A brilliant counterattacking innings from Andre Russell helped the Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling win over Kings XI Punjab by one wicket, with one ball to spare.
Russell hit 51 from 21 balls, with strong support from Yusuf Pathan and Piyush Chawla, as he helped to lift his side out of a rut and to the top of the IPL table. The win also confirms the Knight Riders’ place in the top four.
George Bailey, the Kings XI captain, won the toss and elected to bat. He was rewarded with his side’s second-best opening stand of the season as they put on 45, before Murali Vijay was bowled by a Sunil Narine off-break. They had enjoyed their fair share of luck on the way though, as Vijay was dropped three times in his 21-ball innings of 28.
Two further dropped catches later, Manan Vohra became Narine’s second victim, driving back to the bowler and giving him a return catch on 39 to make it 78 for two. However, Wriddhiman Saha and Glenn Maxwell managed to do what so many other teams had failed to achieve this season and dominate the Kolkata spinners.
The pair added 65 but Narine was in fine form, his variations proving too much for even the set batsmen and he had both of their wickets in the 17th over, just as Kings XI threatened to cut loose and leaving them on 149 for four. However, a strong cameo from David Miller helped them to an above-par score as he took 21 from Andre Russell’s final over of the innings.
184 looked a daunting total but they made a flying start, reaching 40 for one after four overs; Robin Uthappa falling for 17 from 11 balls, while looking in good touch. Gautam Gambhir was fortunate to survive beyond the first over, though, as he was trapped plumb lbw with the umpire incorrectly ruling that Sandeep Sharma’s delivery had pitched outside leg stump.
As is so often the case in Kolkata though, the introduction of the spinners slowed the run-rate. Maxwell followed his strong batting performance with a wicket when Manish Pandey, who had hitherto shown exquisite timing, slogged to the fielder at long on for 22. In the following over, Gambhir took his side from trouble to crisis when out for 24 from 23 balls.
With the required run-rate climbing, Yusuf Pathan and Russell launched a thrilling counterattack, putting on a stand of 50 runs in 26 balls before Yusuf was caught behind for 29 off 19 balls, with three sixes. Russell continued though, and hit five fours and four sixes on his way to the joint-quickest half century in this year’s competition. However he was dismissed shortly after reaching the landmark, leaving the Knight Riders with 24 still needed and all of their recognised batsmen back in the hutch.
Chawla looked to have sealed the match in the final over, when he hit a six to tie the scores with four balls to go. But he was strangled down the leg side the very next ball, becoming the ninth wicket to fall. With one wicket and one run needed for either side to claim victory, it was a leg-bye to Sunil Narine that sealed the result.
