Knight Riders defeat Kings XI by 28 runs
kolkata — Nitish Rana and Robin Uthappa slammed half-centuries while Andre Russell continued his pyrotechnics with the bat as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
Batting first, KKR posted a mammoth 218 runs. In reply, Kings XI made a valiant effort but eventually managed to score 190 runs for 4 wickets. Mayank Agarwal (58), David Miller (59 not out) and Mandeep Singh (33 not out) were the top performers for Kings XI.
Earlier, Rana (63; 34b, 4x2; 6x7) fashioned his second successive fifty as Uthappa blossomed in his company with a well-timed unbeaten 67 (50b, 4x6, 6x2) before Russell virtually took the game away from Punjab with a 17-ball 48 (4x3, 6x5).
The visitors could have checked KKR’s run flow when Mohammed Shami castled Russell when he was on 3, only to find the umpire calling it a no-ball as there were only three fielders inside the circle.
Russell made the most of his second life by bludgeoning Andrew Tye for two sixes and two fours in the 18th over as the Australian leaked 22 runs.
Russell, who smacked a 18-ball 49 in the last match, then hit Shami for three back-to-back sixes and a four in the next over, taking KKR past the 200-mark, before getting out in the last over off Tye.
Russell and Uthappa joined hands for a 32-ball 67-run fourth wicket stand as KKR amassed 71 runs in the last five overs.
KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin, fresh from the “Mankading” row against Rajasthan Royals’ batsman Jos Buttler in the last game that sparked worldwide discussions, went for 47 runs in his four overs and was hit for five sixes — one every over — with Rana accounting for four of them.
Uthappa and Rana stitched together 110 runs for the third wicket after the home team lost their openers inside four overs.
Rana took time to settle down, scoring just two runs off the first seven balls before hoisting Ashwin over long on for a maximum in the eighth over.
The southpaw, who scored 68 in KKR’s opening game to help them beat Sunrisers Hyderabad, smashed Ashwin for another six in the same region as the purple brigade raced to 89/2 at the halfway stage.