Rajasthan Royals' Quirky Post After Former Player Bags Career-Best Figures To Haunt Them Is Viral

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Kartik Tyagi registered his career-best IPL figures, taking 3/22 against Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Tyagi, who previously represented RR for two seasons, returned to haunt his former side by dismissing Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravi Bishnoi. Following the game, Rajasthan Royals shared a quirky post reacting to Tyagi's clinical performance. Poking fun at their former speedster, RR captioned a photo of him: "I thought we were friends."

I thought we were friends... pic.twitter.com/tbKbIeGiXm

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 19, 2026

Tyagi, who was bought by KKR at his base price of Rs 30 lakh, delivered a decisive blow with a three-wicket over, removing Jadeja, Hetmyer and Ravi Bishnoi in quick succession. His incisive spell derailed any hopes of a strong finish.

Opting to bat first, Rajasthan Royals looked firmly in control early on, courtesy of an explosive opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The duo stitched together a commanding 81-run stand, laying a solid foundation after navigating a relatively quiet start.

In the closing stages, wickets continued to tumble, including a run-out off the final ball that summed up Rajasthan's disarray. From a position of strength at 139/4 after 14 overs, they managed to add just 16 runs while losing five wickets in a dramatic collapse.

Kolkata's bowlers, led by Chakaravarthy (3/14) and Tyagi (3/22), were clinical in exploiting the conditions, ensuring Rajasthan were restricted to a total that appeared well below par on a good batting surface.

While Jaiswal showcased his flair with innovative strokeplay, including a fine scoop and crisp drives, Sooryavanshi initially took time before accelerating, punishing anything loose. Rajasthan raced to 63 without loss in the powerplay, with the pair shifting gears effectively, particularly in the sixth over, where they plundered 22 runs.

However, the game turned sharply once spin was introduced. Varun Chakaravarthy broke the stand by dismissing Sooryavanshi for a well-made 46, a wicket that triggered a significant slowdown. The mystery spinner, who also reached the milestone of 200 T20 wickets during his spell, continued to apply pressure alongside Sunil Narine.

The spin duo choked the scoring rate and picked up key wickets in the middle overs. Jaiswal, who looked set for a bigger score, fell for 39 attempting to force the pace, while Dhruv Jurel was stumped soon after. Rajasthan slipped from 81/0 to 124/5, losing momentum drastically as boundaries dried up.

They were restricted to 155/9 in the end.

(With IANS Inputs)

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Kolkata Knight Riders Rajasthan Royals Kartik Tyagi IPL 2026 Cricket