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Led by Sunil Narine's explosive half-century, the Kolkata Knight Riders took apart Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs in the IPL 2024 match on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Narine dominated proceedings as he took the LSG bowlers to the cleaners, while opening partner Phil Salt and Ramandeep Singh played useful cameos.
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Sunil Narine
KKR's decision to get Narine back as the opener has been instrumental in their consistent run this season.
With Narine opening with Phil Salt, KKR have dominated with the bat from the word go. The two dashing openers have put on 50-plus partnerships six times in IPL 2024 -- the most by any opening duo this season.
Narine's career has got a new lease of life with his stupendous batting performances this season. He has proved to be unstoppable, blazing his way to 461 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 183, with a century and three fifties.
He took a few balls to get going against LSG. With Salt going on the offensive in the first couple of overs, Narine didn't need to rush. But it was not long before he joined the party.
After scoring two from the first five balls he faced Narine broke free as he hit Naveen-ul-Haq for successive boundaries in the third over.
Mohsin Khan came under attack in the following over. Narine clubbed the left-arm pacer for three boundaries in a row followed by a six off the last ball to get 20 from the over.
LSG's bowlers tried everything at Narine -- slower bouncers, slower full deliveries bowled wide, quick bouncers at the body with a leg side field, length ball outside the off-stump with fielders in place, but nothing could stop the West Indian.
He made sure that the boundaries flowed regularly in the middle overs to ensure KKR never lost the momentum after the quickfire start.
Narine heaved Krunal Pandya for a six over midwicket and then pulled pacer Yash Thakur for another maximum over the leg side as KKR raced past 100, in the ninth over.
It was not all about brute force for Narine as he played a cute shot -- the late cut, using the pace of spinner Ravi Bishnoi for a four fine on the off-side to bring up his fifty from 27 balls.
Marcus Stoinis was taken apart as Narine hammered him for three successive sixes in his second over, all of them hit over the leg side, in the 11th over. He got two lifelines when he was dropped twice off Bishnoi, before he finally perished to the leggie after hitting a quickfire 81 from 39 balls, inclusive of seven sixes and six fours.
Courtesy of Narine's blistering knock, KKR posted a huge 235/6 -- the sixth time they had gone past 200 in IPL 2024. This is also the highest team total scored by any team against LSG.
Phil Salt
The decision to replace Jason Roy with Salt proved to be a blessing in disguise for KKR.
Salt has formed a lethal opening partnership with Narine with the duo taking apart every bowling attack that has come their way.
Playing in his second IPL season, Salt 27, has left quite an impact with the bat along with reliability with the gloves.
The English right-hander has scored 429 runs in 11 matches with four fifties, but those runs have come at an amazing strike rate of 183.
Against LSG, it was Salt who gave KKR the early impetus with two boundaries off Marcus Stoinis in the opening over before carting Mohsin Khan for a six over square in the following over.
Naveen-ul-Haq's wayward start was punished by Salt, who hit a boundary through square leg and covers off successive deliveries in the third over.
Courtesy of Salt and Narine, KKR raced past 50 in the fourth over. Salt perished after a quickfire 32 from 14 balls, when he edged the slower ball from Naveen and was caught behind.
Ramandeep Singh
Ramandeep Singh is making heads turn with his big-htting ability for KKR.
The all-rounder left LSG stunned with his late assault in the final two overs. The Punjab right-hander smashed pacer Yudhvir Singh's length ball over midwicket for a six before smashing the last ball of the penultimate over for another six, over long-on.
He ended the innings in smashing fashion, hitting Yash Thakur's last two balls of the final over for a boundary and a six.
Ramandeep finished unbeaten on an entertaining cameo of 25 from six balls, including three sixes and a four, as his late blast helped KKR push their total above 230.
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Photographs: BCCI