Kings XI Punjab pulled off a dramatic two-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a DLF-IPL-V match at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Despite two outstanding individual efforts, the home team failed to overhaul a modest target. Put in, Kings scored 134 for nine in 20 overs. In reply, Knight Riders were restricted to 132 for seven.
The defeat, the third for KKR, means the team stays on four points from five games. KXIP has registered its second win in four matches to reach four points.
Man-of-the-match Sunil Narine's superb five for 19, his best figures in this tournament, and local boy Debabrata Das's unbeaten 35 off 23 balls, with three fours and a six, went in vain as the visiting team's spinners Piyush Chawla and Bhargav Bhatt broke the Knight Riders' resistance and put their team on the way to a terrific victory.
Good end overs
All the credit should go to leg-spinner Chawla for bowling brilliantly to pick up three for 18 and left-armer Bhatt (two for 24).
The Punjab team's captain Adam Gilchrist marshalled his forces well to exert tremendous pressure on the home team batsmen.
The failure of skipper Gautam Gambhir (22), Manvinder Bisla (27), Manoj Tiwary (20) to carry their team was also instrumental in the team's discomfiture.
With KKR needing 13 runs off 12 balls, Praveen Kumar produced a superb over conceding just four runs. Requiring nine off six balls, KKR could score only six.
Put in on a pitch that assisted the slow bowlers, Kings XI Punjab ran into the guile of West Indian Narine, who quickly reduced the visitors to 21 for the loss of captain Adam Gilchrist and No. 3 Shaun Marsh wickets in successive overs.
Mandeep Singh, promoted to open the innings in place of Paul Valthaty, made the most of the opportunity. In the company of David Hussey, Mandeep prospered with some bold shots to pull the team out of the woods.
KXIP lost Mandeep when his sweep-slog off Shakib Al Hasan was picked up by Ryan ten Doeschate at deep mid-wicket. Mandeep had well compiled 38 (34b, 3x4, 1x6).
Twelve runs later, the Punjab side lost Hussey for 32 (31b, 1x4, 1x6) when he failed to beat a Gambhir's throw.
Rajat Bhatia and Shakib, bowling the middle overs, strangulated the Punjab batsmen as run flow became a trickle.
Bhatia broke through twice in the 17th over, having Paras Dogra taken by Debabrata at long on and Dimitri Mascarenhas caught behind the next ball.
From 100 for six, Punjab slumped to 104 for eight when Narine had Bipul Sharma and Praveen Kumar in successive balls.
A late charge enabled Kings XI Punjab to reach a fighting total of 134.
Scoreboard :
Kings XI Punjab : A. Gilchrist c Tiwary b Narine 5 (9b), Mandeep c ten Doeschate b Shakib 38 (34b, 3x4, 1x6), S. Marsh b Narine 1 (6b), D. Hussey (run out) 32 (31b, 1x4, 1x6), P. Dogra c Das b Bhatia 6 (11b), Bipul c Bisla b Narine 12 (11b, 1x6), D. Mascarenhas c Bisla b Bhatia 0 (1b), P. Chawla (not out) 13 (8b, 1x6), Praveen b Narine 0 (1b), Harmeet c Bisla b Narine 14 (6b, 3x4), B. Bhatt (not out) 6 (2b, 1x6); Extras (lb-6, w-1): 7, Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 134.
Fall of wickets : 1-16 (Gilchrist), 2-21 (Marsh), 3-73 (Mandeep), 4-85 (Hussey), 5-99 (Dogra), 6-100 (Mascarenhas), 7-104 (Bipul), 8-104 (Praveen), 9-128 (Harmeet).
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling : Yusuf 1-0-7-0, Kallis 4-0-30-0, Narine 4-0-19-5, Shakib 4-0-26-1, Unadkat 3-0-32-0, Bhatia 4-0-14-2.
Kolkata Knight Riders : J. Kallis c Dogra b Bhatt 1 (5b), G. Gambhir c & b Mascarenhas 22 (13b, 4x4), M. Bisla b Chawla 27 (25b, 1x4, 1x6), M. Tiwary lbw b Bhatt 20 (27b, 1x4), Shakib Al Hasan c & b Chawla 4 (8b), Yusuf b Chawla 0 (3b), D. Das (not out) 35 (23b, 3x4, 1x6), R. ten Doeschate b Harmeet 11 (14b, 1x4), R. Bhatia (not out) 3 (2b); Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-2): 9; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 132.
Fall of wickets : 1-13 (Kallis), 2-30 (Gambhir), 3-73 (Tiwary), 4-79 (Bisla), 5-79 (Pathan), 6-88 (Shakib), 7-128 (ten Doeschate).
Kings XI Punjab bowling : Praveen 4-0-22-0, Bhatt 4-0-24-2, Mascarenhas 4-0-34-1, Harmeet 4-0-27-1, Chawla 4-0-18-3.
Man-of-the-match : Sunil Narine
