IPL 2024: Harbhajan Singh on Why RCB Lost Last-Ball Thriller Against KKR

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Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has revealed one of the reasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's narrow defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Eden Gardens in match 36 of IPL 2024 on Sunday (April 21).

Faf Du Plessis' RCB were handed a huge blow to their playoff aspirations after they suffered their seventh defeat of the season and sixth loss on the trot. But to lose by such fine margins would be hurting the side a lot.

After losing Virat Kohli and Du Plessis soon in the run chase, Will Jacks (55) and Rajat Patidar (52) put RCB in the driver's seat with a 102-run stand on Sunday. However, the duo departed in the same over, leading to a mini collapse from 137/2 to 155/6.

Dinesh Karthik, the assigned finisher of RCB, shared a small stand with Impact player Suyash Prabhudessai, who also departed quickly after struggling his way to 24 off 18.

In the penultimate over, Karn Sharma and Dinesh Karthik were at the crease and the veteran batter avoided taking a single on three deliveries. Karthik went on to score a six and a four before falling to Andre Russell on the final ball of the over.

Karn Sharma, who was deprived of strike in the previous over, sent the ball into the stands three times in the final over off Mitchell Starc. However, RCB ended up falling short by one run in their chase of 223.

Harbhajan Singh feels Karthik's decision to turn down the single in the climax of their game against KKR proved costly for RCB in their 1-run defeat.

"I feel DK was a very important player in this match. Karn (Sharma) came in and struck three sixes, while they were batting Karthik missed two to three singles and I feel that it proved costly for RCB," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

"If he had taken those singles then maybe this situation wouldn't have unfolded. They only needed one run, small things matter.

"At that time you feel you want to finish the game and Karthik has the ability to finish off the game. However, when you don't win the game you remember such things and I feel Karthik would think about taking that single."

Earlier, put into bat, Phil Salt's explosive 48 in 14 balls, with seven fours and three sixes, provided the two-time champions with some extra runs in the powerplay, while skipper Shreyas Iyer, who saw wickets fall at the other end, scored a crafty fifty to take KKR to 222/6 in their 20 overs.