IPL 2023: 'Shardul Thakur unleashed his beast' - Experts' opinion on KKR vs RCB at Eden Gardens

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur produced an all-round show to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to an emphatic win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, their oldest rival in IPL 2023 in Kolkata on Thursday.

With his fiery knock of 68 runs off just 29 deliveries, the right-handed batter helped KKR post a massive total of 204 for 7 in 20 overs. The Mumbaikar hammered nine fours and three sixes in his blistering knock and revived KKR from a precarious situation with Rinku Singh.

Shardul - who is given a title of 'Lord Shardul' from his fans - bossed his way in the game to add another glorious chapter in the iconic rivalry between these two teams.

Lauding the India cricketer for playing one of the most memorable knocks of his IPL career, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan claimed Shardul performed beyond expectations.

Speaking to Star Sports, the official TV broadcaster of TATA IPL, Irfan Pathan said, "The kind of knock Shardul Thakur played under difficult circumstances is really commendable. He walked into the middle when half of KKR side was back in the dugout but his counter-attacking knock changed the complexion of the game in no time.

"You can expect this type of innings from Andre Russell, Nitish Rana and Mandeep Singh but the way Shardul unleashed his beast mode was exceptional. You can expect an innings of 30-35 runs from Shardul but he played an epic knock which was beyond everyone's expectations."

Shardul was traded by KKR from Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2023 auction and he seems to be justifying his inclusion in the side. "With his highest score in T20s, Shardul has done full justice to the role he was traded for from Delhi Capitals. KKR brought him for his wicket-taking ability and useful batting at number 6 or 7. With this knock, he has justified his selection," said Pathan.

The rivalry between KKR and RCB dates back to the very first game of the league in 2008. Both teams have played some memorable contests over the years and former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes they have taken IPL to new heights with their rivalry.

"The rivalry of KKR and RCB has given a new height to TATA IPL," Gavaskar said on the show. "The stories related to the rivalry between these two teams took the fandom to an extreme and this was the reason why IPL emerged as the biggest T20 leagues in the world in due course."