IPL 2021: PBKS vs KKR Review – Kolkata make the best of the conditions to beat Punjab
After losing four matches in the Indian Premier League 2021, Kolkata Knight Riders finally turned around their fortunes at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against Punjab Kings. After restricting Punjab to just 123 for 9, KKR went on to win the match with five wickets and 20 balls to spare, on April 26.
Kolkata captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bowl first. They got a brilliant start with the ball and then continued the form. Mayank Agarwal’s 31 and Chris Jordan’s 18-ball 30 in the death overs, took their total to 123 for 9 in 20 overs. For KKR, Prasidh Krishna took three wickets while Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins both took two wickets each. Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Mavi also chipped in with a scalp each.
Punjab started their defence of the relatively small total brilliantly. They picked up three quick wickets with the ball and KKR were in a bit of trouble at 17 for 3. From here on, Rahul Tripathi and Morgan gave the Knights a good substantial partnership. Their stand of 66 runs calmed the nerves down and put KKR in the box seat.
There was a wicket each for Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Moises Henriques and Deepak Hooda but the runs kept coming. Tripathi was dismissed for 41 while Morgan carried his bat to help his team to a win with his 40-ball 47. Dinesh Karthik chipped in with 12 while Andre Russell made 10 runs.
Top performers:
Prasidh Krishna: The Karnataka pacer seems like a much-improved bowler in this season. This could be due to his appearance on the international stage. Against Punjab, he took three important wickets Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan and Shahrukh Khan. He gave only 30 runs from his four overs.
Eoin Morgan: Under pressure, no substantial score on the back, the team performing badly. With all these factors, Morgan arrived at the crease at 17 for 3, in a tricky chase. He handled the pressure well and played some exquisite shots to bring his team back in the match. He played a captain’s knock, seeing off the chase.
Personal records/Achievements:
Chris Gayle now has the most ducks in the T20 format. With his 29th duck today, he overtook Dwayne Smith (28 ducks) in the list of most T20 ducks.
Eoin Morgan became the third player to score 50+ runs and take 3+ catches for Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match.
Dinesh Karthik played his 50th match for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Way Ahead:
KKR will now face Delhi Capitals on April 29 while Punjab will now play Bangalore on April 30. Both the matches will be played in Ahmedabad.
