IPL 9, Match 20: RPSG v KKR - 5 Talking Points

A six from Umesh Yadav sealed a 2-wicket win for the Kolkata Knight Riders. A humdinger between tow of the greatest servants of Indian cricket saw the KKR continue their winning run. As for the Supergiants, their incredible slump continues into a fourth match. An unlikely hero in Suryakumar Yadav came to the fore as his blistering half-century sealed the win for Kolkata.

1. Ajinkya Rahane comes up with the goods:

Ajinkya Rahane, someone who had been left out of the Indian side for a major chunk of the recently concluded World T20. However, in the context of the IPL, Rahane is one of the most important components of the Pune Supergiants side. Barely a month on from the campaign, Rahane’s stock as far as the Indian skipper is concerned has climbed rather significantly. Having played some important knocks in the IPL over the years, Rahane was at it once again at Pune against the Knight Riders. He slammed a wonderful 67, laying a foundation and a launch pad for the Supergiants.

2. MS Dhoni the finisher comes to life:

MS Dhoni’s finishing skills have come to serious doubt of late. However, on the night, Dhoni the finisher well and truly came to life. The 34-year old skipper walked in with barely three overs to play. He slammed 23 of just 12 deliveries, slashing, cutting and chopping the likes of Morne Morkel and Andre Russell. His cameo included 2 boundaries and a six. Do you still feel that MS Dhoni’s best days in Indian cricket are over? Food for thought.

3. KKR openers misfire:

The Kolkata Knight Riders opening batsmen Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir have been supremely important for them in this season of the IPL. They have accounted for almost 64% of the KKR runs. However, on the night, the dynamic duo had seemingly fallen off the pace. Uthappa was dismissed for a first ball duck after having been trapped by Albie Morkel the first delivery. After a couple of boundaries, Gambhir too fell for 11 as KKR stared at defeat right in the face.

4. Suryakumar Yadav picks up the pieces:

With the two openers gone, the onus fell on the vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav to pick up their pieces for the Knight Riders. In the context of the IPL, Yadav is seemingly handed more leadership roles. Coming in at the pivotal no.3 position, he slammed an extremely important and match-winning 60 off 49 deliveries. He laid the anchor and kept the run rate in check with a couple of sixes and six boundaries.

5. KKR clinch humdinger:

The situation and the match itself seemingly began to fall apart following the fall of wicket of Yusuf Pathan. Despite a massive heave from 35-year old Rajagopal Satish, an impressive revival by Andre Russell and a boundary from the bat of Piyush Chawla, victory was far from guaranteed. Requiring 5 runs of 4 deliveries, Umesh Yadav stepped up to the plate. He slammed the ball with deft power down the ground, a pivotal six ensuring a KKR win.

How did Twitter react to the game? – Twitter Reaction: KKR clinch a narrow win over Rising Pune SuperGiants