Kolkata Knight Riders' Shardul Thakur was the player of the match after his 29-ball, 68-run blitz helped the side from 89/5 at on stage to 192 Supported ably by Rinku Singh, who made 46 off 33 balls, Shardul's knock resuscitated the Kolkata innings after they lost wickets in clumps early on. KKR eventually posted a massive total of 204 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, the Royal Challengers Bangalore faltered and lost the game by 81 runs, with Thakur claiming one wicket as well. Shardul's knock earned him some much deserved praise from former India cricketer Irfan Pathan. "The kind of knock Shardul played under difficult circumstances is really commendable. He walked into the middle when half of KKR side was back in the dugout but his counter-attacking knock changed the complexion of the game in no time. You can expect this type of innings from Andre Russell, Nitish Rana and Mandeep Singh but the way Shardul unleashed his beast mode was exceptional. You can expect an innings of 30-35 runs from Shardul, but he played an epic knock which was beyond everyone's expectations," Pathan said on Star Sports. Ahead of the IPL 2023 Auction, Shardul was traded by KKR from Delhi Capitals. "With his highest score in T20s, Shardul has done full justice to the role he was traded for from Delhi Capitals. KKR brought him for his wicket-taking ability and useful batting at number 6 or 7. With this knock, he has justified his selection," added Pathan.
