IPL 2018: Credit to Kolkata for Dragging us Back - Kane Williamson

Kolkata Knight Riders qualified for the playoffs after registering a five-wicket victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 54^th match of Vivo IPLL 11.

Courtesy a brilliant bowling performance by Prasid Krishna, Kolkata managed to restrict Hyderabad to 172 which proved to be quite less in the end. Kolkata chased down the total with utmost comfort in the end. Chris Lynn scored 55 and was instrumental in helping KKR chase down the total in the final over.

Hyderabad got off to a pretty steady start, courtesy of a brilliant start from their openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami. The wicket-keeper batsman got elevated up the order, and the southpaw impressed all and sundry with his impressive knock of 35 off 26 deliveries which included four fours and a six.

On the other hand, Dhawan was at his imperious best and ended up scoring yet another half-century.

Goswami was the first man who got dismissed after a partnership of 79 runs. Skipper Kane Williamson continued his exceptional form and scored a quickfire 36 off 17 deliveries which studded with four and three six. Williamson after a sensational innings was dismissed by Javon Searles, as he attempted to for the big shots.

The Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers made a sensational comeback in the last few overs and restricted the Hyderabad batsmen to a moderate total of 172 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Prasid Krishna was at his best and ended up bagging his best IPL figures in the tournament. He finished with impressive figures of 4/30 in their allotted four overs.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Match 54 – Kolkata Knight Riders Beats Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 Wickets

It was some brilliant bowling by Kolkata, and eventually, the score of 172 proved to be less for Hyderabad. Dhawan eventually scored 50 off 39 deliveries which included five fours and a solitary six. Kolkata needed to get off to a brilliant start, and the opening duo of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine got them off to the perfect start.

Narine struck some exceptional shots in the 2^nd over which got KKR off to 30 in the first couple of overs. Lynn, on the other hand, also struck some lusty blows which helped KKR get off to a sensational start. Narine was dismissed in the 4^th over. However, by then KKR had got off to the start which the doctor ordered.

Robin Uthappa also played a brilliant knock of 45 runs and the partnership with Lynn got Kolkata within touching distance of the target. Eventually, KKR reached the target of 173 runs in the final over which helped them qualify for the playoffs. Lynn ended up, as the top scorer of Kolkata scoring 55 off 43 deliveries.

Here is what losing skipper Kane Williamson said at the post-match presentation,

“We were on target for more runs; wicket played really well. We should have scored around 200 run mark, but credit goes to KKR for dragging us back. A lot of credit goes to the boys in the field. It doesn’t matter what happens now; we need to come out and play with freedom in playoffs. Guys are looking forward to that but having said that we wanted to win this game.

We have been a fraction off the mark in the matches we have lost.. I think with the bat we should have got more, we needed one more partnership, but they bowled well in the death. If the batting comes off, we will get more with the bat. We have adapted really well to the new surfaces. There are positives even in the losses too. There are not a lot of bad stuff just a few adjustments.”

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