The schedule for the initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has been officially unveiled already, with 21 games scheduled to take place during this period. The two times champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against the winners of the 2016 edition, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the iconic Eden Gardens on March 23.
Pre-tournament preparation: KKR’s practice match at Eden Gardens
Prior to the tournament, KKR organized a practice match between Team Gold and Team Purple on March 17 at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In this match, Team Gold posted a formidable score of 237 runs, while Team Purple put up a tough fight but fell short by 5 runs, scoring 232 runs in response.
Also WATCH: Rinku Singh smashes KKR’s ₹24.75 crore Mitchell Starc for a huge six during practice game
Manish Pandey’s remarkable six and response from Andre Russell
An intriguing battle unfolded between Manish Pandey and Andre Russell during the match. KKR shared a video where Pandey dispatched Russell for a six over the long-on boundary. Pandey elegantly cleared his left leg and struck the ball cleanly, sending it soaring over the ropes. The video shared by KKR on their social media account garnered significant views and likes from fans. Russell, who was on the receiving end of Pandey’s six, responded cheekily to the post by KKR, indicating his disapproval of the shot. He wrote, “I don’t like this guys nope nope nope!!!,”
Here’s the video:
Performances in the practice match
Meanwhile, Russell had an impressive outing in the match, scoring 35 runs off just 14 balls. Making a comeback to the side after the IPL 2024 mini-auction, Pandey showcased his batting prowess by scoring 51 runs off 24 balls. Alongside Pandey, Phil Salt and Nitish Rana also contributed with half-centuries. Salt, who replaced Jason Roy, exhibited his batting skills by smashing 78 runs off 41 balls.
KKR’s initial phase fixtures in IPL 2024
KKR are scheduled to play three games in the initial phase of the tournament. Following their match against SRH, they will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 29 and Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 3, both being away games for KKR. The remaining fixtures will be announced shortly as anticipation builds for the highly awaited and lucrative T20 tournament in the world.
Also READ: IPL 2024: KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir reveals the ‘greatest team man he has ever played with’
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