IPL 2018: Match 44- KXIP vs KKR : Five talking points from the game

Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 31 runs.

Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 31 runs | Source IANS

Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 31 runs against the Kings XI Punjab at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. Sunil Narine was awarded the Man of the Match for his exceptional, stormy innings of 75 that took the visitors to the highest ever score of IPL 2018. Team Circle of Cricket gets down to list the 5 talking points of the match. 

 

Sunil Narine was on top batting during the match | Source IANS

Narine's quick 75
Sunil Narine, the left arm opener of Kolkata Knight Riders played a beautiful inning of 75 runs taking his team to their highest ever score in IPL. Narine at top order was in dangerous form as he scored boundaries everywhere out of the park included his 4 mighty sixes.

Sunil Narine after this knock was able to mark 500 runs IPL. It was a knock filled with confidence and powerful shots. An impressive opening partnership of 53 between Lynn and Narine took KKR off to a flyer. Sunil also registered his third IPL half-century.

 

Andrew took 4 wickets in the match | Source IANS Andrew Tye pull things back for KXIP
Andrew Tye took 4 wickets in the first innings to pull things back for KXIP into the contest. He now has 20 wickets in the tournament with the purple cap on his head. Tye is the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2018 season. Except for Tye's four-wicket, it was a very harsh day for KXIP bowlers. 

During the last five overs of KKR, they manage to score 76 runs to make things worse for the host. They were heavily beaten today by the team of Kolkata.

 

Dinesh scored his first half century of this season | Source IANS

Russell and Karthik takes KKR to 245
Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik cameos helped KKR to clinch their highest ever total in Indian Premier League. The captain, Dinesh Karthik played a brilliant hand to take his team total further to 245. It was a special knock from the skipper who's incredible batting performance registered a new record for the Knight Riders.

It's taken KKR 11 years to outdo what they scored in their first-ever IPL game, riding on McCullum's famous innings. 245 is massive and so definitive that the team of Knights were outstanding. It was all Sunil Narine at the top, surprising us with his under-fire skills against spin on a ground with diminutive boundaries.

 

Rahul scored 66 | Source IANS

KL Rahul playing a lone hand
Chasing a heavy target of 245, it was a big task for KXIP but opener Kl Rahul played his usual game scoring runs at a rapid speed. He scored crucial 66 runs to strengthen the top order of Kings XI Punjab. He even scored his yet another half-century but the other batsmen were falling from the second end.

His outstanding innings even got him the Orange cap back. He is now the current leading scorer of IPL 2018. The skipper of the team also played an important inning but unfortunately, the asking rate was too high for the Kings of Punjab.

 

KXIP wickets kept on falling | Source IANS

Kolkata beat Kings XI Punjab by 31 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders won the match after beating Kings XI at Indore. They have now gained two important points in the tournament and are back in the league alive. It was totally the batting of Kolkata that won the match for them. The Kolkata Knight Riders had to respond after the thumping Mumbai gave them and they have done it in style. They are back in the top four with this win and with two games in hand have the momentum to reach the playoffs.

There's hardly any turnaround time for KXIP as they host the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a couple of days' time, on May 14 in Indore. KKR will head back home to host Rajasthan Royals on May 15, in what would be their last home game of the season.

 
 

By Kunal Kataria - 12 May, 2018

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