KKR flex muscles, beat Punjab by six wickets with 33 balls left
Former India national coach Ravi Shastri believes the IPL will provide national selectors a good opportunity to see how some youngsters lead their sides.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer definitely falls in that watchlist and the Mumbai player displayed his game-reading quality well in his side's six-wicket victory against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Shreyas won the important toss and put the rivals in, keeping the dew factor later on in mind. He got good support from KKR's two old warhorses - Umesh Yadav with the ball and Andre Russell (70 off 31; 2x4, 8x6) with the bat, who brought the side back to winning ways with 33 balls to spare.
Yadav struck in the first over for the third time in a row in this IPL, claiming his 50th wicket in the Powerplay by trapping Punjab skipper Mayank Agarwal in front. However, Shreyas deciding to bring Yadav back for his second spell at a time when Punjab were under pressure actually tilted the balance of the match in KKR's favour.
Umesh responded well by picking up Liam Livingstone, who was looking dangerous, caught at long off by Tim Southee. Shreyas, who did not keep his main weapon for the death overs, was happy to see Umesh pick up two more wickets, those of Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar, in his last over and the 15th of the innings, to finish with 4/23.
1/10:Kolkata beat Punjab
<p>Umesh Yadav's 4/23 and Andre Russell's unbeaten 70 off 31 balls steered Kolkata Knight Riders to a six-wicket over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League on Friday. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
2/10:Umesh strikes early
<p>Umesh Yadav gave a great start to his team after taking Punjab captain Mayank Agarwal's wicket for one in the game's first over. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
3/10:Umesh Yadav's scalps
<p>Liam Livingstone, 19 off 16 balls, Harpreet Brar, 14 off 18 balls and Rahul Chahar, who scored a two-ball zero, were Yadav's other three scalps. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
4/10:Southee's supporting role
<p>Yadav was ably assisted by Tim Southee, who took two wickets for 36 runs in his four overs. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
5/10:KKR spinners shine
<p>Kolkata spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine bowled tight lines and only gave 37 runs for a wicket in eight overs between them. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
6/10:Punjab 137 all out
<p>Bhanuka Rajapaksha and Kagiso Rabada top-scored for Punjab with 31 off 9 balls and 16-ball 25 as Punjab were bowled out for 137 in the 19th over. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
7/10:Russell's power hitting
<p>Russell's power hitting -- with eight sixes and two fours -- turned the game after Kolkata looked in trouble with loss of early wickets. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
8/10:Kolkata openers fail
<p>Punjab removed both Kolkata openers -- Ajinkya Rahane, for 12 off 11 balls, and Venkatesh Iyer, for 3 off 7 balls -- in defence of their below-par score. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
9/10:Chahar's double-wicket maiden
<p>Rahul Chahar bowled a double-wicket maiden in the seventh over of the match to reduce Kolkata to 51/4. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
10/10:Chahar raises Punjab's hopes
<p>Chahar took the wickets of Shreyas Iyer, 26 off 15 balls, and Nitish Rana, a two-ball duck, to raise Punjab's hopes. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>KKR's bowlers never allowed the Punjab batters to settle down, picking up wickets at regular intervals to eventually bowl out Punjab for 137 with 10 balls remaining in their innings.
However, Punjab did put up a fight, reducing KKR to 51 for four by the seventh over till Russell walked in and decided to take things in his own hands.
The West Indian took some time to settle down. He hit Harpreet Brar for two sixes and followed it up with three sixes and one four off Odean Smith in the next over. Sam Billings finished off that over, getting another six off a free hit to collect 30 runs in the 12th over, which ensured KKR's victory.
It was that vintage Russell that all KKR fans were waiting for. The allrounder hit eight towering sixes to stay unbeaten on 31-ball 70. He was ably supported by Billings who stayed undefeated on 23-ball 24.
One should feel for Rahul Chahar who raised early hopes for Punjab by picking up Shreyas and Nitish Rana in the seventh over within the space of three deliveries. Chahar, the only Punjab bowler to leave a mark, returned with two for 13 in his four overs.
