Batting first, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a formidable total of 222 for 6 in their 20 overs. Shreyas Iyer starred with the bat, scoring a brisk 50, while opener Phil Salt provided a flying start with his explosive 48. The middle order contributed crucial runs, setting up a challenging target for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Chasing 223 for victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru got off to a solid start with Will Jacks (55) and Rajat Patidar (52) leading the charge. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Bengaluru remained in contention throughout the innings.
The match took a dramatic turn in the final over bowled by Mitchell Starc. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru needing 20 runs to win, Starc was under immense pressure. Will Jacks launched a fierce assault, smashing three consecutive sixes to bring the equation down to three runs needed off two balls.
Starc, unfazed by the onslaught, kept his composure and executed a crucial wicket-taking delivery to dismiss Karn Sharma. Starc dived low to his right to complete a stunning catch off his own bowling, swinging the momentum back in Kolkata's favor.
In the ultimate twist of fate, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru needing three runs off the final delivery to secure victory, Ramandeep Singh hit the ball to deep point. A misfield raised hopes of a potential match-tying boundary, but Phil Salt displayed exceptional athleticism and awareness behind the stumps. Salt collected the ball and executed a lightning-quick run-out of Lockie Ferguson, denying Bengaluru the opportunity to force a Super Over.
Andre Russell emerged as the hero of the match for Kolkata Knight Riders. Russell not only contributed a vital 27 runs with the bat but also turned the tide in Kolkata's favor with his outstanding bowling performance. Russell claimed three crucial wickets, including the prized scalps of Jacks and Patidar as well that of the dangerous closer Dinesh Karthik for 25 in the penultimate over, which ultimately proved decisive.
"I always back my bowling. Getting the ball in a crucial time, I know I have to come good. Happy for the two points,” Russell remarked after the match.
“When I was batting earlier, change-ups were difficult to hit. As a bowler, that is what I tried - length ball, slower cutters, it was gripping on the surface. I was happy to get the two set batters out and that's what changed the game. When I look at the bowling equation, Harshith had one, Starcy had one, I had two. So my aim was to bowl an important over and give Starcy as much to defend. I was looking to bowl six deliveries at DK and mixing up with the short ones and slower ones. Worked well tonight."
The thrilling contest between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru showcased the captivating nature of T20 cricket, with every moment charged with excitement and tension. Kolkata emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins, underscoring the fine margins that separate triumph from heartbreak in the IPL.
Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.
Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.
What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.
Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.
Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.
Russell, who bowled 18 balls, took the remarkable figures of 3-9 that included the wicket of the dangerous AB de Villiers for a first-ball duck as RCB plunged to 92 all out in 19 overs in Abu Dhabi. Chakravarthy was equally destructive with figures of 3-13 during his four-over spell in which he got the prized wicket Virat Kohli for five.
Of the RCB batsmen, only Devdutt Padikkal, who top-scored with 22, Srikar Bharat, 16, Glen Maxwell, 10 and Harshel Patel, 12, managed to get into double figures against the stifling and penetrative KKR bowling attack. Lockie Ferguson also got his piece of the action with 2-24.
In reply, Shubman Gill and Ventakesh Iyer scored at better than eight runs an over putting on 82 for the first wicket. The partnership was broken when Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Gill for 48 first ball of the tenth over.
Andre Russell, who replaced Gill, did not face a single delivery as Iyer hit fours from Chahal’s third, fifth and sixth deliveries to complete the commanding win.
Narine, who retired from international cricket in 2023, has been instrumental for KKR this season, excelling with both bat and ball. However, his last appearance for the West Indies was back in 2019, and his return to the international fold seems increasingly unlikely. This hasn't stopped Russell and others from trying to sway his decision.
Speaking to Star Sports, Russell expressed his admiration for Narine's performance and his desire to see him don the West Indies jersey one more time. "I am so happy for Sunil, to be honest," Russell said. "I think when GG (Gautam Gambhir) came back, he said that we needed him (Narine) to open the batting. Batting him at No. 9 or No. 10, we really had no use of him in the backend. Given the opportunity, he has taken it and he is doing a good job for us. Getting close to 500 runs and picking up 16 wickets is no joke. It just goes to show his true all-round capabilities. I am very, very happy for him."
Russell highlighted the impact Gambhir's strategic decisions had on Narine's performance. "GG giving him an opportunity as well, that’s a good decision for the team," he added.
When asked if Narine should play in the T20 World Cup as West Indies co-hosts the event, Russell was unequivocal. "I definitely think so," he said. "I was trying to get in his head before the squad was announced. For like two weeks straight, me and Rutherford kept talking to him and told him, ‘Hey, please, just for this World Cup, then you can retire, do whatever you want to do’. I think he has made a decision and I respect his decision as well."
Despite Narine's firm stance on his retirement, Russell's final plea underscores the respect and admiration his teammates have for him. "If he could change his decision, the whole West Indies will be happy," Russell concluded.
Earlier, West Indies captain and Rajasthan Royals batter Rovman Powell also attempted to persuade Narine to play in the World Cup, but his efforts were in vain. As the West Indies prepare to co-host the T20 World Cup, the absence of a player of Narine's calibre will undoubtedly be felt, but his legacy and contributions to the team remain indelible.
After being put in to bat by KKR in the second match of the new campaign, hosts Punjab racked up 191-5, as an 86-run second-wicket partnership between Bhanuka Rajapaksa (50) and captain Shikhar Dhawan (40) set them up.
Rajapaksa reached his half century from just 30 balls, with Jitesh Sharma (21 off 11) and Sam Curran (26 off 17) helping to keep up the momentum after the Sri Lanka batter's dismissal.
Wickets fell regularly for KKR in their reply, with Arshdeep Singh (3-19) removing Mandeep Singh and Anukul Roy in his first over, before later returning to claim the key scalp of Venkatesh Iyer (34).
The chase looked doomed at 80-5, but a typically big-hitting display from Russell (35 from 19) got them back in with a chance before Curran removed the danger man with a short ball that was skied to Sikandar Raza.
After Sunil Narine smashed a six, KKR were still in with an outside chance at 146-7 needing 46 runs from the last 24 balls, but rain was in the air at that point and the umpires called the players off with Punjab narrowly ahead via DLS and no resumption of play proved possible.
Kings hope to end play-off drought
With Curran, the England all-rounder who this season became the most expensive player in the IPL's 16-year history, in their ranks and Arshdeep looking impressive, Punjab look primed for a strong campaign.
Kagiso Rabada and Liam Livingstone are among the stars still to come into the team, with the Kings desperate to end an eight-year run without reaching the play-offs.
So far, so good after they beat KKR for only the third time from their last nine IPL attempts despite the best efforts of Russell.
Narine negated
Narine has a superb IPL track record, having taken 152 wickets for KKR. He recorded a dot ball rate of 42.3 per cent last season, the best of any spinner in the IPL (min. 25 overs).
But the Kings played him well. Rajapaksa made his team's intentions clear by hitting 14 runs – including a six – from Narine's opening over and the spinner went on to leak 36 runs without claiming a wicket from his first three.
Narine did respond with the late wicket of Raza (16) but the batting team would have gladly settled for his final figures of 1-40 had they been offered.
The England batter scored an unbeaten century as the Kings successfully chased down 262 - the highest in T20 history - with eight balls to spare at Eden Gardens.
Bairstow hit a wonderful 108 not out from 48 balls - with nine sixes along the way - while Shashank Singh chipped in with 68 from 28 deliveries as the Kings ended their four-game losing streak.
"We knew that we had to go ballistic after how they batted," said the 34-year-old, who made his second IPL century five years after his first. "We had to take risks, and thankfully they came off.
"I've never been faced with a target like that before. So, we knew the powerplay would be important, and if anything is close to being in your area, you've got to make the most of it."
The performances of Bairstow and Singh contributed towards further history, with the overall tally of 42 sixes the highest recorded in a single T20 match.
"Cricket has turned to baseball, hasn't it?!" Punjab skipper Sam Curran added. "Guys can hit balls for long periods of time, the coaches, training, the dew, dot balls become wide after reviews and you get the extra ball. Stats are going of the window."
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer was left disappointed to see his side's impressive haul overturned, but urged his team-mates to learn from the experience.
"Both teams played tremendously. You have to go back to the drawing board and see where you went wrong," he said. "Not defending hurts, but it's a great lesson for the players."
Narine's stellar performance throughout the season was a key factor in KKR's success. He scored 488 runs at an average of 37.07 and an impressive strike rate of 179.85. With the ball, the 36-year-old off-spinner took 17 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.90. Additionally, his fielding contributions were significant, with seven catches and three run-outs.
"The feeling is overwhelming and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift. I am enjoying my cricket at the moment -- batting, bowling and fielding. What helps is when the team is winning," Narine said after receiving the MVP award.
Narine's overall performance earned him 431.5 MVP points, putting him well ahead of second-placed Virat Kohli (315.5 points) and third-placed Travis Head (274 points). The Trinidadian previously clinched the award in 2012 and 2018. He is also the first player to win the IPL MVP three times.
The MVP award, formerly known as the Player of the Tournament, was renamed in 2013. It is awarded based on a player's performance across various metrics, including runs, wickets, boundaries, catches, run-outs, and dot balls. The calculation is as follows: 3.5 points for each wicket and six hit, 2.5 points for each boundary, catch, run-out, and stumping, and one point for each dot ball bowled.
Narine’s unprecedented third MVP win highlights his all-around abilities and consistency over the years, cementing his status as one of the IPL’s greatest players. As KKR celebrates their triumph, Narine’s remarkable season stands as a testament to his enduring skill and dedication to the game.
The New Zealand skipper scored just 216 runs from 13 innings at an average of 19.64 in the IPL this year.
Sunrisers on Tuesday announced that Williamson has not been retained by the franchise, who finished eighth last season.
Nicholas Pooran and Sean Abbott are among the other players who have not been kept on by Hyderabad.
It was also the end of an era for Mumbai Indians, with Kieron Pollard calling time on his IPL playing days and taking over as the franchise's batting coach.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have to do without Pat Cummins, Alex Hales and Sam Billings after the overseas trio opted out of the 2023 tournament.
Dwayne Bravo and Chris Jordan were among the players on the Chennai Super Kings' list of released players, while Jason Holder will not feature for Lucknow Super Giants.
Black Caps duo Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham will not return to Rajasthan Royals, while the same goes for South Africa batter Rassie Van Der Dussen.
The England batter failed in his first three IPL knocks, but he struck a sublime unbeaten 100 from 55 balls to get Sunrisers up to an imposing total of 228-4 at Eden Gardens on Friday.
Brook hit three sixes and 12 fours to register the first IPL hundred of the season, while captain Aiden Markram blasted 50 from 26 deliveries and Abhishek Sharma made a brisk 32 after KKR skipper Nitish Rana put Sunrisers in.
Rapid half-centuries from Rana (75 from 41) and Rinku Singh (58 off 31) gave the Knight Riders hope, but they fell short on 205-7 as Hyderabad secured a second successive win following back-to-back defeats.
Andre Russell (3-22) dismissed Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi in his first over before the all-rounder left the field with an injury, with Brook and Markram then putting on 72 to silence a huge crowd.
Brook was dropped by Suyash Sharma on 45 and that proved to be costly, while Markram cleared the rope five times before he was caught off the bowling of Varun Chakravarthy in the deep.
The classy Brook stepped on the accelerator to reach three figures and Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the start of the run chase.
Marco Jansen (2-37) reduced KKR to 20-3 and they were 96-5 when Russell departed, but Rana and Rinku made a game of it with a stand of 69.
Their fireworks were in vain, though, Mayank Markande taking 2-27 and Kumar keeping it tight with 1-29 as KKR suffered a second loss.
Brook pays off part of his price tag
Sunrisers forked out 13.25 crore (£1.325million) to land the sought-after Brook in the auction and he demonstrated exactly why in his fourth IPL match.
Having made only 29 combined in his previous three innings, the 24-year-old carried his bat after reaching 50 off 32 balls and racing to a century from 55.
Brook took 23 off an over from Lockie Ferguson, the runs flowing on both sides of the wicket in a brilliant exhibition of batting.
Rana in the runs again
Rana registered his 16th IPL half-century in a run-fest, cashing in on a great pitch.
This was his fourth score of 50 or more against Sunrisers, but it was not enough to pull off what would have been a record IPL run chase.
In the end, Glenn Maxwell agonisingly missed out on a six that would have forced a Super Over.
Kings XI had looked to be cruising towards a target of 165 but, just as they did in their previous match with Chennai Super Kings, some excellent death bowling turned the tide in Kolkata’s favour.
It left Maxwell needing a six off the final ball to prolong a see-saw contest and while he lofted a ball high over cover, it dropped just shy of the rope for four in a remarkable finish.
The Knight Riders have eight points from their six matches while Kings XI have just one win from seven outings.
A 29-ball 58 from captain Dinesh Karthik helped Kolkata post a useful target, Shubman Gill (57 off 47) also providing a valuable half-century.
It appeared as if their efforts would be in vain, as KL Rahul (74) and Mayank Agarwal (56) combined for a first-wicket stand of 115.
Even when Agarwal eventually fell to Prasidh Krishna (3-29) there appeared little sign of a turnaround, Nicholas Pooran coming to the crease after a sparkling 77 against Sunrisers Hyderabad last time out.
However, the game turned when Pooran was undone by a slower ball from fellow West Indian Narine, departing for 16 as Kings XI stuttered badly as the pressure mounted. With 14 required off the final over, KKR opted for Narine and he conceded 11 runs to win the match for his side.
FELL APART TO THE SEAMERS
The excellent Prasidh utilised an off-cutter to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh (4), then drew an inside edge from Rahul to leave Kings XI needing 14 off the final over.
When Mandeep Singh holed out from the penultimate delivery, it was left to Maxwell to rescue Kings XI. Despite his best efforts in attacking a wide outside-off delivery, his shot did not have the power to get over the line.
KNIGHT RIDERS STUTTER
Kolkata struggled for momentum in the first half of their innings after opting to bat first, slipping to 63-3 in the 11th over when Eoin Morgan departed for 24.
However, skipper Karthik raised the tempo as he combined with Gill to put on 82 for the fourth wicket. The former was run out from the final ball of the 20th over, having hit eight fours and two sixes.
Already out of contention for the top four having won just two of their first 10 games, Mumbai confirmed before the match that batter Suryakumar Yadav would miss the rest of the season with a left forearm injury.
However, Bumrah gave their fans something to cheer with a remarkable display of pace bowling, taking figures of 5-10 as KKR were restricted to 165-9.
Yet that total proved well beyond Mumbai as Pat Cummins and Andre Russell thrived with ball in hand to help KKR to their fifth win of the campaign.
A positive start from KKR that saw Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Venkatesh Iyer (43) put on 60 for the opening wicket eventually gave way to a Bumrah masterclass.
The turning point in their innings came in the 15th over as Bumrah removed Russell (9) and Nitish Rana (43) to reduce KKR to 139-5.
KKR never recovered from there and were helpless in the 18th as Bumrah produced a triple-wicket maiden.
Mumbai failed to deliver a batting effort to match his performance with the ball, the tone set when Rohit Sharma (2) was given out caught behind on review from the sixth ball of the reply.
Ishan Kishan (51) was the only Mumbai batter to score more than 15, Cummins displacing him in the 15th over, which also saw Daniel Sams (1) and Murugan Ashwin (0) caught to turn the tide firmly in KKR's favour.
The final three dismissals all came via run-outs as Mumbai's increasingly desperate chase ended with them bowled out for 113.
Bumrah blitz
India fast bowler Bumrah's figures marked the best of his IPL career, beating the 4-14 he took against Delhi Capitals in 2020.
The highlight was unquestionably the 18th over, in which Sheldon Jackson and Cummins both fell before Bumrah had Sunil Narine caught and bowled. Tim Southee denied him a sixth wicket and a hat-trick.
KKR still in the hunt
Defeat for KKR would have ended their top-four hopes. As it is, they still have an outside chance of making the play-offs. They are one of four teams on 10 points, four points behind fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, three of those teams have a game more to play, meaning KKR's fate is therefore not in their own hands.
Buttler made a mockery of Kolkata's decision to put Rajasthan into bat, hammering a 59-ball century to power the Royals to 217-5.
It was his second hundred of the season, making him only the sixth player to score multiple centuries in a single IPL campaign.
The Knight Riders put together an excellent chase, Aaron Finch (58) and captain Shreyas Iyer (85) putting on 107 for the second wicket.
Yuzvendra Chahal (5-40) looked to have ended their hopes in the 17th over by taking four wickets, the crucial scalp of Shreyas marking the start of a hat-trick, to reduce the Knight Riders to 180-8.
An unlikely batting cameo from Umesh Yadav, who struck 21 off nine, had Kolkata in position to snatch victory, but debutant Obed McCoy removed Sheldon Jackson before bowling Yadav to clinch it for Rajasthan with two balls to spare.
Buttler at his blistering best
Having already struck 100 against Mumbai Indians, an effort followed by a further two half centuries in his last three games, Buttler has started the season in ominous form.
Kolkata were the latest side to fall victim to his destructive batting, Buttler hitting nine fours and five sixes on his way to 103.
He joins Chris Gayle (2011), Virat Kohli (2016), Hashim Amla (2017), Shane Watson (2018) and Shikhar Dhawan (2020) in scoring multiple hundreds in a season.
Chahal sparks collapse, Obed the real McCoy
There was jubilation for Rajasthan as Chahal claimed their fifth IPL hat-trick when he had Pat Cummins caught behind.
Yadav extinguished any thoughts of a procession from there, but McCoy – playing his first cricket since a right leg injury ended his involvement in West Indies' T20 World Cup campaign last October – rose to the occasion in his maiden IPL match to finish the job. The Royals are now second on eight points, two ahead of KKR.
The latest edition of the tournament was due to begin on March 29 with a rematch of last year's final between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, but the coronavirus pandemic has put the IPL - along with all other major sporting events - on hold.
India has a travel ban in place for all international flights until April 14, meaning Australian fast bowler Cummins remains in his homeland as he waits for an update on the situation.
Media reports in India have suggested organisers may shift the campaign to take place in October and November instead, though such a move could only be made if the International Cricket Council decides to cancel the Twenty20 World Cup, which is due to take place at a similar time in Australia.
"Everything is changing, literally every single day," Cummins said during a video conference call with reporters on Friday. "The last I spoke to them (the Knight Riders), they said they're still really confident and hopeful it will be on at some stage.
"They obviously haven't cancelled it or anything like that yet. It's still a bit of a holding pattern, so we're in contact with our teams every few days.
"Obviously everyone is still really keen for it to go ahead, but the priority is to minimise risk of this spreading.
"It's going to be pretty tight, I think the travel ban (in India) is in place until April 14, so I don't expect anything too soon to happen."
While disappointed at not being able to play for the Knight Riders right now, Cummins - who became the IPL's most expensive overseas signing at December's auction - is making the most of the unexpected break following a hectic 12 months.
The bowler was part of Australia's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England and then also the Ashes series that followed, while he was a regular in all formats throughout a busy summer schedule on home soil.
"The preference would be to be over there (at the IPL) playing, but I think the silver lining is we do get a bit of a break," Cummins told the media.
"We're lucky in cricket, that it [the IPL] is right at the end of the season. We've played basically our whole season out, except for the last couple of games (against New Zealand) and we're always looking for those small breaks to refresh.
"But it almost feels like the start of an off-season at the moment, albeit we're all training by ourselves at home rather than going to the team gym."
KKR will be out for revenge at the Wankhede Stadium on March 26 after the Super Kings won the 2021 final by 27 runs in Dubai last October.
There will be a first double-header in the 15th edition of the tournament the following day, when Delhi Capital take on Mumbai Indians at Brabourne before Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore do battle at the DY Patil Stadium.
New franchises Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants meet in their first IPL match at Wankhede Stadium on March 28.
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals contest the first game at the MCA Stadium in Pune on March 29.
There will be 70 matches in the regular season following by four play-off showdowns in a tournament that will be staged over 65 days, with the final taking place on May 29.
Both sides needed an emphatic win in their last match of the regular season to stay in the hunt for a place in the last four and it was KKR who delivered.
Morgan's side are up to fourth and must now wait for the outcome of the clashes between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday and Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians the following day to see if they qualify.
England ODI captain Morgan top scored with 68 not out off 35 balls to get the Knight Riders up to 191-7 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Shubman Gill (36) and Rahul Tripathi (39) also chipped in, while Rahul Tewatia was the pick of the bowlers with 3-25 and Jofra Archer (1-19) was outstanding yet again.
The Royals could only muster 131-9 in reply, paceman Cummins doing the bulk of the damage with 4-34.
Defeat for Steve Smith's men leaves them bottom of the table despite a late resurgence, Shivam Mavi and Varun Chakravarthy taking two wickets apiece as they fell well short of their victory target.
MORGAN GIVES STOKES A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE
Gill and Tripathi put on 72 for the second wicket in eight overs after Archer had Nitish Rana caught behind for a golden duck in the first over.
Tewatia got rid of Gill and Sunil Narine in a ninth over that went for just six runs, but skipper Morgan flexed his muscles in dewy conditions and Andre Russell smashed 25 off 11 balls.
Ben Stokes had a day to forget, Morgan hitting his England team-mate for back-to-back sixes in a penultimate over that cost 24 runs, with the left-hander – who cleared the rope six times – also setting about Shreyas Gopal.
RAPID CUMMINS RATTLES ROYALS
The Royals needed their key men such as Stokes and Smith to fire, but their tournament was all-but over when they were 41-5 at the end of the powerplay.
Cummins steamed through the top order, removing Robin Uthappa, Stokes, Smith and Riyan Parag.
Jos Buttler made 35 and Tewatia 31 but Rajasthan were never going to recover from Australia paceman Cummins' devastating early hostile burst.
The Indians posted 161-4 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Suryakumar Yadav top scoring with 52 off 36 balls with support from Tilak Varma (38 not out) and Kieron Pollard (22no).
Mumbai looked to be on course for their first win of the tournament when KKR were 101-5 in the 14th over, but Australia Test captain Cummins had other ideas.
The paceman matched KL Rahul's record for the fastest IPL half-century from 14 balls and put the Knight Riders top by hitting Daniel Sams for six to seal victory with four overs to spare, Venkatesh Iyer also playing a big hand with an unbeaten 50.
An astonishing contest came down to the last ball, and just as it looked as though KKR would reach the improbable target of 211, two wickets from the final two balls from Marcus Stoinis (3-23) sealed a dramatic two-run win for LSG.
De Kock and KL Rahul became only the fourth opening pair to bat first and go through an Indian Premier League innings without dismissal as they put on 210-0 from their 20 overs, the highest unbeaten opening partnership in IPL history.
The South African's score of 140 from 70 balls was the third-highest in IPL history, after Chris Gayle's 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in 2013, and Brendon McCullum's 158 not out for KKR against RCB in 2008.
However, Rinku Singh's 40 from 14 balls looked to have put KKR on the verge of victory, needing just three from the final two deliveries, only for Rinku and then Umesh Yadav to both fall to Stoinis.
Rahul was steady in his 68 from 51 balls, but the fireworks came from De Kock, particularly near the end of the innings, hitting four sixes in the 19th over off the bowling of Tim Southee (0-57).
The Knight Riders' response could not have got off to a more contrasting start, with Venkatesh Iyer (0) and Abhijeet Tomar (4) both out early on to Mohsin Khan.
Nitish Rana's 44 from 22 balls showed some fight, before Shreyas Iyer (50 from 29) and Sam Billings (36 from 24) put their team in a position where victory actually looked possible, but the former spooned a Stoinis delivery into the air and into the waiting hands of Deepak Hooda just after reaching his half-century.
Rinku and Sunil Narine (21 not out) had one last go at reviving hope for KKR and very nearly managed it, only for Stoinis to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with the last two deliveries to secure a vital win for the Super Giants, sealing their place in the playoffs, while KKR miss out.
De Kock wows the crowd
The fans could not believe what they were seeing as De Kock fired the ball to all sides of the ground with almost every shot imaginable.
The 29-year-old hit 20 boundaries in all (10 sixes and 10 fours) and, having only scored 362 runs from his previous 13 innings in the IPL this season, nudged himself over 500 and into third-place behind Jos Buttler (627) and Rahul (527) on the leaderboard for most runs.
So near yet so far for Rinku
When Rinku arrived at the crease his team still needed 69 runs from 26 balls. When he went back to the pavilion having hit a Stoinis delivery to Evin Lewis for a tremendous catch, his team were only three from victory.
It wasn't to be, but his two fours and four sixes from just 15 balls along with Narine's 21 from seven gave their team hope when there had previously been very little.
The Knight Riders had won three consecutive matches, but they were brought back down to earth at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.
It was an astonishing knock from De Villiers that made it very much advantage RCB, the maverick South African smashing 73 not out off just 33 balls to get his side up to an imposing 194-2.
De Villiers blasted six sixes and five fours, reaching his half-century in 23 deliveries as the likes of Andre Russell and Pat Cummins were taken to all parts.
Aaron Finch (47), Virat Kohli (33no) and Devdutt Padikkal (32) also contributed, but it was De Villiers who very much took centre stage with his highest score against KKR.
The Knight Riders could only make 112-9 in reply on a slow track, with the impressive Washington Sundar taking 2-20 from his four overs and Chris Morris 2-17.
All six RCB bowlers took at least one wicket and Yuzvendra Chahal finished with outstanding figures of 1-12 from the 24 deliveries he sent down.
Shubman Gill top-scored with 34 as only three Knight Riders batsman made double figures in an emphatic win that moved Kohli's side above their opponents into third.
DE VILLIERS GOES BESERK
RCB were 94-2 when De Villiers joined Kohli at the crease in the 13th over after Finch was cleaned up by a Prasidh Krishna yorker.
The mercurial South African upstaged captain Kohli with a breathtaking knock, twice launching Kamlesh Nagarkoti for six – one disappearing out of the ground – and taking 19 off the 17th over from Cummins.
De Villiers continued to dish out some brutal treatment, Russell going for 34 off his final two overs in a stunning blitz to concede a half-century of runs.
Kohli was content to give De Villiers the strike and the wicketkeeper-batsman finished with a staggering strike rate of 221.21 to leave KKR facing a huge run chase.
MISERLY SUNDAR PUTS KKR IN A SPIN
Sundar has not taken as many wickets as he deserves in the tournament so far, but the spinner has certainly made a significant impact.
He has an economy rate of 4.90 from seven matches, only bettered by team-mate Morris (4.50) – who has played just the two games.
Sundar bowled Nitish Rana and also saw the back of Eoin Morgan in a run chase that never really got going, Tom Banton out for eight on his IPL debut.
The wily Morris also had another good day out, picking up a couple of wickets when the writing was already on the wall for KKR.
The sole team yet to taste defeat in this season's competition, RCB surged to 204-4 thanks to an exceptional innings from Maxwell (78) and De Villiers' unbeaten 76.
Their respective displays contributed to three successive partnerships of over 50 runs to help RCB emphatically recover from a shaky start and post an imposing total.
KKR never found the necessary momentum to threaten that target despite a late salvo from Andre Russell (31) as RCB eased to a 38-run win.
Varun Chakravarthy removed both Virat Kohli (5) and Rajat Patidar (1) in the second over to reduce RCB to 9-2.
However, Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal constructed a stand of 86 for the third wicket, laying the platform for De Villiers to hit the accelerator upon his arrival at the crease.
Maxwell and De Villiers combined for 53 off just 37 deliveries and, after the Australian was bounced out by compatriot Pat Cummins, the South African took command as he contributed 43 runs to a 20-ball, 56-run stand with Kyle Jamieson.
KKR saw a promising start to their reply undone as they slumped from 57-1 to 114-5 when skipper Eoin Morgan sliced Harshal Patel to opposing captain Kohli.
Russell gave them hope of a remarkable turnaround in the 17th over, in which he struck Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and three fours.
He then hit Jamieson for a maximum in the next over but that preceded the exits of Shakib Al Hasan and Cummins at the hands of the New Zealand international.
And the contest was settled by some superb death bowling from Mohammed Siraj in the penultimate over, with Russell then playing Harshal onto his stumps as a seemingly exciting finale gave way to a meek end.
Devastating De Villiers
Having been dismissed for one in RCB's last game with Sunrisers Hyderabad, De Villiers was back to his best with a 34-ball 76. His strike rate of 223.52 is the second-highest of any innings this season where the batsman has scored at least 50, behind Deepak Hooda's 28-ball 64 (228.57) for Punjab Kings against Rajasthan Royals.
Siraj stems the tide
Russell's surge was stopped firmly in its tracks by Siraj, who effectively clinched victory for RCB as his final over went for just one run, producing five successive dot balls as a frustrated Russell kept the strike while unable to find the boundary.
Super Kings moved top of the IPL table with their third consecutive win, while it is now three straight defeats for KKR, all coming while chasing.
Du Plessis scored 95 not out at Wankhede Stadium as Super Kings set KKR a daunting target of 221.
The South African put on 115 for the opening wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad (64) and added 50 with Moeen Ali (25), remaining at the crease until the innings ended with the score at 220-3.
Chahar (4-29) took four wickets for the second time in three outings, with KKR's top order crumbling as they fell to 31-5 within the first six overs, though CSK's victory was nowhere near as convincing as it should have been from there.
Some trademark huge hitting from Andre Russell – who smashed 54 from 22 balls with six maximums – gave KKR hope. With much-needed support from Dinesh Karthik (40), he embarked on an extraordinary innings until being bowled behind his legs by Sam Curran (1-58).
Russell had reached his fifty in just 21 balls and was visibly frustrated after his dismissal.
Karthik became only the third player ever – after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma – to reach 200 IPL games and kept going until Lungi Ngidi trapped him lbw, while Pat Cummins continued the fight, scoring 66 not out for his highest career T20 score.
He racked up six maximums and scored 30 from the 16th over off a bewildered Curran, only to see his hopes of engineering a famous win end when numbers 10 and 11 were both run out in the last two overs.
FAF ON FINE FORM
A tremendous innings from Du Plessis saw him score 13 boundaries, including four sixes.
He came close to a hundred and was on strike with 94 to his name with two balls to go only to hit a single, allowing Ravindra Jadeja to smash a six off the only ball he faced and finish the Chennai innings with a flourish.
Du Plessis' 95 was the second-highest score of IPL 2021 and the highest unbeaten innings.
He now holds the highest average (82) of any player – quite the recovery after going out for a duck in the first match against the Delhi Capitals.
UNWELCOME RUN FOR KKR
KKR have gone two years without reaching the play-offs and their start to the season is not helping their hopes of a return to the top four, with this their fourth loss in five meetings with Super Kings.
With three straight defeats, the last time they lost as many consecutive matches in the IPL was back in 2019, when they had a miserable streak of six. They must halt this current run against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.
