. Suddenly the contest is not looking one-sided

KKR are 159/6 at the end of the 17th over.

Big four. 30 comes up for Russell

Four overs left. It's Bhuvi's over next.

Valiant effort by SunRisers' Markram to catch the ball, but it's on the ground when the fielder gets his hands on it. Andre Russell is NOT OUT

Big six off the first ball of the 16th over - Russell sends it flying for 91 meters

Big six off the fourth ball of the 16th over - Russell strikes it off the middle - sends it flying 102 meters

Big six off the fifth ball of the 16thover - Russell sends it flying 96 meters.

Shah Rukh Khan looks on from the stands.

Can Rinku Singh and Andre Russell take KKR into the 170s?

Expect big sixes and many more fours? Absolutely.

Looked like it was going to be a six, but fell short. Marco Jansen catches it close to the boundary. KKR are 119/6

KKR opening batter Phil Salt's 38-ball 50 includes three sixes, and three fours. His 3rd IPL 50 in all.

Gone for 17-ball 35. Pat Cummins' second big catch of the day, after Shreyas Iyer.

14-run over takes KKR to 105/4. 12 overs gone.

Ramandeep Singh puts away Shahbaz's first delivery for a six - and it's a no-ball to boot!

Ramandeep Singh and Phil Salt hitting their rhythm now.

KKR Coach says: "Ramandeep is fearless!"

Phil Salt is hitting the ball over the ground. He's at 41 runs off 31 balls and counting.

Clears the ropes; makes it look easy.

KKR will need to pick up the pace, to pick up a win here.

Cummins to Ramandeep. Ramandeep hits a low six - the ball just about goes past the ropes. KKR are 66/4 at the end of 9 overs.

Ramandeep's just hooked it for a much-needed four.

IPL Matches: 26

Runs: 325

Decision review call goes up. It's not out

KKR lose their fourth wicket for just 51 runs

50 comes up for KKR in 7.1 overs.

KKR are 49/3. Samad and SRH may rue dropping the catch that could have got Nitish Rana out.

Salt is at 22 off 14 deliveries, and Rana is on a five-ball six.

It's a four

Nitish Rana hoicks it over backward square leg to get his first boundary of the game.

SRH captain Pat Cummins just took the catch that got KKR captain Shreyas Iyer out.

KKR lose another wicket. Captain Shreyas Iyer goes for duck. KKR are 32/3 at the end of the fourth over.

Bowling change in the fourth over: SRH brought T Natarajan out to bowl.

Natarajan conceded a four to Venkatesh Iyer.... before getting him OUT

Second KKR wicket falls.

Great fielding from Aiden Markram first, and then Jansen in this over.

Hits it hard. But not hard enough for a boundary. Gets two runs off the ball.

KKR are 27/1 at the end of 3 overs.

First wicket of the day falls

Marco Jansen to Phil Salt. Ball travels high and long (72 metres)

Jansen to Salt. Hits it over the shorter boundary

Jansen to Salt. 84 METERS over extra cover for a six.

Jansen joined the IPL bandwagon with the Mumbai Indians in 2021, moved to SRH last year. Best bowling figures in IPL: 3/25 in 2022

Bhuvneshwar's 1st over goes for 3 runs.