IPL 2017, RCB vs KKR: Sunil Narine's blitz is the SK Play of the Day
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s horrendous season continued as they were thrashed by the Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets at the Chinnaswamy stadium. The performance of the Bangalore franchise has been dismal throughout the tournament and it was no different when they played host to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Electing to field first after winning the toss, Gautam Gambhir, the skipper of the Knight Riders believed that his side could chase down any total with the depth in their batting department. The move proved to be a masterstroke as the disciplined bowling unit for the Knight Riders restricted the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a below par score of 158 runs.
The visitors made a dream start to the match as they snared the wicket of the charismatic Chris Gayle in the very first ball of the match. The home team were jolted a couple of overs later as they lost their skipper Virat Kohli cheaply, courtesy a brilliant slower delivery from Umesh Yadav. Just as they were trying to recover from their early jitters, AB de Villiers was dismissed for 10 runs.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017, RCB vs KKR: Umesh Yadav deceives Virat Kohli with a slower delivery
The star-studded batting line-up was dented early in the innings as they lost their three big wickets within the powerplay and it was all upto Mandeep Singh and Travis Head to stabilise the sinking ship and help them reach a respectable first innings total.
The duo did not disappoint as they stitched together a crucial 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket to lay a strong foundation for a late assault in the death overs. The Australian smashed Umesh Yadav for 21 runs in the last over of the innings to give his side much-needed impetus going in the second innings.
The southpaw top-scored for the home team with an unbeaten 75 off 47 deliveries and ensured the Challengers reach a decent total of 158 runs.
The chase
The Knight Riders have set the trend of going hard at the opposition bowlers in the first six overs and they continued with the same strategy in this crucial encounter. The opening combination of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine went hammer and tongs at the opposition bowlers to make the best use of the field restrictions.
The mystery spinner is known for his bowling credentials but has surprised everybody with his performance at the top of the order with the bat.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017, KKR vs RCB: Sunil Narine-Chris Lynn show at the top is the SK Turning Point
It was an exemplary masterclass of batting displayed by the duo as they went about smashing the bowling unit of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their vital 105-run opening stand. In the fifth over of the run chase, Narine accounted for 26 runs off the left-arm seamer Sreenath Aravind and this sublime hitting is the SK Play of the Day.
This is how it transpired
First ball: Two runs – The ball pitched outside off stump and Narine fails to get the middle of the bat and managed to chip it over the cover fielder.
Second ball: Four – Good length ball outside the off stump, Narine clears his front leg to smack it over mid off.
Third ball: Four – Short of length ball outside off stump, Narine attempts the flat batted pull over mid off and collects a boundary.
Fourth ball: Four – Full toss on middle stump and the West Indian slogs it over midwicket.
Fifth ball: Six – Good length ball on off stump and Narine hits it over long on. The fastest fifty of the Indian Premier League.
Sixth Ball: Four – Full toss outside off stump and the left-handers lifts it over covers.
In the context of the game
The opening partnership of 105 runs was the turning point of the match as they took the game away from the opposition in the initial phase of the run chase. A whirlwind innings of 54 runs from Sunil Narine ensured that the Knight Riders do not face any hiccups in chasing down the target.
The blitz at the top of the order set a strong foundation for Gautam Gambhir and his team in this crucial match as they got back to winning ways to improve their chances of sealing a place in the playoffs.
The Knight Riders were jolted in their campaign with two consecutive defeats and would be happy with the clinical performance of their side to get over the line. The management would also be relieved with the comeback of Chris Lynn, post his shoulder injury, as he scored an explosive half century in 22 deliveries to set the match in favour of the Knight Riders.