Kolkata Knight Riders players in the charter flight that had to be diverted to Guwahati first and then to Varanasi after adverse weather conditions made it impossible to land the plane in Kolkata. Photo: X/@KKRiders

Kolkata Knight Riders players had a harrowing experience as they were forced to spend a night at Varanasi after their flight from Lucknow to Kolkata was diverted multiple times due to bad weather.

Following their massive 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, the Shreyas Iyer-led side left on Monday evening for Kolkata at 5:45 p.m. The team was scheduled to arrive at 7.25 p.m.

But the charter flight had to be diverted to Guwahati first and then to Varanasi after adverse weather conditions made it impossible to land the plane in Kolkata.

The KKR media team provided an update at 8.46 p.m., saying, “Due to inclement weather over Kolkata, the KKR charter flight has been diverted to Guwahati. We’ve just landed here.”

Then another update at 9.43 p.m. said, “We’ve got clearance to fly back to Kolkata now, from Guwahati. Estimated arrival: 11pm.”

However, the ordeal was not over for the players and support staff as multiple attempts to land the flight failed, forcing the officials to divert the flight mid-air to Varanasi.

“Flight took off from Guwahati to Kolkata, was scheduled to land at 11 PM. Couldn’t land once again due to bad weather, despite several attempts. Diverted mid-air to Varanasi now. Just landed here,” said an update at 1:15 a.m.

The KKR team then spent the night at Varanasi and will be travelling to Kolkata this afternoon.

“The team would be checking into Varanasi hotel for overnight stay. Return flight to Kolkata TBD on Tuesday (7 May) afternoon,” the KKR media team said in the final update at 3:00 a.m.

Fortunately, KKR’s next game is against Mumbai Indians at Eden Garden on May 11. The two-time former champions will play Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on May 13 and Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on May 19 for their final two league matches.

 Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner. File picture
| Photo Credit: Deepak K R

Young pacer Harshit Rana feels Kolkata Knight Riders are reaping the rewards by following the winning template set by two-time IPL winner and current mentor Gautam Gambhir as they continued their sensational run to grab the top position in the IPL points table.

Gambhir had led KKR to the IPL crown twice with the team also qualifying for the playoffs five times during his stint from 2011 to 2017. He had also guided KKR to the finals of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014.

However, in the last seven years, KKR could reach the playoffs only twice.

Gambhir’s return to the KKR camp as a mentor this year turned things around as the Kolkata-based franchise moved to the top of the table with 16 points following a dominating 98-run over Lucknow Super Giants – 8th win in 11 games – on May 6

“Not only this match, this entire season we have been focussing a lot on the style of cricket that Gautam Gambhir wants us to play. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in our favour and it helps us a lot in the middle,” Rana said during the press conference.

“Like today he gave the bowlers a free hand, to find the length to bowl depending on the wicket, and not to try too many things,” he added.

Rana (3/24 in 3.1 overs) played a crucial role in the win by taking three wickets while defending a target of 235.

“KKR read the wicket very well. The areas we had to bowl, we targeted the right places,” Rana said.

IPL’s biggest buy Mitchell Starc has proved expensive this season but Rana said the team management is not at all bothered about his economy rate and has faith on the Australian speedstar.

“We have not cared even for a bit on how expensive Mitchell Starc has been in IPL 2024. He have full faith in him and he won us the last game and we have no doubts on him whatsoever.

“He has such a great influence on the younger players, he has such a huge wealth of knowledge,” Rana said.

Rana said his dream is to play for India and is focussing on his performance.

“My aim is to play for India but whatever franchise I play for I try to give my best on the day of the match. I will be selected based on my performance and performance alone,” Rana said.

We’d our plans but everything went Narine’s way: Naveen

It was yet another sparkling fifty by Sunil Narine (81 off 39) which helped KKR post a massive 235 for six and LSG fast bowler Naveen Ul Haq conceded that all their plans failed against the star West Indian allrounder.

“I think he played quite well. We had a plan of bowling bouncers and yorkers and mixing it up and not being predictable against him. We did that but he played quite a brilliant innings to be honest,” he said.

“It wasn’t like he was slogging and everything was going top edge or anything like slicing the ball. He was properly middling it and that’s the case like from the beginning of the season.

“He’s been middling it. Everything going his way. So yeah, it was a great knock by him.” The Afghan seamer said LSG could have produced a better show with the bat but they can’t dwell on defeat too much as they need to focus on the next game.

“The amount of games that we have played in Lucknow, I think this was the best wicket to bat on. We did not do the things in the chase that we did – say in the game at Chepauk, where the target was very high. It was not like bad or anything, there was nothing for the bowlers,” Naveen said.

“Pressure is always there on whatever score you are chasing. Every team has a bad day, and we cannot keep focusing on that, we have to move on.”

Punjab Kings’ Jonny Bairstow celebrates after scoring a century during the Indian Premier League cricket match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on April 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Jonny Bairstow was at his destructive best to smash an unbeaten 108 (48b, 8×4, 9×6) and helped Punjab Kings create history by overhauling host Kolkata Knight Riders’ record score of 261, by eight wickets, at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.

With this incredible achievement, Punjab Kings became the team to record the highest successful run-chase in the annals of all T20 matches.

Chasing the massive score put up by the host, which was the highest T20 total at the venue, Punjab Kings decided to bring in Prabhsimran Singh as the Impact Player (for Arshdeep Singh). The decision paid rich dividends as the opening batter took the KKR bowling attack to the cleaners, hitting boundaries and sixes at will.

The home side, which brought in Sri Lankan speedster Dushmantha Chameera in place of Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, failed to make a mark as Prabhsimran and Bairstow struck a 93-run partnership for the opening wicket.

Prabhsimran (54, 20b, 4×4, 5×6) played the lead role before getting run out by a direct throw from Sunil Narine.

The worst sufferer in the demolition process was Anukul Roy, the left-arm spinner whom KKR brought as Impact Player (for Venkatesh Iyer). Anukul gave away 36 in his two overs as Bairstow took over the task of annihilating the KKR bowling.

The English batter raced to his century in 45 balls. After his opening stand with Prabhsimran, Bairstow constructed two more partnerships — 85 for the second wicket with Rilee Rossouw before finishing the innings with an unbroken stand of 84 with Shashank Singh. The latter remained unbeaten on 68 off 28 balls, hitting two boundaries and eight sixes.

Earlier, KKR rode on the belligerence of its openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine to reach 261 in its 20 overs. Salt emerged KKR’s top scorer with a 75 (37b, 6×4, 6×6), while Narine made 71 (32b, 9×4, 4×6).

That the Knight Riders’ opening partnership flourished was largely due to the largesse of the PBKS fielders who dropped three catches to help the deadly duo unleash a barrage of boundaries and sixes.

Narine, who was dropped by Hardeep Brar off the bowling of Harshal Patel in the third over when he was 16, utilised the reprieve to spectacular effect. Narine, when on 59, also saw the DRS working in his favour. A leg-before decision by the umpire was overturned as Rahul Chahar’s delivery was going over leg-stump.The charmed lives of the KKR opening duo continued further as Salt earned two ‘lives’ in the sixth and seventh overs before being dismissed on 75 (37b, 6×4, 6×6) in the 13th over when the score read 163.

Brief scores

Kolkata Knight Riders: 261/6 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 75, Sunil Narine 71).

Punjab Kings: 262/2 in 18.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 108, Prabhsimran Singh 54, Shashank Singh 68).

Aware that they cannot afford any more slip-ups, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have their task cut out when they face dominant hosts Kolkata Knight Riders in a tricky Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on April 21.

RCB’s pursuit of a maiden IPL title has once again hit a roadblock following six losses in seven matches.

With five consecutive defeats, the bottom-ranked RCB now confront the daunting task of winning their remaining seven games to keep their playoff prospects alive.

For a side that has been severely let down by their bowlers and relies heavily on the batting prowess of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and veteran Dinesh Karthik, facing KKR presents a significant challenge.

“From a bowling perspective, we don’t have as many weapons. So, unfortunately, it comes down to the batters to make sure that we use our form and our confidence. The scores that we put on the board are probably going to be the only way we are going to get into the competition,” their skipper Du Plessis has admitted earlier.

The fact that they are coming after conceding the IPL’s record total of 287/3 by Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match will undoubtedly linger in the minds of their bowlers.

It would not be a bad idea to bring back their most expensive (Rs 11.5-crore) buy this season, Alzarri Joseph, to go alongside Mohammed Siraj, who was not picked against SRH.

Joseph has bagged a solitary wicket in three appearances for RCB while also getting hammered at 11.89 runs per over.

Glenn Maxwell’s spin also could have been a nice option, but the struggling Australian all-rounder, who pulled out of the game against SRH citing “mental fatigue”, is also battling a hip strain that may keep him out of action for some more time.

Their batting has centred around the two openers — Kohli and Du Plessis — and Karthik, while the rest of the players have failed miserably.

Kohli is once again leading the run chart with 361 runs at 72.20, though his middle over strike rate of 135 has been a cause of concern.

The star Indian batter more often than not was seen to have slowed down against the spinners in the crucial 7-15th over phase after getting a start in the power play.

Du Plessis has been their next best batter with 232 runs, but it’s seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Karthik, who has been phenomenal in his final IPL season.

The veteran has amassed 226 runs at a strike-rate of 205-plus and in the monstrous chase against SRH, it was his 35-ball 83 that gave them hope of scripting an improbable win before they fell short by 25 runs.

The trio will again have to play a key role against the likes of Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana.

The home side will also be coming on the back of a defeat to Rajasthan Royals in a last-ball finish.

So KKR, who have played one match less then RCB, will also eye a return to winning ways and inch closer to playoffs by taking their tally to 10 points at the midway stage.

The biggest threat for RCB will be Narine, not just with the ball but also with the bat at the top of the order.

Narine, who scored his maiden T20 century in their last match against RR, is KKR’s leading run-getter this season with 276 runs at an incredible strike rate of over 187.

The next best KKR batter is his opening partner Phil Salt, who has struck at a rate of 151-plus.

The pair’s splendid form means that the likes of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell have got limited opportunities.

With a maiden fifty to his name, youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi has impressed with his batting.

RCB will have to target the KKR top-three to expose their batting and give themselves some chance.

With the city in the grip of an extreme heat wave, the temperature is expected to soar to 41-degree Centigrade come Sunday.

Teams (from):

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

Match starts at 3.30pm.

New Delhi:

US Investment firm KKR & Co Inc has increased its stake in billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail Ventures by investing an additional $250 million at a valuation of $100 billion, adding to its bet on the country’s biggest retailer.

The private equity firm’s follow-on investment translates into an additional equity stake of 0.25 percent in Reliance Retail on a fully-diluted basis, taking KKR’s total equity stake in the Indian company to 1.42 percent, the retailer said on Monday.

The investment marks growing interest in Mukesh Ambani’s retail operations which stretch from groceries to electronics, and include foreign partnerships with brands such as Jimmy Choo, Marks & Spencer and Pret A Manger. It has more than 18,000 stores and also competes with Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.

In 2020, Reliance Retail raised $5.71 billion by selling a 10.09 percent stake to investors including KKR, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, General Atlantic and the United Arab Emirates’ Mubadala.

That year, KKR had invested 55.5 billion rupees ($669.65 million) in Reliance Retail. Ambani recently said the 2020 fundraising valued the business at around $52 billion, and “in less than three years, the valuation of retail has almost doubled.”

KKR’s latest investment comes primarily from its Asian Fund IV and the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, Reliance said. Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Retail.

Reuters exclusively reported this month Reliance was in advanced talks with global investors to raise around $2.5 billion by the end of September, ahead of a potential stock market listing. Mr Ambani said in 2019 that the group planned to list the retail business in five years.

The plan is part of a combined $3.5 billion target the firm set for itself, of which it raised $1 billion from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) at a $100 billion valuation last month.

Reliance Retail reported a consolidated net profit of 91.81 billion rupees ($1.11 billion) for the financial year that ended in March 2023, on revenue of 2.6 trillion rupees.

Since last year, Reliance has been acquiring dozens of small grocery and non-food brands as it tries to build a consumer business with annual sales of $6 billion within five years to challenge foreign giants like Unilever.