IPL 2019, Match 2 highlights: Russell cameo help KKR beat SRH by 6 wickets

Warner made a stupendous comeback with a scintillating 85, helping his side reach a challenging 181/3.

In the Match 2 of VIVO Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019), Andre Russell smashed an explosive 49 to spoil David Warner’s scintillating IPL comeback as Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a dramatic six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at The Eden Gardens on Sunday. Needing 53 runs from last three overs, the powerful Jamaican changed the course of the match with his big-hitting against Siddharth Kaul, creaming off 19 runs from that over. He retained the strike by taking a smart single and continued his assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who too bled 19 runs in the penultimate over as KKR sealed the 182-run chase with two balls to spare. Russell hammered four sixes and an equal number of boundaries in run sequence that read 6-6-1-4-1-4-6-4-0-6-1. Youngster Shubman Gill (18 not out) completed the formalities with two sixes off Shakib-Al-Hasan.

IPL 2019, Match 1: KKR vs SRH full scorecard: 

Promoted to open with Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana made full use of the opportunity and kept them in the hunt with a 47-ball 68.

But he departed shortly after a 12-minute interruption caused by tower lights failure.

The momentum slowly shifted in favour of SRH but Russell in a metter of minutes changed the complexion of the match.

Earlier, Warner made a stupendous comeback with a scintillating 85, helping his side reach a challenging 181/3.

Putting behind the embarrassing ball tampering scandal, that kept him out last year, the Aussie smashed three sixes and nine boundaries in his 53-ball knock.

India World Cup probable Vijay Shankar also made a fine return to the Orange Army with a quick-fire unbeaten 24-ball 40 (2×4, 2×6) following Warner’s exit in the 16th over.

Warner’s 37th IPL fifty also made him the first cricketer in IPL to have most 50-plus scores (40) ahead of Virat Kohli (38) as the Aussie also has three centuries…

IPL 2019 schedule: Dhoni’s CSK to take on Kohli’s RCB in tournament opener

IPL 2019 will be off to an earlier-than-usual start owing to Lok Sabha elections, dates of which are yet to be announced. Any change in the provisional IPL 2019 schedule will be revised accordingly

Sports News: The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the schedule of Indian Premier League (IPL 2019) for the first two weeks, comprising 17 games. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will play against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the tournament opener on March 23.

The IPL will be off to an earlier-than-usual start this year owing to the Lok Sabha elections 2019, dates of which are yet to be announced. Any change in the provisional itinerary — from March 23 to April 5 — will be revised accordingly.

While the weekends will have double-headers but the schedule doesn’t clarify whether the BCCI will continue with the usual 4 pm (afternoon) and 8 pm (evening) format or there will be a change in timing.|IPL 2019

“These are still subject to the announcement of the Lok Sabha 2019 election dates. Once these have been released, the BCCI will address any issues with the first two weeks and will also prepare a schedule for the remainder of the season working with the local authorities around the polling dates,” read an official statement from the IPL.

On March 24, Kolkata Knight Riders will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in the afternoon encounter of a double header in which Mumbai Indians will take on Delhi Capitals in Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab will meet each other in Jaipur to complete the first round of games…