AHMEDABAD: The Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday thrashed Rahul Tripathi (41) and skipper Avon Morgan (47 not out) after the excellent performance of their bowlers in the first match of the IPL at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Monday. Kings easily defeated by five wickets. Kolkata held Punjab to a modest score of 123 for nine and then scored 126 for five in 16.4 overs to take an easy victory. This is Kolkata's second win in six matches while Punjab's fourth defeat in six matches.
Kolkata lost three wickets in the first three overs in pursuit of the target. Henriques had already caught Nitish Rana at the hands of Shah Rukh Khan in the over without giving him a chance to open his account. In the next over, Mohammad Shami LBWed Shabhman Gul. Gul scored nine runs off eight balls with the help of two fours. Arash Deep Singh caught Sunil Narine by Ravi Bishnoi on the last ball of the third over of the innings. Kolkata's three wickets fell for just 17 runs, but Rahul Tripathi and Morgan put on a crucial 66-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, on a total score of 83, Rahul Tripathi caught Shah Rukh Khan off Deepak Hooda near the boundary. Rahul hit seven fours in 41 off 32 balls.
After that, Andre Russell, who came on the field, led the innings with Morgan, but Russell was run out on a direct throw by Arsh Deep Singh on the team's score of 98. Russell scored 10 off nine balls with the help of two fours. Dinesh Karthik, who landed on the ground, then scored 12 off six balls with the help of two fours. Karthik scored the winning four for the team. Captain Morgan played an innings of 47 off 40 balls.
Earlier, Kolkata won the toss and elected to field first. Kolkata Knight Riders held Punjab Kings to a modest score of 123 for nine. Punjab captain Lokesh Rahul scored 19 runs and was dismissed for 36. After that Chris Gayle made a run at zero and Deepak Hooda returned to the pavilion. Opener Manek Agarwal scored 31 off 34 balls with the help of a four and two sixes and the team's score reached 60 runs were out.
Henriques was bowled for two by Sunil Narine. Nicholas Pooran scored 19 off 19 balls with the help of a four and a six. Shah Rukh Khan was dismissed for 13 off 14 balls. Chris Jordan hit two sixes off Prasad Krishna's first three balls in the last over of the innings, but then bowled the fourth ball. Chris Jordan hit a four and three sixes in 30 runs off 18 balls.
Punjab Kings scored 123 runs in the innings. For Kolkata, Prasad Krishna took three for 30, Pat Cummins two for 31 and Sunil Narine two for 22.
