IPL 2018: Match 44, KXIP vs KKR, Review- Narine and Russell shape up a priceless triumph in a run fest

Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) campaign has experienced a stutter after the thunderous start. Their middle-order has been erratic owing to which the franchise hasn’t quite been able to carry forward their winning momentum. Their bowlers have done a reasonable job as the likes of Andrew Tye and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have been exceptional and feature on the top of the wicket-takers list.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), their opponents, haven’t had an overwhelming season either. Both teams required a victory to stay alive and in the end, the Men in Purple and Gold emerged victorious by 31 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. The game turned out to be a nightmare for the bowlers, but KKR managed to hold on their nerves and prevailed in the run-churning spree by the batsmen.

KKR batsmen manhandle Punjab bowlers  

The pitch seemed to be a batsman’s paradise and with short boundaries in place, Ashwin had no hesitation to field first. Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened the batting and took no half-measures whatsoever. The duo blazed away to an opening partnership of 53 runs off 32 balls. However, against Lynn was cleaned up by Andrew Tye when the ball brushed Lynn’s stomach and then fell on the bails.

Nevertheless, Narine went hell for leather and notched his second half-century this season off 26 balls. Robin Uthappa joined him and played his strokes from the outset. The stand raced away to 75 runs off 37 balls, which laid the platform for KKR to muster a mammoth score on the board. Meanwhile, Tye had other ideas and dismissed both batsmen in the 12th over in a space of three balls.

Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik were in with the responsibility to resurrect the stumble and did the same with sheer disdain. The Jamaican was promoted to number four and he set his eyes on the stands from the word go. He scored 31 runs off 14 balls, a knock which garnered the Knights’ lost momentum. On the other hand, Karthik carried forward his impressive run in the series.

The skipper muscled to a 23-ball half-century, which propelled KKR’s score to 245 runs. Cameos from Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana also ensured that Karthik’s men notch the highest team total of the season. Tye picked up four wickets and was Punjab’s stand-out bowler. Mujeeb Ur Rahman had an off day as he had to leave the field following a hand injury. He came back and then leaked 21 runs in the 16th over.

Punjab roar, but the Knights prevail

Punjab needed someone to play a herculean knock to help them trace down the monstrous target. It was self-explanatory that Chris Gayle and KL Rahul had to play a major role in the run-chase. The start was promising for them as they blazed away to a stand of 57 off 34 balls. Rahul carried on from where he left against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and peppered the boundaries.

Gayle found the boundaries but faced quite a few dot-deliveries as well. The Men in Purple and Gold required someone to put his hand up and Russell rocked Punjab. The all-rounder accounted for Gayle’s wicket when the left-hander feathered a pull-shot into the gloves of Karthik. Mayank Agarwal perished for a golden duck and the Knight Riders clinched the ascendancy from Punjab.

Nevertheless, the home team had KL Rahul at one end and he carried Punjab’s hopes in the match. To KXIP’s agony, Narine ripped through the opener and shattered his stumps. The knock of 66 runs off 29 balls by Rahul reignited their hope, but following his dismissal, it was pretty evident that the target had gone a tad too far from their radar. Aaron Finch’s short blitz of 27 runs entertained the crowd but didn’t make any difference.

Javon Searles ended the knock as Kuldeep Yadav pounced on a sharp catch at the short-fine leg region. Ravichandran Ashwin scored 45 runs off 22 balls and ensured that their net run rate didn’t take a real hit. Meanwhile, with the victory, the Knight Riders move to the fourth position on the points table.

Brief Scores   

Kolkata Knight Riders: 245/6 in 20 overs (Sunil Narine 75, Dinesh Karthik 50; Andrew Tye 4/41, Barinder Sran 1/48)

Kings XI Punjab: 214/8 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 69, Ravichandran Ashwin 45; Andre Russell 3/24, Sunil Narine 1/44)

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 31 runs

Player of the Match: Sunil Narine