Kolkata Knight Riders amassed 2466 runs in 14 matches, the most by any team during the Vivo IPL 2019 league stage. The consistency with the bat kept our Knights in the game and undoubtedly was one of our biggest positives from the season.
We were chasing just about any total. No required rate was too big for us when Dre Russ was in the middle. There were times when our batters took us to respectable totals even after an initial wobble.
Here are five innings that we consider were the finest that came from the Knights:
Andre Russell: 48* off 13 vs RCB in Bangalore
While chasing 206 to win against RCB, we were reeling at 153 for 5 after 17 overs. 53 runs in 18 balls looked tough but wasn't tough enough for Andre Russell. In the end, Dre Russ went berserk as we chased the target down with 5 balls to spare.
Nitish Rana: 85* off 46 vs RCB in Kolkata
In a bid to chase down a mammoth total (214 runs), it was Nitish Rana's unbeaten 85-run knock and his partnership (118 runs) with Andre Russell (65 from 25 balls) that gave the homeside a hope in one of the greatest T20 chases. Unfortunately, we fell short by 10 runs but what an effort it was from our Knight.
Shubman Gill: 65* off 49 vs KXIP in Mohali
Playing at your home venue always means a lot to any cricketer but putting up a strong performance at the same time puts you on another level as a cricketer. Shubman was playing his first IPL match in front of his home crowd with his parents supporting him from the stands as well. And boy oh boy, what a match it was for the 19-year old as he played a mature innings of 65* to guide KKR to a comfortable victory.
Andre Russell: 80* off 40 vs MI in Kolkata
It's quite hard on the experts to describe one best innings for Dre Russ from IPL 2019. We've enjoyed every moment when he was in the middle and smashing the ball all over the park. He was one of the reasons that our hope of making it to the playoffs were alive till the last match. His 80* from 40 against MI at the no.3 spot was a return gift he gave to Eden Gardens on his Birthday eve.
DK: 97* off 50 vs RR in Kolkata.png)
Skipper Dinesh Karthik didn't have the best season by his standards. His contribution with the bat wasn't as good as many would have liked. The inning that changed the whole perception was his power-packed 97* against RR. He scored 84.5% of his runs in boundaries which was also a personal best for a KKR player. His fine knock included 7 fours and 9 sixes as he single-handedly took KKR to 175.
