Following their dominant performance against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) where they limited them to just 103 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) once again displayed their bowling prowess and successfully dismissed Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a mere 111 runs in Mullanpur.
PBKS, a strong batting team, had previously scored 245 runs in their most recent game and quickly reached 39 runs with no loss in just 3.1 overs. Despite their promising start, KKR’s Harshit Rana turned the tide with sharp bouncers and secured three wickets. Newcomer Anrich Nortje also contributed with another wicket, while KKR’s two main spinners each claimed two wickets, ultimately leading to PBKS’ downfall.
KKR’s opening duo, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, once again had a strong start as they faced Vaibhav Arora’s early swing. As the openers confidently hit the pitched-up deliveries for boundaries, the KKR fast bowlers were determined to keep the ball out of their opponents’ half.
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Rana’s three wickets were all taken off the short ball. One handcuffed Arya in the ribs, leading to a catch at backward square leg. Another short and wide ball was hit fiercely by Shreyas Iyer straight to deep point for a duck. Prabhsimran maintained his aggressive approach, but unfortunately fell victim to a catch at point on the final delivery of the powerplay.
KKR’s decision to incorporate more speed into their line-up may have been influenced by the success of PBKS’ Indian batters. This was evident as the Indian batters consistently hit the ball towards deep fielders, while the non-Indian batters failed to deliver for PBKS. Both Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell were unable to read Varun Chakravarthy’s deliveries, resulting in their dismissal – Inglis attempting a slog sweep and Maxwell getting bowled on a defensive shot.
PBKS brought in a batting substitute, Suryansh Shedge, in an SOS move, leaving Maxwell with the task of bowling four overs. However, despite their efforts, wickets continued to fall. Sunil Narine took two wickets in the 11th over – one was delivered by Shedge and the other by Marco Jansen.
Almost as if succumbing to FOMO, Vaibhav Arora returned to dismiss Shashank Singh, the remaining batting piece for PBKS.
