IPL 2012: Kings XI Beat Kolkata Knight Riders By Two Runs

IPL 2012: Kings XI Beat Kolkata Knight Riders By Two Runs

Piyush Chawla took three wickets for the Kings XI Punjab as they beat Kolkata by just two runs

©REUTERS / Action Images

Kings XI Punjab 134-9 (Mandeep Singh 38) beat
Kolkata Knight Riders 132-7 (Das 35no) by 2 runs
Indian Premier League, Kolkata
Scorecard

Kings XI Punjab recorded an Indian Premier League 2012 win by a mere 2 runs over Kolkata Knight Riders at Kolkata.

It was their second consecutive win and marks an upward trend for them, while the Knight Riders disappointed their home fans after being in a winning position at one stage.

The hosts won the toss and elected to field first, and the move paid rich dividends as Sunil Narine scalped a wonderful five for 19 in his four overs. Using the slow wicket at Eden Gardens to a maximum, he first got Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh very cheaply to mess up the start for Kings XI.

From 21 for two, however, they did manage to recover thanks to a 52-run partnership Mandeep Singh and David Hussey for the third wicket. Singh made 38 off 34 balls, with three fours and one six, before Shakib Al Hasan got him out. Hussey was run out for 32 shortly after and it derailed their innings.

Rajat Bhatia and Narine then routed the middle and lower order as Kings XI collapsed from 85 for four in the 15th over to 128 for nine in the 20th, eventually finishing with just 134 runs on the board, Bhatia finishing with 2 for 14 from his four overs.

The last game against Rajasthan Royals had proved to be a tough one to chase down, even with a lower target. But Kolkata didn’t take any chances this time. Or at least they didn’t try to, after Jacques Kallis was dismissed for just one.

Gautam Gambhir, Manvinder Bisla and Manoj Tiwary all crossed the 20-run mark and in the 12th over they were 73 for two before the down curve that lost them the game. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt and leg spinner Piyush Chawla combined to take five wickets between them as they strangled the middle order for runs.

Shakib was out for four and Yusuf Pathan for a duck as Kolkata were reduced to 88 for six in the 15th over. From thereon, Debabrata Das tried for some sort of recovery, top scoring with 35 runs off 23 balls, with three fours and one six.

But he couldn’t guide them home even as nine runs were needed off the last over. Harmeet Singh kept them down to just six. Bhatt took 2 for 24 in his four overs while Chawla finished with 3 for 18.

© Cricket World 2012