IPL 2021 playoffs, RCB vs KKR (Eliminator): Kolkata sails into Qualifier 2, records scripted

Royal Challengers Bangalore could not get past Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator of IPL 2021 playoffs, losing by four wickets. As a result, it was knocked out, while there were some records scripted.

It was a spirited performance from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday. However, RCB fell short by four wickets, while KKR sealed its place in Qualifier 2, as certain records were scripted.

Glenn Maxwell joins RCB elite list
Maxwell has scored 500 runs this season. As a result, he is only the fifth player from the side after Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to score more than 500-plus in a season.

Sunil Narine: A nightmare
- Narine managed to get rid of RCB's three big horses: Kohli, Glenn Maxwell & AB de Villiers in this game. Consequently, he has become only the second bowler after Harpreet Brar to do so.
- Also, he has become the join-most player to dismiss ABD on most instances (4), along with Krunal Pandya, Piyush Chawla and Shreyas Gopal.
- Furthermore, he has become the first bowler to three four-wicket hauls against an IPL side.
- This season, he has also become the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners in the UAE (11) after Yuzvendra Chahal (12).
- His 4/21 is the best figure for a KKR bowler in the playoffs, going past Umesh Yadav (3/13).

Harshal Patel pulls off a best
Harshal claimed his 32nd wicket of the season. As a result, he became the joint best bowler to claim the most wickets in a season, along with Dwayne Bravo.

KKR registers an ablest
It was KKR's 16th IPL win over RCB, its second-most after Punjab Kings (19).

Match summary
Winning the toss and electing to bat, RCB posted a below-par total of 138/7 despite a promising start, with Narine claiming four, while Virat Kohli was the top scorer, with 39. In reply, the RCB bowlers gave a tough time to the KKR batters. However, a consolidated effort from all saw it through to Qualifier 2.
Brief scores: RCB 138/7 (Kohli- 39; Narine- 4/21) lost to KKR 139/6 in 19.4 overs (Gill- 29; Chahal- 2/19) by four wickets.