WATCH: Riyan Parag gives frustrated reaction after Wanindu Hasaranga's dismissal by Varun Chakravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy changed the game in a space of three balls against Rajasthan Royals (KKR). The defending IPL champions had scored 206 runs on the board after batting first at the Eden Gardens Stadium on Sunday afternoon. RR had made a disastrous start as they lost Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Kunal Singh Rathore in the first two overs of the game. 

Skipper Riyan Parag then formed a crucial stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the fourth wicket. Jaiswal was soon out after scoring 34 when Rinku Singh took a smart catch to give Moeen Ali his second wicket of the day. It was then the Varun Chakravarthy show, as the 33-year-old left the visitors reeling. 

Dhruv Jurel played down the wrong line and saw his stumps take a beating as the bowler celebrated wildly. Hasaranga came out to bat and survived the first ball that he faced. In the next ball, Chakravarthy went through the batter’s defence to rattle the stumps once again.

Both Jurel and Hasaranga were out without opening their account. Riyan Parag, who was at the non-striker's end, was left with a frustrated look on his face after the fall of Hasaranga. All of a sudden RR had lost half their side with just 71 runs on the board, still needing 136 runs to win with 73 balls left to play. 

Through the gate ✖ 2️⃣ \|/

Varun Chakaravarthy is weaving his magic in Kolkata! 👏

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Andre Russell's knock helps KKR reach 206 runs on the board

West Indian star Andre Russell muscled his way to 57 not out from 25 balls. The knock was his first fifty of the season at a very crucial juncture of the season. Russell hit six huge hits past the fence and put the RR bowlers to the sword in the backend of the innings. It will be a welcome sight for many KKR fans who had seen the Jamaican struggle for runs this campaign. 

Speaking at the mid-innings break, Russell said, “ I never worry about dot balls but I realised the wicket was gripping. I didn’t want to take a risk against Theekshana at the start so when he came back to bowl, I took him on. Spinners were on; my strong point is to get away the spinners as much as possible. they were bowling in good areas, Hasaranga was also bowling well, so I didn’t want to take them early on.”