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Images from the IPL 2022 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
Andre Russell's pyrotechnics proved to be too little too late in the end as Gujarat Titans defended a small total to clinch a dramatic eight-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in a thrilling IPL 2022 match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
KKR's top and middle order batters failed miserably in the wake of a clinical bowling display from Gujarat, leaving Russell with a lot to do in the closing stages. The West Indies all-rounder, who earlier took four wickets in the final over, smashed a quickfire 48 from 25 balls to keep KKR's hopes alive but his dismissal in the final over ended their hopes.
Needing 18 from the final over, Russell kept KKR in the hunt as he hit compatriot Alzarri Joseph's first ball for a six. However, the bowler had the last laugh as Russell perished off the second ball, with Lockie Ferguson taking a superb catch under pressure on the fine leg fence to end KKR's hopes.
With six wins from seven games, Gujarat are top of the standings in IPL 2022, while KKR, who slumped to their fourth straight loss, are seventh with six points from eight games.
For Gujarat, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and Yash Dayal took two wickets apiece, while Alzarri Joseph and Lockie Ferguson got one each.
Veteran India pacer Shami wreaked havoc in his first spell of two overs, sending back both the KKR openers Sam Billings (4) and Sunil Narine (5) early.
KKR's decision to promote Billings to open the innings backfired while Narine failed for the second time at the top of the order.
To make matters worse for KKR, Nitish Rana (2) edged a beautiful delivery from Lockie Ferguson to Wriddhiman Saha to continue his poor form in IPL 2022.
Captain Shreyas Iyer, fresh from a fine 85 against Rajasthan Royals, looked in top form with an exquisite six off Ferguson as KKR were reduced to 34/3 at the end of Powerplay.
But, KKR suffered their biggest jolt with Iyer edging an angled delivery from pacer Yash Dayal in the first ball after powerplay, that left them a huge mountain to climb in their run chase.
Russell got a lifeline after he was caught at fine leg but the bowler Dayal had overstepped to concede a no-ball. Russell made the reprieve count with two successive sixes off the same bowler.
KKR knew they were still in the game as long as Russell was out in the middle and the West Indian survived two close calls to keep his side in the hunt only to get dismissed in the last over.
Captain Hardik Pandya's third fifty of the season was the lone saving grace in Gujarat Titans' underwhelming batting show as they scored a below-par 156 for 9 against Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.
The Titans skipper missed the last game as a precautionary measure and looked a bit rusty even as he scored 67 off 49 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.
KKR bowled as many as 43 dot balls and were brilliant at the death as they conceded only 29 runs and took as many as seven wickets in the final five overs. Andre Russell (4/5 in 1 over) got four wickets in the final over as Rinku Singh was a livewire in the field with four catches.
While Shubman Gill (5) was out early as Sam Billings collected a faint tickle down the leg-side off Southee's delivery, Wriddhiman Saha (25 off 25 balls), for the second match in succession, piled on the pressure, consuming too many dot balls.
However, an early breakthrough didn't stop Pandya from playing his natural, aggressive game as there was no marks for guessing as to who dominated their 75-run stand for second wicket stand. David Miller (27 off 20 balls, 2x6), after a match-winning knock against CSK the other night, gave his skipper some support in a 50-run third wicket stand but there wasn't a lot of resistance from other batters.
Pandya started with a square cut off Southee and followed it up with a lofted drive over covers to set the tone.
When Shivam Mavi came into the attack, Pandya used his pace to play the ramp shot for a six and then came the classic cover drive as hardly a fielder moved from their respective positions. However, one that was for the ages was the off-driven six 15 rows into the stands off a Varun Chakravarthy delivery that was pitched on length.
The scratchy Saha did pull Umesh Yadav for a six and a four but wasted a lot of deliveries at the onset which needed to be compensated by Pandya. At the start of the back-10, Saha got desperate and offered a dolly to Venkatesh Iyer at point off Umesh, who came for his second spell.
Pandya hit boundaries but also kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles. He did hamstring in going for a quick single and was dismissed trying to hit his way out of trouble.