Phil Salt’s rapid 89 and three wickets for Mitchell Starc helped Kolkata Knight Riders race to a crushing eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.
Starc’s 3-28 kept Lucknow down to 161-7 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, with the other Knight Riders’ bowlers putting in disciplined performances after their side elected to field first.
The Australian left-arm quick became the most expensive buy in IPL history after Kolkata shelled out $2.98 million for his services.
Opener Salt then steered the two-time IPL winners to their target in 15.4 overs for their fourth victory in five matches this season.
It was the English wicketkeeper-batsman’s second half-century in the current IPL edition after he scored 54 in his team’s opening win last month.
Salt held the chase together despite Kolkata losing two wickets including opener Sunil Narine for six.
He put on 120 runs with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who made 38, smashing 14 fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock.
Players have been jostling to impress their national selectors ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup starting June 1 in the West Indies and the US.
Starc started slowly, leaking 10 runs in his first over, but came back strongly and sent back Deepak Hooda in his third with the help of a diving catch at backward point from Ramandeep Singh.
Mystery spinner Narine choked the flow of runs and returned figures of 1-17 before Starc bowled the 20th over for just six runs and two wickets.
He got the dangerous Nicholas Pooran on the first ball, caught behind for 45, and finished with a yorker to bowl Arshad Khan.
In yesterday’s late game Chennai Super Kings eased to a 20-run victory against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
The visitors were put into bat and were immediately under the cosh as opener Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed by Gerald Coetzee, caught by skipper Hardik Pandya for five.
But Rachin Ravindra (21 off 16) and Ruturaj Gaikwad steadied the ship, taking Chennai to 60 before Ravindra fell to Shreyas Gopal, caught by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. That brought Shivam Dube to the crease and he and Gaikwad took the score to 150 before Gaikwad, who hit five sixes and five fours in his total of 69 off 40, was caught by Mohammad Nabi off Pandya.
Dube finished unbeaten on 66 off 38 balls with 10 fours and two maximums as first Daryl Mitchell (17 runs off 14) and then MS Dhoni (20 off 4, including three sixes) helped to take the total to a commanding 206 for 4 off their 20 overs.
Pandya was the pick of the hosts’ bowlers, finishing with 2-43. Coetzee went for 35 runs off his four overs.
In response, India captain Rohit Sharma made a superb 105 not out off 63 balls with 11 fours and five sixes but it wasn’t enough to get his side across the line. Ishan Kishan started solidly, making 23 off 15, but then Suryakumar Yadav went for a two-ball duck.
Only Tilak Varma (31 off 20) made any contribution after that as Chennai’s Matheesha Pathirana finished with 4-28.
Chennai beat Mumbai by 20 runs – in pictures
Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana, right, celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav in the Indian Premier League game in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14, 2024. AP
Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav. AP
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma hits out. AP
Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana, second from right, celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians’ Ishan Kishan, who made 23 off 15 balls. AP
Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya, right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of his Chennai Super Kings’ Ruturaj Gaikwad. AFP
Chennai Super Kings’ Shivam Dube plays a shot. He ended the game on 66 not out from 38 balls. AP
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma dives to field the ball. AFP
Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a shot on his was to a total of 69 off 40 deliveries. AFP
Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, left, is congratulated by Shivam Dube after scoring a half-century. AFP
Mumbai Indians’ Gerald Coetzee centre, celebrates the wicket of Chennai Super Kings’ Ajinkya Rahane. AP
News Related-
AWS and Clarity AI to use generative AI to boost sustainable investments
-
Ref Watch: 'Enough' of a foul to disallow Man City goal vs Liverpool
-
Day in the Life: Ex-England rugby star on organising this year's Emirates Dubai Sevens
-
Pandya returns to MI, Green goes to RCB
-
Snowstorm kills eight in Ukraine and Moldova, hundreds of towns lose power
-
‘This is why fewer Sikhs visiting gurdwaras abroad’: BJP after Indian envoy heckled in Long Island
-
Inside a Dubai home with upcycled furniture and zero waste
-
Captain Turner aims for Pitch 1 return as JESS bid to retain Dubai Sevens U19 crown
-
No Antoine Dupont but Dubai still set to launch new era for sevens
-
Why ESG investors are concerned about AI
-
Your campsite can harm the environment
-
Mubadala, Saudi Fund deals on US radar for potential China angle
-
Abu Dhabi T10 season seven to kick off with thrilling double-header
-
Eight climate fiction, or cli-fi, books to consider before Cop28