IPL8: Andre Russell's blitz take Kolkata Knight Riders home

IPL8: Andre Russell’s blitz take Kolkata Knight Riders home: Defending Champions Kolkata Knight Riders got back to winning ways after their loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore last week as they defeated Kings XI Punjab by 4 wickets at Pune. With this win, Kolkata moved to number three in the points table displacing Delhi Daredevils who defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier today.

Chasing 156 to win, Kolkata were off to a shaky start as Robin Uthappa was trapped in front by Sandeep Sharma for just 13 and soon after Sandeep had Manish Pandey caught by Glenn Maxwell off the same bowler for 12. After being reduced to 34-2 inside the first five overs, Surya Kumar Yadav walked in and smashed Mitchell Johnson for 2 sixes over the fine leg and square leg boundary before he was dismissed caught behind off Thisara Perera for a 10 ball 23. Sandeep came back for his final over and had skipper Gautam Gambhir and Ryan Ten Doeschate off successive balls to have the visitors reeling at 60-5 in 9 overs.

It was when Andre Russell started his onslaught. Russell smashed each and every bowler all over the park and reached his fifty off just 28 balls. He continue to make the Kings XI players pay as he scored 18 more runs before he was castled by Mitchell Johnson for 66 off 36 balls. His knock had nine fours and two sixes. Russell’s 95 run partnership for the sixth wicket with Yusuf Pathan proved to be the turning point as the Knight Riders cruised home with 13 balls to spare. Yusuf was unbeaten on 28 off 24 balls.

Earlier, put into bat, Kings XI made 155-9 courtesy a timely 45 ball 60 from George Bailey. Umesh Yadav picked three wickets while Morne Morkel and Russell scalped two each. Russell was named the Man of the Match.

Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab 155 for 9 (George Bailey 60, Glenn Maxwell 33, Umesh Yadav 3-33) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 159 for 6 (Andre Russell 66, Yusuf Pathan 28*, Sandeep Sharma 4-25) by 4 wickets.