Skipper KL Rahul played a fantastic knock of 67 runs off 55 deliveries, to power Punjab Kings on to a fine triumph against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Follow Us
Punjab Kings (PBKS) recorded a crucial victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 45 of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday. Skipper KL Rahul played a fantastic knock as he scored 67 runs off 55 deliveries to power his side to a valuable three points. It was his 26th IPL half-century. KKR made a valiant effort to fight back but they just fell short. The loss would be quite a hit to the Knight Riders’ hopes of making it to one of the play-off places. The men in purple finished their innings with 165-7 on the board and PBKS scored 168-5. The victory might not have taken KL Rahul’s men ahead of the Knight Riders on the points table, but it is surely a win that will have significant implications on the final playoff positions.
PBKS skipper KL Rahul played a captain’s knock as he scored 67 runs. He was extremely well supported by opening partner and close friend Mayank Agarwal. Mayank played a brilliant knock as he scored 40 runs off just 27 deliveries. He was the aggressor in the initial part of the PBKS innings and with Rahul stitched an opening stand of 70 runs. There was a point in the final stages of the match when it seemed like Venkatesh Iyer had taken a brilliant catch, but the ball had touched the ground. It might be a decision that becomes a subject of discussion in the future.
Aiden Markram and Nicolas Pooran made useful contributions as they scored 18 and 12 runs respectively. Youngster Shahrukh Khan played a valuable knock at the end as well, as he scored 22 runs off just nine balls. He hit the winning runs for the men in red.
Although KKR lost the match, there were a few positive bowling performances. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy bowled a fine spell as he picked a couple of wickets and only conceded 24 runs in his four overs. Shivam Mavi and Sunil Narine picked a wicket each for the men in purple.
KKR all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer did a fine job with the bat as he scored 67 important runs. It helped the men in purple post a total of 165. The opener scored the runs in 49 deliveries in an innings that included nine boundaries and a six. Rahul Tripathi was the second-highest run-scorer, with 34 runs from 26 balls, including three fours and a maximum. Nitish Rana contributed a quickfire 31 off 18 deliveries at a strike rate of 172.22, with two boundaries and sixes each.
The issue for KKR will be the current form of opener Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, and skipper Eoin Morgan. It was the lesser-known KKR players in the form of Iyer, Rana, and Tripathi that did the job with the bat.
Arshdeep Singh was the PBKS bowler of choice, accounting for three dismissals. Ravi Bishnoi, who took two wickets, was another important contributor. Mohammed Shami was responsible for the crucial dismissal of KKR skipper Eoin Morgan. The Englishman has been on a poor run of form off late and there will be concerns regarding his form if the men in purple are to take it to the playoffs this season.
