Ex-Knight Rider Shakib leads Sunrisers to first win in Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders were only in control as long as their spinners were bowling, as Sunrisers dominated the rest of the game to consolidate their position at the top of the table
Kolkata Knight Riders were only in control as long as their spinners were bowling, as Sunrisers dominated the rest of the game to consolidate their position at the top of the table
Commentator: Sreshth Shah
12.45am That's all from the Saturday double-header. Wins for Delhi and Hyderabad now make the points table look very interesting. We'll be back tomorrow at 3 pm, for another double-header day. Till then, enjoy the rest of your evening, and for all our friends in West Bengal and Bangladesh, Happy Bengali New Year! This is Sreshth Shah, signing off, and I hope you enjoyed ESPNcricinfo's coverage of the IPL. Bye now.
12.30am KKR's seamers went for 79 in 7 overs. Their spinners went for 60 in 12. That is the story. They fought, and made Sunrisers sweat, but Kane Williamson's composed knock of 50 was just too classy. The chase needed one anchor, and he was the man to provide that tonight. Sunrisers go top of the table once again while Knight Riders are left with many unanswered questions. Take nothing away from Shakib's knock of 27. He chipped in with the ball as well on a day when Rashid Khan went wicketless. Sunil Narine was excellent with the ball too, but his 2-17 did not find support from the other bowlers. Second-straight loss for Knight Riders. Time for the presentation.
Billy Stanlake is the Man of the Match for his 2 for 21. He says: "It's nice to get out there and take a few wickets. My job is simple, to bowl quick and be aggressive. The bounce was tennis-balley, and the wickets of Rana and Russell were only thanks to two great catches. Think I should buy Manish some beers after this."
Kane Williamson: "Obviously nice to win three in a row, and this surface required some adapting, but the real highlight was our fielding tonight. Bowlers have executed their skills really well, but we know every game is tough, so look to continue doing that. There wasn't a lot of turn, and Kolkata are a strong team but it was nice to go over the line in this city."
Dinesh Karthik: "We want our batting order to have some novelty. We sent Narine in because they were using a left-arm spinner that time. I was thinking 160-170 would be a good target, but didn't happen. Sunrisers have some good bowlers, and on a given day you have to gauge who isn't bowling well and then go after him. We'll have to turnaround quickly."
Dhawan, the orange cap holder: "We win our third game on the trot, and enjoying the winning streak. From last year's IPL, I've chosen to play aggressive. Whether David (Warner) is here or not, I'll play aggressive. I'm not gonna hold back. Things have been changing for more than year now. Just trying to enjoy the journey, and mistakes are part of the process. I'm a big believer in process so just want to keep everything going as it is."
Yatrik: "This game was lost due to captaincy failure. At first place, there was no need to change successful opening pair. Second, not sending Gill at 3 and Third not trying Mavi in powerplay. An unknown bowler at the start of an inning is always a threat.. This is the lose of Karthik as captain not of KKR!"
Shashwat: "This IPL will surely create a record of similar ppst match presentations- "We were 15 runs short""
Sunrisers need 12 off 10 balls
The allrounder claimed the big wickets of Lynn and Narine, and followed it up with 27 off 21 to fire his side ahead in a small but tight chase
Rohit Sharma is the only captain not to win a toss this IPL, and his team's lost three really close matches this season
Barring a glitch or two, both teams are extremely well balanced, and the quality of resources at their disposal should mean that Eden Gardens is in for a top-notch contest
Kolkata Knight Riders were only in control as long as their spinners were bowling, as Sunrisers dominated the rest of the game to consolidate their position at the top of the table