Rahul Tripathi continued with his superb showing as an opener to score his second half-century of the season as Rising Pune Supergiant defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in the Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
After limiting Knight Riders to 155 for eight with some tidy bowling, Supergiant rode on Tripathi’s sparkling 52-ball 93 to earn its seventh victory, with four balls to spare.
The Maharashtra all-rounder has been rather low-profile on the domestic circuit, but has made a massive impact in his debut IPL season with his remarkable consistency, briefed with giving Supergiant brisk starts. This was Tripathi’s seventh 30-plus score, and his highest yet.
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Tripathi’s match-winning knock on Wednesday contained nine fours and seven sixes, and by the time he was held at midwicket off Chris Woakes, he had taken his team to the threshold of victory.
Sighting the ball early and quick on his feet, Tripathi clobbered pacers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Umesh Yadav all over the ground as Supergiant reached 50 off 23 balls, and 100 off 63.
The 26-year-old was especially severe on Coulter-Nile, bludgeoning him for three fours and a six in the third over and two fours and a six in the sixth.
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Tripathi underlined his dominance by slamming three successive sixes off a Kuldeep Yadav over.
Earlier, in the field, Supergiant showcased its expertise in applying the brakes on the run-scoring. It strangulated the Knight Riders batsmen, giving away just 41 and getting three wickets in the PowerPlay, as the host — missing Robin Uthappa due to a hamstring niggle — recorded its second slowest start of the season.
Jaydev Undakat was impressive in getting the ball to move and using the bounce. He had Sunil Narine caught and bowled as the first over was a wicket maiden.
Young off-spinner Washington Sundar then claimed Sheldon Jackson hit-wicket, pushing him back and forcing him onto the stumps. Washington also picked up the prized scalp of Gautam Gambhir, getting the Knight Riders captain to hole out to deep mid-wicket after being hit for a four and a six off consecutive balls.
Imran Tahir struck in his second over, trapping the dangerous Yusuf Pathan in front to leave Knight Riders at 59 for four off 10 overs.
Manish Pandey (37 off 32 balls) and Colin de Grandhomme (36 off 19) put on 48 runs off 30 balls for the fifth wicket in Knight Riders’s first respectable partnership.
de Grandhomme muscled Tahir for two soaring sixes before mis-timing Unadkat to backward point.
Suryakumar Yadav, who replaced Uthappa, dazzled in a cameo 16-ball 30. He punished Unadkat in his last over, helping Knight Riders cross the 150-mark and ensuring that they had something to bowl at.