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Watson, Ojha start well
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision looked like a good one as openers Shane Watson (44) and Naman Ojha (18) started on a sedate note.
As the innings progressed, both batsmen found their feet. They scored at a run rate of over eight till the seventh over until the innings began to crumble.
Watson began with a four and helped the Royals cruise to 32 for no loss in the first five overs.
Ojha broke loose in the fourth over, helping himself to two boundaries off Ashoke Dinda.
The introduction of Murali Kartik helped Watson break free.
The Australian smashed successive boundaries of Kartik and then hit a six over midwicket off Unadkat before finding the boundary again.
The home team got the breakthrough in the eighth over, Laxmi Ratan Shukla making Watson drag one onto his stumps.
Unadkat numero uno for KKR
Unadkat provided Kolkata another breakthrough when he had Ojha caught by Shukla at point.
Playing in his second match, Saurashtra pacer Unadkat was the leading bowling with a record of 4-0-26-3, while pacer Ashok Dinda scalped two wickets for 24 runs.
Shane Bond, Murali Kartik and Laxmi Ratan Shukla chipped in with a wicket each.
The fall of Ojha brought Aaron Finch to the crease. Now, it was left to Flinch and Yusuf Pathan to build the innings.
But a superb diving catch by Sourav Ganguly put paid to any such plans. The skipper cut short dangerman Pathan's innings that brought the Eden crowd to their feet.
Pathan faltered while attempting a six over midwicket from a Unadkat delievery, as the ball soared up. Ganguly ran back to take a stunning catch to dismiss Pathan.
Rajasthan wickets fall in a canter
Three wickets - Adam Voges (8), Flinch (21) and Abhishek Raut (2) - fell in consecutive overs as the visitors scored just 132 for nine in their stipulated 20 overs.
Having got off to a good start, the Royals lost their way midway in the innings, giving away their wickets in a canter.
Going into the second strategic timeout - taken after the 16th over - Rajasthan were tottering at 104 for six.
There was no respite after resumption as well with the visitors somehow scampering to their eventual total.
Big win for Knight Riders
Chasing a modest 133 for victory, Kolkata Knight Riders raced home with a whopping 29 balls to spare, for the loss of just two wickets.
Captain Sourav Ganguly led from the front and ensured a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Royals.
It was the Knight Riders' biggest win ever in the tournament batting second.
It was Kolkata's sixth win in 13 matches but only their second in the last five.
The Kolkata innings began on an aggressive note with Ganguly hitting a couple of boundaries off Yusuf Pathan's first over.
The second over from Shane Watson also yielded the hosts two boundaries - both Ganguly and Brendon McCullum (6) helping themselves to the fence.
Ganguly, Pujara in record third-wicket partnership
However, Shane Warne handed the ball over to Kamran Khan in the next over, and the latter expressed his gratitude with a double strike.
The paceman first had McCullum caught by Watson at square leg and two balls later cleaned up Chris Gayle (0) to give his side a whisker of hope.
Ganguly's unbeaten 50-ball 75 was inclusive of 11 hits to the fence and two huge ones over it and he was also involved in an unbroken third-wicket stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (45 not out) that yielded the hosts 111 runs (off just 80 balls) and took them to victory.
Ganguly and Pujara combined well though for the third wicket to take the home team to 64 for two after nine overs (the first strategic time out).
The duo went stronger after resumption and Rajasthan couldn't break their effective partnership -- for the record it was a record partnership for the third wicket for the Knight Riders.