KOLKATA: Blessing Muzarabani starred with a four-wicket haul for Kolkata Knight Riders but a fighting half-century from Heinrich Klaasen powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a competitive 226 for eight in their IPL clash here on Thursday.
Travis Head returned to form with a blistering 46 off 21 balls, while Abhishek Sharma hammered 48 off 21 as the duo put on a scintillating 82-run opening stand in just 34 deliveries.
There were ominous signs early for KKR's inexperienced attack as SRH raced along at nearly 15 runs per over after Ajinkya Rahane opted to bowl.
However, fortunes turned swiftly towards the home side as Kartik Tyagi broke the opening stand by dismissing the dangerous Head, before Muzarabani triggered a collapse with two wickets in three balls, removing skipper Ishan Kishan (14) and a well-set Abhishek.
At 110/1 in eight overs and cruising at nearly 14 an over, SRH suddenly lost momentum, slipping dramatically to lose three wickets for just seven runs.
KKR further tightened the screws when their sixth bowling option, spinner Anukul Roy, accounted for Aniket Verma (1), as SRH lost three wickets in the space of seven deliveries.
With boundaries drying up and momentum shifting, Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy were forced into a rebuilding job.
The pair responded well, stitching together a fifty-plus stand and setting themselves up for a late surge.
But Vaibhav Arora struck crucial blows at the death, including the wicket of Reddy (39), to dent SRH’s finishing charge, even as Klaasen's composed fifty ensured they crossed the 220-mark.
But the tall Zimbabwean pacer took the wickets of Klaasen (52 from 35 balls) and Shivang Kumar (4) in the final over to take his tally to 4/41.
SRH can turn into a runaway express if there's no early breakthrough and that's exactly what unfolded at the Eden.
After a tad anxious start with one run off his first four balls, Head shifted gears almost instantly, going ballistic around the small Eden boundaries.
From one off four, he smoked five fours and two sixes in his next nine deliveries as SRH raced along at nearly 15 runs per over in the power play.
Arora attempted to cramp him for room by targeting the pads, but Head was in complete flow.
With the pitch offering true bounce and pace, the ball came beautifully on to the bat and Head set the tone, launching Arora straight down the ground for a six and then effortlessly lobbing him over square leg.
KKR's inexperience bowling attack began to haunt them again.
Sunil Narine was introduced early, and there was a fleeting chance when Head miscued one towards extra cover. But luck favoured the Australian as skipper Rahane, back-pedalling, could not quite reach to the ball.
While Head dominated the early exchanges, Abhishek initially played second fiddle, managing just nine off seven balls.
But he exploded against his India teammate Varun Chakravarthy, smashing three fours and a six in the space of four deliveries as SRH surged to 71 for no loss in just five overs.
Chakravarthy, enduring a difficult phase since the T20 World Cup, leaked 25 runs in his first over.
Ishan Kishan then joined the party, hammering three consecutive boundaries off Kartik Tyagi.
But a masterstroke to bring in Muzarabani in the ninth over turned around the fortunes for KKR.
There was no magic delivery but it was Rinku Singh’s brilliance in the field that made the difference. He first pouched a fine catch near the deep cover-point boundary to dismiss Kishan, before Varun completed a low catch off Abhishek’s pull, a decision that appeared marginal.
KKR's sixth bowling option Anukul Roy gave a third blow and it was Rinku who was in the thick of the action again.