IPL 2022: 'What a player' - KKR fans laud Andre Russel's all-round show in win against SRH

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their hopes of reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs alive after defeating the SunRisers Hyderabad by 54 runs in the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune, on Saturday.

KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first. Riding on West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell's (49 off 28 balls) late blitz, they posted 177 runs on board.

The Sunrisers never really looked like they were in the chase and kept losing wickets at regular intervals, which hurt their chances. 

Iyer decided to introduce Russell (3/16) in the powerplay, and the move paid off as he got rid of SRH skipper Kane Williamson (9) on the second ball of the sixth over. 

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For the Hyderabad franchise, opening batter Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 43 off 28 deliveries, while Aiden Markram made 32 from 25 balls. Newly-appointed West Indies white-ball skipper Nicholas Pooran had an off day as he was sent packing for just two runs.

For KKR, all five bowlers picked up a wicket, with all-roudner Russell leading the chart and Kiwi pacer Tim Southee ending with figures of 2 for 23.

KKR has leapfrogged the Orange Army with the win and is now in the seventh position in the league table with 12 points from 13 games. On the other hand, the Hyderabad franchise is now in the eighth spot after their fifth consecutive defeat and has 10 points from 12 matches. 

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Both these teams can now reach the maximum of 14 points if they manage to win their remaining league stage matches.

KKR fans took to Twitter to express their joy following this win, with most people lauding the West Indian's brilliant show. Here's a look at the reactions: