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IPL PHOTOS: KKR inch closer to play-offs
Kolkata Knight Riders produced a fine all-round performance to thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets on Sunday and inch closer to play-offs in the seventh season of the Indian Premier League.
After restricting Hyderabad to 142 for 8, Kolkata Kinght Riders rode on a 28-ball unbeaten 39 from Yusuf Pathan as the visitors knocked off the runs with two balls to spare.
Earlier, Umesh Yadav bowled a lively spell as none of the Sunrisers batsmen carried their starts and converted them into big ones.
Yadav claimed the wickets of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn to finish with figures of 3-26 from his four overs.
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Sunrisers lose Finch early
Sunrisers after winning the toss, elected to bat first. Lead by Darren Sammy for the first time in the tournament, they got off a decent start.
Shikhar Dhawan was the first one to hit the boundary boards, crashing one through the off side off Morne Morkel.
Aaron Finch did manage to get a streaky boundary, but was back in the hut next ball, playing the same shot.
Finch went in for a drive, which caught the outside edge of the batsman, and was caught brilliantly by Morkel at third man.
Dhawan did show glimpses of his form, but threw his wicket away after he skied one off Sunil Narine.
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Rahul, Warner combine well
Naman Ojha, fresh from his 79 against Kings XI, started off with promise, hitting an effortless boundary towards fine-leg.
He then latched on to a half-volley from Ryan ten Doeschate and dismissed it into the crowd.
Shakib al Hasan too was sent over his head for a maximum. But the Bangladeshi all-rounder had the last laugh as he dismissed Ojha in the same over.
Ojha, looking to cut one, was caught by Yusuf Pathan at point.
David Warner looked aggressive right from the onset. He hit Sunil Narine over midwicket for a massive six.
He then slapped Morkel for consecutive boundaries. KL Rahul, who came in after Ojha’s wicket, looked good for a brief while, but was dismissed by Piyush Chawla for 14.
Warner too lost his way in search of some quick runs as he hit one straight to Yusuf at midwicket.
Sunrisers' innings lost way as the batsmen struggled to get the boundaries required to up the ante in the final overs.
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Steyn removes Gambhir early
Gautam Gambhir’s form continues to play hide and seek.
After a decent knock in the previous game, he was on his way back after being adjudged caught behind off Dale Steyn.
Replays show that there as a bit of gap between bat and ball as the ball seemed to have swung after it went past the stumps.
Gambhir, upset, was back in the hut for 4.
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Uthappa, Pandey revive KKR chase
Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, both have been in good form for KKR.
Uthappa smashed Steyn out of the park with a flick down the leg side.
The right-hander then attacked Amit Mishra, sending him over extra-cover for a boundary.
Uthappa, however, was dismissed against the run of play, run-out for 40.
He hit one to short fine leg, and took off but had to turn half way.
The wicketkeeper-batsman would have been in had the bat not slipped from his hand.
Pandey then tore into Mishra smashing him for a six and couple of boundaries.
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Pathan sees off the chase
Yusuf Pathan then played himself him and anchored the chase.
Pandey, who was looking good, threw his wicket away as he hit one straight to Aaron Finch off Karn Sharma.
Ryan ten Doeschate kept a cool head attacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar with a six and boundary as KKR sealed off the game with two balls to spare.