PUNE: Suryakumar Yadav hit a brilliant sixty as Kolkata Knight Riders continued their rampaging run by notching up a two-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants in a last-over IPL thriller here today.
Rising Pune Supergiants posted a competitive 160-5, courtesy a superb 52-ball 67-run innings by opener Ajinkya Rahane, after KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to field.
Chasing the target, the visitors rode on a 49-ball 60 by Suryakumar Yadav, who shared a 51-run third-wicket stand with Yusuf Pathan (36) to set the platform for the chase but Pune’s Thisara Perera picked up two wickets in the fag end of the match to almost derail their chase.
In the end, it was Umesh Yadav who blasted a six of the third ball of the last over to take Kolkata home, reaching 162-8, with three balls to spare at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
It was Pune’s fourth successive loss in five matches.
Defending the total, Pune struck the first blow in the very first ball when Albie Morkel trapped Robin Uthappa infront of wicket with a fullish length delivery.
The Supergiants dismissed the other opener Gambhir also cheaply in the third over when he tried to steal a second run after playing a shot off Albie towards the midwicket area. It was an alert Sourabh Tiwary, who came up with a sharp fielding effort and threw the ball to wicket-keeper Dhoni, who took off the bails despite a dive from Gambhir.
In the seventh over, an
offcutter from Rajat Bhatia saw the end of Shakib Al Hasan, who inside edged
it to his stumps as
Kolkata slipped to 60 for three. (PTI)
score board
Rising Pune Supergiants innings
AM Rahane c & b Narine 67
F du Plessis b Shakib Al Hasan 04
SPD Smith run out (Sathish) 31
NLTC Perera b Sathish 12
JA Morkel b UT Yadav 16
MS Dhoni*† not out 23
R Bhatia not out 01
Extras 06
Total 160/5
Kolkata Knight Riders innings
RV Uthappa† lbw b Morkel 00
G Gambhir* run out (Tiwary/†Dhoni) 11
SA Yadav lbw b M Ashwin 60
Shakib Al Hasan b Bhatia 03
YK Pathan lbw b Bhatia 36
AD Russell c du Plessis b Perera 17
R Sathish b Morkel 10
PP Chawla c Smith b Perera 08
UT Yadav not out 07
SP Narine not out 00
Extras 10
Total 162/8