At Eden Gardens, as Kolkata basked in the festive spirit of Bengali New Year, Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc turned up the heat, ensuring the celebrations would spill over from the stands onto the pitch. Their exhilarating performances powered the Kolkata Knight Riders to a rousing eight-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants, injecting a dose of high-octane cricket into the joyful occasion.

Starc, known for his lethal pace, scythed through LSG’s batting lineup with a clinical 3 for 28, marking his best figures of the season. He was pivotal in keeping LSG to a score that, while competitive, didn’t quite intimidate. Meanwhile, Phil Salt, shaking off the ghosts of past innings, spearheaded the chase with a blistering 47-ball 89 not out. His knock was not just about the runs; it was about the statement it made, propelling KKR to second on the points table as they kicked off a homestand of five matches in grand style.

KKR’s spinners wove a web around LSG’s middle overs, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy proving miserly and effective. Narine, with his mystical deliveries, finished with 1 for 17, while Chakravarthy contributed a crucial 1 for 30. Their combined eight overs flowed at just 5.88 runs per over, stalling any momentum LSG hoped to build.

For LSG, Nicholas Pooran and Mohsin Khan were the lone bright spots in an otherwise overcast outing. Pooran, blasting off from the No. 6 spot, smacked four sixes on his way to a gutsy 45 off 32 balls, doing his best to hoist LSG to a respectable total. Mohsin, on the other hand, bagged the only two wickets KKR would lose, showing flashes of brilliance in the powerplay.

Salt, however, was the hero of the hour. After nearly departing for a duck—saved first by butterfingers and then by a no-ball—he unleashed a torrent of runs. His onslaught in the powerplay set the tone, and even after a brief slowdown, he regained momentum, reaching his fifty in just 26 balls. By the time he was done, Salt had decorated the Kolkata skyline with shots that radiated like fireworks, his unbeaten stand with Shreyas Iyer not only the highest for KKR’s third wicket in IPL history but also a testament to his dominant form.

Shreyas Iyer, supporting from the other end, played the anchor with aplomb. His 38 off 38 balls might not have mirrored Salt’s explosiveness, but it was a masterclass in measured aggression, especially potent off his hips and critical in maintaining the tempo towards the chase’s end.

Starc, returning to bowl the 20th over, was the closer KKR needed. He doused any remaining hopes LSG harbored by dismissing Pooran and added another to his tally, ensuring that LSG’s final flourish was quelled before it could truly ignite.

On this day, as KKR fans left Eden Gardens, their voices hoarse but spirits high, it was clear that Salt and Starc had not just won a match but had etched a memorable chapter in their IPL saga.