Rajasthan Royals stand-in captain Riyan Parag smashed six sixes in a row in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday -- the first and only to do so this season. Taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Riyan Parag smashed Moeen Ali for five sixes in the 13th over before finding another off Varun Chakravarthy in the over that followed.
English all-rounder Ali went for 32 runs in the over as he also give away a wide in the penultimate ball of the over while trying to stop Parag's carnage. The Assam all-rounder got the strike after ShimronHetmyer gave him the strike in the very first ball of the over.
Parag brought up a half-century, his first of the season, with the first six that went flat over the square leg. The RR vice-captain, who is leading the strugglers in the absence of Sanju Samson, took 27 balls to reach the fifty-run mark. The third six -- a simple swipe over deep square leg -- took the partnership between the duo past the 50-run mark.
Parag and Heteyer brought RR back into contention when their team was struggling 71/5 after eight overs. The KKR spinners had the game under control before the duo slowly but steadily built a crucial partnership to take the game deep.
KKR vs RR: As it happened
Andre Russell roared back to form with a blistering unbeaten fifty as Kolkata Knight Riders resisted Riyan Parag's stunning 95 to edge out Rajasthan Royals by one-run in an IPL thriller that kept the defending champions' slim playoff hopes alive here on Sunday.
Russell, who had been under scrutiny for his indifferent form this season, smashed a 25-ball 57 as KKR smashed 85 runs in the last five overs to post a commanding 206/4.
In reply, Rajasthan found themselves in tatters at 71/5 inside eight overs and they needed 105 runs from the last 48 balls, before stand-in skipper Parag kept their hopes alive through his knock off 45 balls (6x4, 8x6).
But smart bowling changes from skipper Ajinkya Rahane ensured that Parag got out five short of his maiden IPL century, before Vaibhav Arora held his nerves under pressure in the final over, keeping RR down to 205/8.
The Royals required 22 runs off the last over but Impact Shubham Dube launched Arora for two sixes and a four to bring the equation down to three runs off the final delivery.
But a smart field switch by Rahane placing Rinku Singh at long-off proved decisive as his sharp throw found Arora at non-striker's end who ran out Jofra Archer to seal the thrilling win.