When two teams owned by Bollywood superstars clash, you know you are in for an entertaining evening.
And Saturday was no different as Shah Rukh Khan witnessed some edge-of-the-seat action with his team, Kolkata Knight Riders, pulling off a narrow two-run win over the Preity Zinta co-owned Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League clash.
Chasing 165 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Kings XI seemed to be in control till the 18th over of the chase, with captain K.L. Rahul on 71 off 55 balls.
Two quick wickets
However, things went horribly wrong thereafter. Needing 20 off 12 balls, KXIP lost two wickets — including Rahul’s — in the space of three balls in the 19th over bowled by Prasidh Krishna.
It was then seven needed off the last delivery to take the game to the Super Over, but Glenn Maxwell missed out on a six by inches.
Earlier, things looked promising for Kings with openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal forging a 115-run partnership. Rahul got a reprieve in the second over after Andre Russell dropped a chance at mid-off.
Making use of the opportunity, Rahul and Agarwal (56, 39b, 6x4, 1x6) went about their business calmly.
Even when Shubman Gill caught Agarwal at deep mid-wicket off Prasidh, it seemed to be too late for the Knights. But the game took a dramatic turn after Nicholas Pooran’s exit. KXIP’s decision to promote youngster Prabhsimran Singh at No. 4 — ahead of Maxwell — backfired. The youngster succumbed to pressure and managed just four runs off seven balls.
Batting first, KKR struggled till the 11th over, making 63 for three. However, captain Dinesh Karthik’s counter-attacking 58 off 29 balls and opener Gill’s 57 guided the side to a competitive total. Karthik, who has been struggling, brought up his half-century off just 22 balls. And it was the 82-run stand between him and Gill that set the tone for the Knights.
Scoreboard
Kolkata Knight Riders
Rahul Tripathi b Shami 4 (10b, 1x4), Shubman Gill run out 57 (47b, 5x4), Nitish Rana run out 2 (4b), Eoin Morgan c Maxwell b Bishnoi 24 (23b, 2x4, 1x6), Dinesh Karthik run out 58 (29b, 8x4, 2x6), Andre Russell c Prabhsimran b Arshdeep 5 (3b, 1x4), Pat Cummins (not out) 5 (4b); Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-6): 9; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 164.
Fall of wickets
1-12 (Tripathi, 2.4 overs), 2-14 (Rana, 3.3), 3-63 (Morgan, 10.4), 4-145 (Gill, 17.5), 5-150 (Russell, 18.2), 6-164 (Karthik, 19.6).
Kings XI vowling
Shami 4-0-30-1, Arshdeep 4-1-25-1, Jordan 4-0-37-0, Mujeeb 4-0-44-0, Bishnoi 4-0-25-1.
Kings XI Punjab
K.L. Rahul b Prasidh 74 (58b, 6x4), Mayank Agarwal c Gill b Prasidh 56 (39b, 6x4, 1x6), Nicholas Pooran b Narine 16 (10b, 2x4, 1x6), Prabhsimran Singh c Rana b Prasidh 4 (7b), Glenn Maxwell (not out) 10 (5b, 2x4), Mandeep Singh c sub (Green) b Narine 0 (1b), Chris Jordan (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-2): 2; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 162.
Fall of wickets
1-115 (Mayank, 14.2 overs), 2-144 (Pooran, 17.2), 3-149 (Prabhsimran, 18.4), 4-151 (Rahul, 18.6), 5-158 (Mandeep, 19.5).
Knight Riders bowling
Cummins 4-0-29-0, Prasidh 4-0-29-3, Nagarkoti 3-0-40-0, Varun 4-0-27-0, Narine 4-0-28-2, Rana 1-0-7-0 .
Toss: KKR.
Man-of-the-Match: Karthik.
KKR won by two runs.
