Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a heist against Kings XI Punjab as they registered a two-run win, advancing to the third position in Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) points table. Chasing 165 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Openers KL Rahul (71) and Mayank Agarwal (56) added 115 runs for the first wicket as KXIP’s victory looked a mere formality for the majority of the contest. However, the likes of Sunil Narine and Prasidh Krishna bowled exceptionally well in the end overs and brought KKR back in the game. With seven runs needed off the last ball, Glenn Maxwell played a big shot as a super over was on the cards. However, the ball landed just an inch inside the boundary cushions, giving KKR an incredible win. KXIP vs KKR Highlights IPL 2020: Kolkata Knight Riders Beat Kings XI Punjab By 2 Runs.
Earlier in the day, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision never looked like helping Kolkata as the likes of Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi went back without making significant impacts. Though Shubman Gill was standing strong at one end, the run rate was always on the slower side. However, Dinesh Karthik came out to bat at number five and played a captain’s knock. He scored a half-century off 22 balls – his joint fastest in IPL – as KKR advanced to 164/6 in their allotted 20 overs which eventually proved to be enough. Meanwhile, let’s look at the stat highlights of the game. Fans Slam KXIP Skipper KL Rahul and Management After Near Loss Against KKR in IPL 2020.
# Two-run is the joint-fewest winning margin for KKR in IPL history.
# Mohammed Shami completed 50 wickets in Indian Premier League.
# Shubman Gill brought up his fifth half-century in IPL Cricket.
# Dinesh Karthik scored a half-century off mere 22 deliveries, his joint fastest in the tournament.
# KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal become the first opening pair to register two 100 plus stands in IPL 2020.
# Mayank Agarwal registered his seventh IPL half-century.
#KL Rahul scored his 19th IPL fifty.
With this incredible win, KKR advanced to the third position in the team standings and are on the right path to lift their third title. They will next meet Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 12. On the other hand, KXIP are almost out of the contest after facing their sixth defeat of the season. They will also meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next assignment in Sharjah.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2020 08:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).