This story is from April 19, 2016

IPL 2016: Spinners, Uthappa set up facile win for KKR

Spin trio of Shaikb Al Hasan (4-0-28-0), Sunil Narine (4-0-22-2) and Piyush Chawla (3-0-18-1) helped KKR restrict KXIP to 138/8, before Robin Uthappa lead the run chase with his 15th IPL fifty to set up a six-wicket win for KKR.
IPL 2016: Spinners, Uthappa set up facile win for KKR
Key Highlights
  • Robin Uthappa scored his 15th IPL fifty to help KKR beat KXIP by six wickets
  • Spin trio of Shaikb (4-0-28-0), Narine (4-0-22-2) and Chawla (3-0-18-1) restricted KXIP to 138
  • For KXIP, Shaun Marsh scored an unbeaten 56
A slow track, spinners weaving a web around batsmen and an opener scoring a quickfire fifty - in contrast to the general pace of the proceedings - and two points in the bag. This has been an archetypical winning formula for Kolkata Knight Riders over the years in IPL and Tuesday was no different as the two-time IPL champions banished a lacklustre Kings XI Punjab by six wickets, chasing down 138 with 17 balls to spare in Match 13 of the 2016 IPL at the PCA Stadium, Mohali.

The Mohali track is generally known to be a pitch with good bounce and swing that assists pacers, but after a long domestic season, India’s jam-packed international schedule and World T20, the subsequent wear and tear had stripped PCA Stadium of its general feel and look. And there is no team in the IPL that could exploit such conditions better than KKR.
Spin trio of Shaikb Al Hasan (4-0-28-0), Sunil Narine (4-0-22-2) and Piyush Chawla (3-0-18-1) strangled KXIP middle-order, barring Shaun Marsh (56*), before Robin Uthappa and skipper Gautam Gambhir got KKR to a solid start with an 82-run opening stand in just 8.3 overs. KKR overcame a slight hiccup in the middle – when they lost Uthappa and Gambhir in the space of three overs – to register their third win in four matches.
KXIP’s morale, that got a boost with a win over Rising Pune Supergiants, would have taken a big hit after this lustreless performance that took their record this season to three losses in four games so far.
With Narine, Chawla, Shakib and sluggish pitch at Gambhir’s disposal, the only other thing that had to go his way was the toss of the coin. Gambhir won it and had no hesitation to invite KXIP to bat. Manan Vohra and Murali Vijay had dazzled their way to fifties in their previous game on the ground but they found the going tough early on. Vohra was put out of his misery by Morne Morkel in the fourth over when the Punjab batsman was holed out to Shakib at deep square leg. Vijay and Marsh tried to steady the KXIP innings, but with spinners exploiting the slow nature of the track, they failed to break the shackles. Vijay (26) perished in the eighth over to Chawla, followed soon by Wriddiman Saha (8).

Marsh would have hoped his KXIP skipper David Miller (6) would be with him longer than six balls, but the South African’s poor run of form with the bat continued as he edged one to wicketkeeper Uthappa off Yusuf Pathan. Maxwell entertained with a reverse hit to the fence, but was caught attempting the same shot in the 15th over and departed for four.
Despite losing partners at the other end at regular intervals, Marsh kept his calm to reach yet another fifty. The only bright spot in KXIP’s innings was the last over when Marsh and Abbott hit one six each taking 18 runs off the over.
In chase of 138, Uthappa started off with couple of boundaries of Sandeep Sharma, punishing the young pacer for straying in line. Uthappa creamed deliveries that was pitched up and was at ease dealing with short of length balls, giving an impression that he was batting on a very different track than the one KXIP batsmen struggled to get going.
Gambhir played second fiddle for major part of the innings, and Uthappa played the aggressor to perfection with KKR reaching their fifty in just 4.4 overs. With the help of nine boundaries, Uthappa compiled his 15th IPL fifty, but perished in the eighth over to Pardeep Sahu.
Gambhir departed soon after, scoring run-a-ball 34. KXIP might have sniffed at a comeback when KKR run-rate dipped and they lost Manish Pandey (12) and Shakib (11), but Suryakumar Yadav (11*) and Pathan (12*) ensured KKR crossed the line with 17 balls to spare.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 141/4 (Uthappa 53, Gambhir 34; Sahu 2/18) beat Kings XI Punjab 138/8 (Marsh 56, Vijay 26; Narine 2/22) by six wickets
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