Yesterday IPL match result: Finn Allen blitz, Sunil Narine magic keep KKR playoff hopes alive

KOLKATA: The New Zealand batter’s breezy 93 off just 35 balls helped Kolkata Knight Riders stay alive in this IPL by recording a 29-run victory at the Eden Gardens against Gujarat Titans here on Saturday. They jumped one spot to seventh with 11 points from 12 games. GT, who suffered their first defeat after five wins, were left waiting for a playoff spot with one match to go. The opener brought back memories of his belligerent knock where he smashed the fastest century in T20 World Cup history in the semis against South Africa off just 33 balls at this same venue in March.

Allen fell short of his second ton of this season, but helped KKR put up 247 for two, their highest total in this IPL, after being asked to bat first on losing the toss against GT. GT’s inform openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill raced to 42 off the first three overs while chasing the target, but their stand ended a little painfully when Sudharsan retired hurt after suffering a blow to the elbow off a delivery from pacer Kartik Tyagi.

Gill played another classic knock, finding boundaries without playing too many risky shots before falling to KKR’s most successful bowler of the evening, Sunil Narine, for 85 that came off 49 balls. Jos Buttler did give his skipper able support, but could not take the side home as GT finished at 218 for four. Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, playing his first match for KKR, came in as an impact player, bowled just eight deliveries before walking out sustaining a calf injury.

Earlier, KKR made GT pay for some sloppy fielding after losing skipper Ajinkya Rahane (14), who became Mohammed Siraj’s 200th T20 victim. Allen, too, could have departed for 14 had Jason Holder managed to hold on to a tough chance at cover. The right-handed batter, however, got an easy life again at 33, when Siraj dropped a sitter at long on off Holder.

However, the 27-year-old was unperturbed and continued to play his shots. Allen greeted Rashid Khan with consecutive sixes and a four to reach his 50 off 21 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes. He added two more sixes off Holder’s next over to help KKR reach 100 in nine overs.

The 95-run second-wicket stand between Allen and Angkrish Raghuvanshi finally came to an end when Allen played a lofted shot off Sai Kishore to be caught by Rashid at the mid-wicket boundary. The opener hit four boundaries and 10 sixes. Cameron Green too got a life when Arshad dropped him at 33 off Rashid. The Australian also got a 50 off 26 deliveries.

Raghuvanshi was dropped by Washington Sundar on 52 and ended up remaining unbeaten on 82 off 44 balls.