JOIN USResolute Punjab stay in hunt
Chris Lynn’s brilliant 84 went in vain as Kings XI Punjab produced a clinical bowling and fielding show under pressure to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs in a tense IPL match and keep themselves afloat in the tournament here on Tuesday.
Needing a win to keep their play-offs hopes alive, Punjab could put up just 167 for six after being put into bat. But they defended the total courtesy a remarkable show by their bowlers at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here.
The home side restricted Kolkata to 153 for six to win the match. They still remain at fifth with 12 points from 12 matches and they can make it to the knock-out stage if they win their remaining two matches.
KKR, who have already booked a play-offs berth, continue to occupy the second spot with 16 points from 13 matches.
The pick of the Punjab bowlers was Rahul Tewatia who took two wickets for 18 runs from his four overs while Mohit Sharma got 2/24 from three overs. Sandeep Sharma did not take a wicket but conceded just 31 runs from his four overs.
Earlier, skipper Glenn Maxwell hit a quickfire 25-ball 44 as Kings XI scored 167 for six.
Though they made a wobbling start to their innings, the Punjab unit made a late recovery to put up a respectable total on the board.
From 63 for three at the halfway mark, Kings XI took 104 runs from the final 10 overs.
Kings XI lost wickets at regular intervals as they failed to stitch any big partnership. Their highest partnership was the 61 for the fourth wicket between Maxwell and Wriddhiman Saha (38). Maxwell, Saha and Manan Vohra (25) got the starts but could not convert them to big scores.
Opener Vohra looked promising with a couple of fours off Sunil Narine at the start of the innings. He then hit two more boundaries off Umesh Yadav to up the ante.
But Yadav had the last laugh as he dismissed Vohra in the fifth over with his short delivery kissing the batsman’s gloves for Robin Uthappa to do the rest behind the stumps. Next over, Martin Guptill fell leg before to Narine as the batsman missed the delivery while trying to sweep over backward square leg and Kings XI were 41 for two then.
Maxwell came out with the score board reading 56/3 and he did not do much initially, scoring ones and two from his first nine balls he faced before taking his chances.
There was comparative lull for a couple of overs before Maxwell cut loose with two consecutive sixes off Kuldeep Yadav in the 16th over. But the same over, Maxwell was sent packing with Woakes taking a superb catch near the boundary running from long-off.
Maxwell hit one four and four sixes in his 25-ball 44.
For Kolkata, Woakes (2/20) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/34) were the most successful bowlers while Umesh Yadav and Narine got one apiece.
Score Board
Kings XI Punjab: Martin Guptill lbw b Narine 12, Manan Vohra c Uthappa b Yadav 25, Shaun Marsh b Woakes 11, Wriddhiman Saha st Uthappa b Kuldeep 38, Glenn Maxwell c Woakes b Kuldeep 44, Axar Patel (not out) 8, Swapnil Singh b Woakes 2, Rahul Tewatia (not out) 15. Extras (B-2, LB-4, W-6) 12. Total (6 wkts; 20 overs) 167.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-41, 3-56, 4-127, 5-146, 6-149.
Bowling: Umesh Yadav 3-0-26-1, Colin de Grandhomme 4-0-37-0, Sunil Narine 4-0-27-1, Chris Woakes 4-0-20-2, Anikt Rajpoot 2-0-17-0, Kuldeep Yadav 3-0-34-2.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine b Mohit 18, Chris Lynn (run out) 84, Gautam Gambhir c Marsh b Tewatia 8, Robin Uthappa c Patel b Tewatia 0, Manish Pandey c Patel b Henry 18, Colin de Grandhomme (not out) 11, Yusuf Pathan c Maxwell b Mohit 2, Chris Woakes (not out) 8. Extras (LB-2, W-2) 4. Total (6 wkts; 20 overs) 153.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-78, 3-79, 4-131, 5-132, 6-139.
Bowling: Sandeep Sharma 4-0-31-0, Matt Henry 3-0-31-1, Mohit Sharma 3-0-24-2, Axar Patel 4-0-28-0, Rahul Tewatia 4-0-18-2, Swapnil Singh 2-0-19-0.