Who would have expected Kolkata Knight Riders will seal the playoff spot, especially after the debacle against Mumbai Indians at home and away games? However, the spirited captaincy and the equally gutsy effort from the players put the team in front to seal a spot in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Sunrisers fetched the third loss in a row ahead of the crucial phase of the tourney.
Sunrisers Hyderabad – Shikhar & Kane starts well but KKR bowlers took the honours
Initially, it was Kane Williamson who won the toss and asked the visitors to roll their arms first. Justifying the toss, SRH new opening pair, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami did a terrific job by smashing KKR bowlers to all corners of the park. Goswami, in particular, has been the chief knocker of the ball.
However, the Chinaman, Kuldeep Yadav has the initial breakthrough but it made a way for in-form Kane Williamson to the crease. The skipper went hard right from the first ball to up the ante. Shikhar Dhawan too brought up his fifty but failed to continue with the knock.
It was Javon Searles who brought KKR back into the track by sending Kane Williamson back to the hut while some economical bowling display by Narine and the other spinners halted the momentum of the home side. Continuing the superb show, Prasidh Krishna finished the innings with 4 wickets off 4 runs in final over.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Chris Lynn’s yet another matured knock seals it for KKR
In reply to the chase of 173 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders once again got the dream start in the form of Chris Lynn and Narine who smashed a stunning 52-run partnership off just 3.4 overs. However, Shakib gave the crucial breakthrough by knocking Narine at the right moment.
Robin Uthappa who hasn’t been up to the mark in the Eleventh edition of IPL gave an ample assistance for Chris Lynn and Dinesh Karthik at crucial phases of the game. Lynn, in particular, played a composed knock to tick the scoreboard at a required run rate. He not only rotated the strike but also found boundaries whenever they are on offer.
On the other, Robin Uthappa was always in search of boundaries who also escaped a couple of times being dismissed. Just when things looked like going in a one-sided way, SRH bowlers sent back Lynn, Uthappa and Russell in a quick fashion. However, the captain cool, Dinesh Karthik stayed till the end to seal a spot in playoffs.
Brief scores:
SRH – 172/9; Shikhar (50), Kane Williamson (36); Prasidh Krishna (4/30)
KKR – 173/5; Lynn (55), Uthappa (45); S Kaul (2/26)