In a breathtaking display of power-hitting, Yashasvi Jaiswal led Rajasthan Royals to an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2023 match at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. Jaiswal's unbeaten 47-ball 98 included the quickest fifty in the tournament's history in just 13 balls, leaving the fans in awe of his ability to clear the infield and pick gaps with immaculate ease and precise footwork.
Combining bravado and fearless approach, Jaiswal hit 13 fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 208.51. He was simply unstoppable as he danced down the pitch to loft Nitish Rana over long-on for six, followed by slog-sweeping for another maximum. His opening over onslaught continued with three fours off the next three deliveries. Jaiswal went on to score his fifty in just 13 balls, leaving the fans in disbelief.
Jaiswal then shared an unbroken 121-run stand off 69 balls for the second wicket with Sanju Samson, who finished at 48 not out off 29 balls, as Rajasthan got over the line with 41 balls to spare. The result also means Rajasthan jumped to third place on the points table with 12 points from as many games.
Jaiswal's unbeaten knock was an exhibition of power-hitting and his ability to pick gaps with precision. He backed away to loft inside-out over the extra-cover boundary off Sunil Narine in the seventh over, followed by pulling Suyash Sharma for another maximum. Kolkata Knight Riders had no respite in store as Samson too joined the party, hitting Chakaravarthy for six, before finishing off the chase with another sweep off Thakur for a four to be 98 not out.
The crowd was left spellbound as Jaiswal stole the show with his power-hitting and unbeaten knock. It was a performance to remember and Jaiswal has proved his mettle once again. Rajasthan Royals will be delighted with their emphatic victory and the fans will be eagerly looking forward to Jaiswal's next innings.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 149/7 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 57; Yuzvendra Chahal 4/25, Trent Boult 2/15) lost to Rajasthan Royals 151/1 in 13.1 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 98 not out, Sanju Samson 48 not out) by nine wickets.