IPL Bulletin for April 4: From KKR Crush SRH to Fit-Again Pacer Declares Himself Ready Ahead of LSG vs MI

The second week of action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 18 came to a close with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bouncing back in style against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata witnessed a rematch from last season's final on Thursday (April 3) evening and it was the reigning champions, who continued to have the number on the 2024 runners up.

The clash between the 2024 finalists also saw few historic moments, featuring veteran spinner Sunil Narine and the rising all-rounder Kamindu Mendis, while an impact substitute provided the perfect impact to strangle SRH run-chase early.

Also, there was backing from a former teammate-turned coach for an IPL stalwart. Plus, one pacer declared himself available for Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians clash a day after BCCI Centre of Excellence clearance. Here is a look at the IPL Bulletin For April 4:

Kolkata Knight Riders crush Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens

Venkatesh Iyer, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakravarthy starred as Kolkata Knight Riders bounced from the defeat to Mumbai Indians with a crushing win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a rematch from last season's final.

After Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi fifties helped KKR set a target of 201, Arora's fiery spell followed by Chakravarthy's spin wizardry bundled SRH for 120. With this win, KKR moved to fifth with two wins and two losses, while SRH sit rock bottom with a win and 3 losses.

Impact sub Vaibhav Arora emerges as player of the match

Vaibhav Arora delivered a stellar performance, claiming 3/29 in his four overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The pacer, who came in as an impact substitute, replacing Raghuvanshi, struck in the very first over removing the dangerous Travis Head.

It did not take long for his to take his second wicket as he dismissed the season's only centurion Ishan Kishan in his second over of the innings. Arora then capped off his display by claiming another big scalp in the closing stages with the dismissal of Heinrich Klaasen.

Sunrisers Hyderabad register third successive loss

Pat Cummins' SRH opened the season with a close win in a high-scoring contest against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. But since that victory, last year's runners up have suffered three straight defeats with batting being the reason for their downfall.

Having stuck to their brand of aggressive cricket, SRH has lost the way even as early as the powerplay with their much-hyped top three failing consistently. Since the win against RR, SRH has lost to Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and now KKR.

Sunil Narine becomes first player to take 200 wickets for single IPL team

Sunil Narine completed 200 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), becoming the first player from the team to do so. The veteran spinner achieved the feat with the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Kamindu Mendis in his second over.

In 189 matches for KKR across the IPL and the now defunct Champions League T20, Narine has taken 200 wickets at an average of 24.14 since his debut in 2012, with best figures of 5/19, his solitary five-wicket haul. He also has eight four-wicket hauls. While he has 182 wickets in IPL, he also claimed 18 wickets in Champions League T20.

Kamindu Mendis creates history by bowling with both arms

Sri Lankan spin all-rounder Kamindu Mendis scripted history on Thursday (April 4) after he became the first player to switch his bowling arm during an over in the Indian Premier League.

The ambidextrous bowler, who made his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, bowled three deliveries of left-arm spin at Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and three ball of right-arm spin at Venkatesh Iyer.

Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada flies home due to personal reasons

Rabada missed GT's win over RCB due to personal reasons. And now the franchise has announced that the South African pacer has flown back home to deal with an important personal matter. The franchise, however, did not reveal when the pacer will return to re-join them during the season.

Mumbai Indians batting coach backs Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians' (MI) batting coach Kieron Pollard has backed Rohit Sharma, saying the former captain will not be under pressure after a string of low scores and has a big knock around the corner ahead of the clash against Lucknow Super Giants.

Rohit, who came into the tournament on the back of indifferent form, has struggled for runs again, registering scores of a duck, eight and 13 from the first three outings of the ongoing IPL season. But the batting coach believes the doubters will soon sing praise of the Indian skipper.

Akash Deep fit to play for LSG vs MI

Ahead of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) home clash against five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), LSG pacer Akash Deep said that he is "100 per cent fit and ready" to play following a back injury that kept him away from the sport for last three months.

This match could mark the return to Akash Deep, who played two Tests in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year and faced an injury ahead of the fifth Test at Sydney. He joined the LSG camp on April 2, two days ahead of the match.