Narine, Joseph among wickets as KKR win thriller

AHMEDABAD, India (CMC):

Sunil Narine starred with the ball, but then failed with the bat, along with Andre Russell, but Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) withstood Alzarri Joseph’s excellence to chase down a difficult target in a grand-stand finish here yesterday.

Set 205 to win by Gujarat Titans, the left-handed Narine got a one-ball ‘duck’ while Russell managed only one, and even after Venkatesh Iyer’s top score of 83 and captain Nitish Rana’s 45, KKR still entered the final over at the Narendra Modi Stadium requiring 29 for victory.

A single off the first ball brought Rinku Singh on strike, and the 25-year-old then cleared the ropes with the next five deliveries from left-arm seamer Yash Dayal, to earn KKR a sensational three-wicket win and their second of the new Indian Premier League campaign.

Singh finished with an unbeaten 48 off 21 balls and Man-of-the-Match honours, his four and half-dozen sixes undoing the good work done by leg-spinner Rashid Khan (3-37) and fast bowler Joseph (2-27).

Choosing to bat first, Titans gathered an impressive 204 for four from their 20 overs, Vijay Shankar top-scoring with an unbeaten 63 from 24 deliveries and 21-year-old left-hander Sai Sudharsan lashing 53 from 38 deliveries.

Sudharsan struck three fours and two sixes and put on 67 for the second wicket with Shubman Gill (39), before adding a further 35 for the fourth wicket with Shankar, who then combined with David Miller (two not out) in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 51.

Shankar, a 32-year-old right-hander, smacked four fours and five sixes.

OUTSTANDING

Off-spinner Narine, who last played for West Indies four years ago, was outstanding with three for 33 from his four overs.

In reply, KKR were stumbling on 28 for two in the fourth over before Venkatesh and Nitish came together to stabilise the run chase in a 100-run, third-wicket partnership.

Venkatesh struck eight fours and five sixes while Nitish belted four fours and three sixes, both eventually succumbing to the stellar Joseph.

Rashid Khan then wrecked the middle order to send four wickets tumbling for just one run before Rinku rallied the chase.