IPL 2023: Brook ton helps Sunrisers beat Knight Riders by 23 runs; Rana, Rinku fifties in vain

Englishman Harry Brook proved his worth as a dangerous batter as he scored IPL 2023’s first hundred (100 n.o., 55b, 12×4, 3×6) to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a 23–run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

Inserted, SRH amassed 228 for four, this season’s highest total, and restricted KKR to 205 for seven, despite Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh’s valiant half-centuries, for its second straight win.

The 24-year-old Brook excelled with his timing and placement. Mixing proper cricketing shots with well-executed improvisation, Brook punished new ball bowlers Umesh Yadav and Lockie Ferguson.

Andre Russell provided KKR some relief by scalping Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi in the fifth over.

But Brook and captain Aiden Markram (50, 26b, 2×4, 5×6), who played some breathtaking shots, plundered runs to add 72.

Brook, who was let off on 45 and used DRS to survive a caught-behind decision on 61, continued with unwavering focus. He spectacularly hit Ferguson for five fours in the 15th over.

Left-hander Abhishek Sharma (32, 17b, 3×4, 2×6) showed his firepower to gather 72 with Brook, who achieved his personal landmark in the final over.

In reply, KKR lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Bhuvneshwar in the first over and Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine to Marco Jansen in the fourth.

Nitish Rana refused to give up and swung his bat to clobber Umran Malik for 28 runs, including four fours and two sixes, in the sixth over. The KKR skipper collected 62 with N.Jagadeesan (36, 21b, 5×4, 1×6), who made an important contribution.

Russell, who took three wickets but struggled to complete three overs due to fitness issues, fell cheaply to the accurate Markande to leave KKR at 96 for five.

Rana (75, 41b, 5×4, 6×6), who played most of his shots on onside and got a reprieve on 68, and last match’s hero Rinku, who employed DRS to survive on 15 and was dropped on 47, collected 69 before the former holed out on the off-side off T.Natarajan.

Rinku (58 n.o, 31b, 4×4, 4×6) sparkled by reaching the ropes on both sides but found the target too tall.