Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc finally justified his hefty price tag with a stellar three-wicket haul, while Phil Salt's magnificent half-century propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
After restricting Lucknow Super Giants, adorned in the colors of city-based sister team Mohun Bagan, to 161 for seven, Kolkata Knight Riders comfortably chased down the target with 4.2 overs to spare, delighting their fans on Bengali New Year.
From the outset, Kolkata Knight Riders maintained control, with Vaibhav Arora dismissing Quinton de Kock early after winning the toss.
Starc's adept use of a shorter length and bounce posed challenges for the Lucknow Super Giants batters, leading to his success in the third over of his extended spell.
Despite a few setbacks, including the dismissal of captain KL Rahul, Lucknow Super Giants managed to build a platform, with Nicholas Pooran's aggressive stroke play adding valuable runs.
In response, Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a flying start, capitalizing on debutant Shamar Joseph's expensive first over. Although Mohsin Khan struck back by removing Narine and Raghuvanshi, Salt's impressive batting entertained the crowd and propelled KKR forward.
Salt's superb innings, coupled with a quick-fire partnership with Shreyas Iyer, guided the Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable victory, crossing the finish line with ease.
