JAIPUR, May 2: Kolkata Knight Riders fought hard for a while but a 197-run target proved a mountain too steep to climb as Rajasthan Royals continued their super run in the IPL tournament by winning their fourth consecutive game.

The Royals now have four wins from five games.

Saurav Ganguly (51) and David Hussey (42) put up a valiant fight in the middle overs but it proved in vain as Knight Riders lost by 45 runs at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Thursday.

Royals posted an impressive 196-7 in their 20 overs with the youngsters coming good. Swapnil Asnodkar (60), Yusuf Pathan (55) and Ravinder Jadeja (33) sizzled on their home ground to set up a daunting task for the Knight Riders, who now have lost their last three games.

Replying to the formidable score, Knight Riders skipper Ganguly ended his dry patch, displaying exemplary timing in his 39-ball effort, clobbering four boundaries and two sixes. But Ganguly had some anxious moments in his knock. First, Pathan pouched the ball from thin air at fine-leg but stepped over the ropes and then the third umpire ruled a Graeme Smith catch not clean even though television replays suggested otherwise.

Ganguly and Hussey put on a valiant 68-run stand in seven overs but the steep asking rate forced one shot too many from Ganguly and Knight Riders lost their skipper, owing to a smart catch by Mohammad Kaif at long-on.

Hussey fought for a while until Sidharth Trivedi cleaned him up for 42. With him went the hopes of a miracle win for Knight Riders, who were up against an asking rate of 20 at that stage. It was all downhill from there as they lost the last five wickets for only six runs to be bundled out for 151 in 19.1 overs.

Knight Riders got off to a poor start losing Salman Butt for seven. But their move to send Ajit Agarkar as a pinch-hitter worked to an extent as the pacer gave the visitors the much-needed flying start. Agarkar smashed two sixes in his 13-ball effort before Watson got him caught behind. And when new recruit Brad Hodge was unfortunately run out, Knight Riders’ hopes were pinned on Ganguly and Hussey.

Earlier, the Knight Riders bowling, which looked formidable on paper with the inclusion of Umar Gul, took some heavy punishment as the Royals’ men with willows continued their super show in the IPL tourney. It were not the big names in the Royals camp that fired on Thursday with Graeme Smith and Shane Watson, the men in form, managing only two and zero, respectively.

After Smith and Watson played the protagonists in Royals’ previous wins, it was time for the youngsters to come good.

Knight Riders started off on a bright note. Smith, who had two half-centuries in as many games in the competition, failed to get going this time around. Ishant Sharma cleaned up the South African skipper in the second over of the match.

But Knight Riders failed to capitalise on the early jolt as Asnodkar took charge, flaying the famed Knight Riders bowling.

Asnodkar reached his 50 off just 29 balls and helped build the perfect launching pad for the home side. Manufacturing some lusty blows, the 24-year old opener put on 42 with Kaif and 53 with Pathan, smashing 10 boundaries and one six.

The visitors struck back for a brief period in the middle with Umar Gul sending back Asnodkar and Watson, who fell victim to a horrendous leg-before decision.

But Pathan and Jadeja won back the momentum through some power hits. Though after a 57-run stand, Jadeja was sent back by Laxmi Shukla, Pathan did not relent. Pathan, like Asnodkar, brought up his fifty in 29 balls. It was not until the last over that Knight Riders managed to get rid of Pathan, who fell for 55 off 33 with two towering sixes and six fours.

Summarised scores:

RAJASTHAN ROYALS 196-7 in 20 overs (Swapnil Asnodkar 60, Yusuf Pathan 55; Ravindra Jadeja 33; Umar Gul 3-31); KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS 151 in 19.1 overs (Saurav Ganguly 51, David Hussey 42, Ajit Agarkar 20; Shane Watson 2-22, Sohail Tanvir 2-29, Siddarth Trivedi 2-31).—Agencies