Abu Dhabi: Brilliant knock by Shubman Gill not out 70 off 62, Eoin Morgan not out 42 off 29 and Nitish Rana 26 off 13 and fine bowling spell by bowlers helped KKR beat SRH by 7 wickets winning their first IPL match here on Saturday.
Earlier, SRH won the toss and opted to bat first against KKR failing to put up a defendable score against KKR.
SRH openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow gave a decent start for their team adding up 24 runs for the first wicket.
The duo partnership was broken when Pat Cummins scalped wicket of Bairstow in 4th over. First wicket went down at 24. Cummins scored 5 off 10.
After Cummins exit Manish Pandey came in and along with Warner kept the scoreboard running.
Meanwhile, SRH fifty came up in the 9th over after Manish Pandey smashed Kuldeep Yadav for a six.
Warner and Pandey continued the innings as both put 35 runs for second wicket, but it was Varun Chakravarthy who removed crucial wicket of Warner in 10th over who was scoring runs at regular intervals and hitting boundaries.
Warner 36 came in 30 balls with 2 fours and a six. SRH second wicket fell at 59.
SRH 100 came in 16th over. Manish Pandey’s sensible innings paid off as he came with his half century in 17th over.
For the third wicket Saha and Pandey added 62 runs on board, but then in the very next over it was Russell who sent Pandey back to the pavillion. Pandey scored quickfire 51 off 38 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes).
After Pandey’s exit in the same over Saha was dropped at deep backward point by Nagarkoti in Russell’s spell which went for four.
But then Saha was run out in 19.2 overs. Saha 30 off 31 balls (1 four, 1 six). Mohammad Nabi 11 and Abhishek Sharma 2 remained not out.
Manish Pandey was the top scorer for SRH scoring 51 off 38, Warner 36 off 30 and Saha 30 off 31.
Chasing small target KKR lost early wicket of opener Sunil Narine at (0) in 2nd over caught at mid-off by Warner in Ahmed’s spell.
Openers Narine and Shubman Gill just added 6 runs for the first wicket.
After Narine exit Nitish Rana came in and along with Gill took the team score to 37 for the second wicket as duo smashed SRH bowlers for boundaries.
As both were going strong but then Rana became victim of after being caught behind in 5th over by keeper Saha in Natarajan’s spell.
KKR second wicket went down at 43. Rana executed 26 off 13 balls which included 6 fours.
After Rana’s departure skipper Dinesh Karthik came in contributing just 10 runs with Gill for the third wicket, but Karthik innings came end after lbw by Rashid Khan at (0) in 7th over. KKR losing their third wicket at 53.
However, Gill stood firm at the other end with wickets falling at regular intervals playing sensible innings and came with half century knock hitting Natarajan for four in 12.3 over.
After 14 over KKR now needed 41 runs in 36 balls with Gill and Morgan still at the crease inching closer towards victory.
KKR now needed 30 runs in 30 balls. In the 18th over Morgan smashed Natarajan for a six as KKR still 2 runs short in 13 balls but then four by Morgan in the next ball took KKR towards 7 wicket win against SRH.
For KKR wicket-takers were Pat Cummins 1/19 and Varun Chakravarthy 1/25 and Russell 1/16. (UNI)