kolkata: Gujarat Titans regaled at the iconic Eden Gardens on a hot and humid evening as Kolkata Knight Riders’ pathetic display with the bat continued.
Chasing 199 to win, the home side folded for 159/8, losing by 39 runs.
GT showed why they sit on the top of the leaderboard this IPL with an all-round display.
Put in to bat by the hosts, KKR made it look comfortable on a wicket that was filled with promise and yet showed cracks that would give bowlers something.
But for GT it was a walk in the park. Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill began the innings in earnest with the former showing why he is one of the leading run-getters in this IPL.
From ball one the sound of wood on leather seemed to come from a man in the middle of a purple patch. Skipper Gill was happy to play second fiddle as Sai picked his spots and hit a few delectable drives in the cover region and cut with equal elan. He set the pace for the GT and by the time the first wicket fell for 114 in just 12.2 overs, he had made another well-crafted half-century. He got out quite against the run of the play to
Andre Russell from one that stopped and rose on him for 52 filled with six classy boundaries and a giant six.
Gill, a former Knight and well aware of the Eden surface, decided to come back to form. Though he had been a bit scratchy throughout this IPL, today he looked like a man on a mission. He took his time to get going and then opened up against the spinners. He was brutal during Moeen Ali’s third over when he hit him for a six and then two consecutive boundaries. Gill raced to his 50 off just 34 balls and then picked up the pace. His next 40 runs came off just 21 deliveries. By the time he was out, GT were looking ominous on 172/2.
Gill’s 90 was studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Thereafter, Jos Buttler (41 not out) ensured that GT finished on 198/3.
For KKR, nothing seemed to go right as they toiled for wickets and dropped catches.
At the nets, Abhishek Nayar was seen working with the KKR batters. But none of it showed on the field as Rahmanullah Gurbaz lasted four balls and Sunil Narine 13 balls as Mohammed Siraj and Rashid Khan struck for GT.
Ajinkya Rahane was again left to fight a lone battle, with a struggling Venkatesh Iyer getting out for 14 off 19 deliveries. Rahane reached 50 off 36 balls with five fours and a six.
The way the KKR batting unit played it looked like Rahane and the rest of the team batted on two separate pitches. Ultimately, he was outfoxed by a wide one from Washington Sundar and stumped by Buttler.
Andre Russell huffed and puffed to 21 before being stumped by Buttler off Khan, while Ramandeep was gone for 1 and Ali did not disturb the scoreboard.
It was just a matter of time before the KKR run chase collapsed.
The Knights looked so desperate that with 71 needed from 17 deliveries, Rinku Singh was seen reviewing for a wide. Any freebie mattered as they tottered to 124/7 with impact sub Angkrish Raghuvanshi out to support Rinku.