KKR: Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell fire KKR to big win over Punjab Kings

Umesh Yadav continued his dream with a four-wicket haul before Andre Russell put on his best to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to an easy six-wicket win over Punjab Kings here on Friday. Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games in the IPL and unsold at the start of the auction, produced career-best T20 figures, helping KKR reduce Punjab to 137 in 18.2 overs. Helped to get out on the score.

It was a straight forward chase, but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab’s hopes with a double wicket to reduce KKR to 51 for four.

However, Russell (70 not out from 31 balls) came in the middle and changed the game with his sixes, eight overall, taking it easy in just 14.3 overs. He hit three sixes in an over of 30 runs off Odeon Smith.

No rope is long enough when Russell is all guns blazing and he was in that kind of area on Friday night. The Jamaican ended the game with two sixes off Liam Livingson’s friendly leg break.

It was KKR’s second win in three matches while Punjab suffered their first defeat of the season after a win over RCB.

Earlier, the KKR bowlers throttled the Punjab Kings batting line-up.

With heavy dew setting in the later half of the games, fielding first became a no-brainer in this IPL and KKR captain Shreyas Iyer got it right at the toss.

Punjab, who had successfully chased down 200 in their opening game, enjoyed a decent powerplay, scoring 62 for 3 in six overs.

Veteran pacer Umesh, who has been proving his critics wrong this season, once again provided breakthroughs early in the game, removing opposition skipper Mayank Agarwal, who had missed a straight and full delivery in the first over. appeared later. match.

Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapakse (31 off 9) who played a match-winning knock in the first game looked in sensational touch at the Wankhede Stadium.

In his brief stay in the middle, the top-order batsman hit three fours and as many sixes, mostly towards the mid-wicket region, leaving the visitors stunned.

His breathtaking effort was perhaps the only bright one in an otherwise formidable innings.

Iyer impressed with his leadership. He brought back Umesh in the middle overs to ensure that there was no fight against Punjab. He also put a slip in the 15th over and for this he got the wicket of Rahul Chahar.

His new ball partner Tim Southee and KKR’s retained spinners Varun Chakraborty and Sunil Narine were also very good for the Punjab batsmen.

Livingstone (19 off 16) could convert his starts while India Under-19 star Raj Angad Bawa is finding it difficult for the second game in a row.

Kagisa Rabada (25 off 16), playing her first game of the season, saved Punjab from getting close to 140 by securing a much-needed boundary.

Originally published at Pen 18