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Images from the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali on Saturday.
Punjab Kings' costliest recruit Sam Curran dismissed the dangerous Andre Russell at the nick of time to ensure a seven-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders via Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-hit afternoon encounter of Indian Premier League, in Mohali on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 192, KKR were left stranded at 146 for 7 after 16 overs when heavy downpour put spanner on their hardwork. The DLS par score at that time was 153.
Had KKR not lost Russell (35 off 19 balls), who was looking to walk away with the game and then Venkatesh Iyer to Arshdeep Singh in the next over, the par score would have been lower before heavens opened up.
The two wickets in the 15th and 16th over proved to be decisive as KKR needed 46 off 24 balls at that stage with Shardul Thakur (8 not out) and Sunil Narine (7 not out) were at the crease.
Kolkata needed 62 from 32 balls when Curran dismissed an on-song Russell and Arshdeep removed the 'Impact Substitute' Venkatesh Iyer (34) which proved to be turning point. Russell was holed at deep mid-wicket and Iyer was snapped at point.
The burly West Indian Russell had ignited KKR's hopes of a turnaround with three fours and two sixes, while Iyer made the first real impact with in his 28 ball knock that had three fours and a six.
KKR had a poor start as they were reduced to 29/3 inside the first five overs but a 46-run stand for the fourth wicket between Iyer and skipper Nitish Rana (24) brought them back in contest. Then a 50-run partnership between Iyer and Russell put them on course for a possible chase.
But KKR just did not have enough firepower in them on the day and Arshdeep's brilliant figures of 3/19 in 3 overs was a game-changer for the 'Red Devils'.
Arshdeep bowled an eventful second over, striking on the first ball to have Mandeep Singh (2) caught at deep mid-wicket by Curran. After Anukul Roy hit him for a four, the India pacer had the left-handed batter caught at short mid-wicket.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored a fine fifty to help Punjab Kings post a challenging 191 for five against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL in Mohali on Saturday.
Rajapaksa added 86 runs for the second wicket with captain Shikhar Dhawan (40) to lay a strong platform, with Sam Curran (26 not out) providing late flurry on a batting friendly wicket here at the PCA stadium.
Punjab dominated the first half of the innings with aggressive batting and looked primed to cross 200, but Kolkata Knight Riders managed to pull things back in control with regular wickets after a sturdy 86-run association between Rajapaksa and Dhawan.
The left-handed Sri Lankan Rajapaksa made the most of wrong lines bowled to him by KKR bowlers, racing to the first half-century for PBKS in the 16th edition of IPL.
Riding on the momentum provided by Prabhsimran Singh (23) at the top, Rajapaksa ensured Punjab maintained the domination while Dhawan played the second fiddle throughout his stay.
They went about their job with precision to score nearly 10 runs an over, adding 86 runs from just 55 balls for the second wicket.
The Sri Lankan batter toyed with the KKR bowling, finding gaps and clearing the ropes at will and perished only after scoring 50 from 32 balls with five fours and two sixes.
Punjab wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma did well to make a 11-ball 21, hitting a couple of sixes and a four while adding 26 runs for the third wicket with Dhawan. But his charge was cut short by Tim Southee, who got the right-handed batter caught at short third-man by Umesh Yadav.
Sharma's dismissal brought Sikandar Raza at the crease and the Zimbabwean player began his IPL career with a first-ball four. Raza made 16 from 13 balls with a six and a four each.
However, KKR continued to fight back with Varun Chakravarthy surprising Dhawan in the 15th over with a quicker ball, ending his vigil at 29-ball 40 with six fours.
Earlier at the start, Prabhsimran provided fireworks with a brisk 12-ball 23 with two sixes and as many fours, but was strangled down the leg side by Southee and caught behind in the second over.
At the end of powerplay, Punjab had raced to 56 for one to cap off a brisk start.
For KKR, Chakravarthy (4-0-26-1) and Yadav (4-0-27-1) were the pick among the bowlers but the overseas pair of Southee (4-0–54-2) and Narine (4-0-40-1) and India's Shardul Thakur (4-0-43-0) were expensive.