Once Punjab Kings had been bundled out for 137 in 18.2 overs, it was Kolkata Knight Riders’ recreation to lose. Four fast wickets had put them in a spot of hassle and at 51/4, Punjab sensed a possibility. But Andre Russell exploded at Wankhede and Sam Billings gave him good firm. An unbroken 90-run (47 balls) fifth wicket partnership between the 2 finally made it a cakewalk for KKR. They gained by six wickets with 33 balls to spare. Russell blasted his option to a 31-ball 70 not out, together with two fours and eight sixes. Billings scored 24 not out off 23 balls.
A thumping win for @KKRiders
The @ShreyasIyer15 -led unit returns to profitable methods as they beat #PBKS by 6⃣wickets
Scorecard ️ https://t.co/JEqScn6mWQ #TATAIPL , #KKRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/UtmnpIufGJ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2022
After chasing down a 200-plus complete in opposition to Royal Challengers Bangalore of their first recreation, regular service resumed for Punjab. Their takeaways from this recreation had been restricted to Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s nine-ball 31 and Rahul Chahar’s 2/13 from 4 overs. From Indian cricket’s perspective, Chahar’s regular enchancment as a bowler has been heartening. The leg-spinner has added selection to his bowling.
Russell’s power-punch
Punjab’s ploy of Odean Smith coming from across the wicket and bowling size on a leg stump line to Russell was as baffling because it was ineffective. Rising deliveries from back-of-a-length into the physique have historically confirmed to be the large man’s bugbear. Smith’s bowling was meat and drink to Russell.
The first three balls of the twelfth over went for a 4 and two sixes. And when Smith switched to over the wicket, he nonetheless bowled size. That 30-run over fully took the sport away from Punjab. There was no stopping Russell after that.
Adding extra colours to the glory!@Russell12A @y_umesh #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvPBKS #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/u8iOppsgeZ
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 1, 2022
Early days, however the nights are trying superb. Russell’s x-factor apart, Shreyas Iyer’s arrival has added high quality to their batting line-up, though the KKR captain but once more misplaced his wicket to a leg-spinner. KKR’s bowling assault has Umesh Yadav, who has been a revelation on this format.
Tim Southee has been complimenting him properly, whereas Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy are offering the spin-punch. On Friday, his fielding was glorious as properly. Southee’s catch to dismiss Kagiso Rabada off Russell was breathtaking.
Yadav’s second wind
The veteran quick bowler went unsold on the first spherical of public sale earlier than KKR purchased him as an afterthought, at his base worth of Rs 2 crore. It now seems to be like a discount.
At 34 years of age, Yadav is having fun with a T20 second wind. He already has eight wickets in three video games; 5 of these had been taken contained in the Powerplays. Today, he returned with 4/23 from 4 overs. An appreciation tweet from the KKR media staff adopted.
Yadav has developed a wobble-seam ball which is slicing again to the right-handers from a disconcerting size. It trapped Mayank Agarwal leg-before. The Punjab captain had shuffled throughout, however was crushed by the nip-backer.
One option to counter Yadav is to upset his size. Shikhar Dhawan tried that by charging down the observe and hitting a six. But the senior fast is mixing mind with brown to improbable impact on this IPL. Also, he’s transferring the ball each methods at pace and altering his size. Iyer’s captaincy has been fairly spectacular up to now, particularly the best way he’s dealing with his bowlers. He introduced again Yadav within the ninth over and was rewarded with Liam Livingstone’s scalp. Then, after Narine’s spin choke – Varun, too, deserves a critical point out – and Southee’s wickets had put Punjab on the mat, Yadav returned for his closing spell and sucked the life out of the opponents’ back-end restoration with two dismissals in three balls.
A size supply that got here in a fraction cleaned up Harpreet Brar. A brief ball accounted for Chahar. It was good considering from Iyer to maintain Nitish Rana at broad slip. As the ball reared off the deck, Chahar adopted the fielder. If Yadav was probably the most profitable, Narine was the trickiest. As normal, his bowling was very tough to cope with.
Narine’s trickery
To the purists, Narine’s motion remains to be a tad jerky. But so long as his elbow-bend is throughout the permissible 15-degree restrict, no hurt accomplished.
The lynchpin of KKR’s spin assault thrives on his consistency, the impeccable line and size that hardly permit the batsmen any house to manoeuvre. Batsmen know his tips, they battle to decipher them.
Raj Bawa is a boy in a person’s world. The teen’s uncooked expertise is unmistakable, however tonight he was in for a impolite awakening. Bawa’s extra-cover drive for 4 off Narine was stylish.
But he wasn’t ready for the response from the spin physician. The bowler went broad of the crease, bowled flatter and gave the ball a vicious tweak. Bawa, caught on the crease, performed for the angle. The ball spun previous the surface edge to hit the off stump. More skilled batsmen than Bawa have fallen prey to Narine’s tips. The teenager will be taught.
That was Narine’s solely wicket within the match, his figures studying 1/23 from 4 overs. But what the spinner does recreation after recreation is to placed on the choke within the middle-overs. Rival groups attempt to see him off. That approach they play into his fingers. It breaks the momentum, creates strain and makes wicket-taking simpler for his colleagues.
Brief Scores: Punjab Kings: 137 all out in 18.2 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 31, Kagiso Rabada 25; Umesh Yadav 4/23, Tim Southee 2/36) misplaced to KKR 141 for 4 in 14.3 overs (Andre Russell 70 no off 31 balls). KKR gained by 6 wickets.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
