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Gilchrist, Mandeep give Punjab good start
Manvinder Bisla scored an unbeaten 51 to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a six-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab in the IPL match in Kolkata on Friday.
Chasing 150 for victory, the home side achieved the target in 18.2 overs. Eoin Morgan (42) also played a leading hand in the victory.
Earlier, Kings XI won the toss and elected to bat first at the Eden Gardens.
Openers Adam Gilchrist and Mandeep Singh got Punjab off to a good start, putting on 45 runs in six overs.
Kallis breaks fine opening stand
Jacques Kallis ended the opening wicket partnership with the first delivery of the seventh over, dismissing Mandeep.
The batsman whipped the ball through mid-wicket, where Eoin Morgan, inside the circle, took a good catch.
Mandeep scored 25 off 20 ball, including five fours.
Bhatia stops Gilchrist
Just when Adam Gilchrist was looking good, he went for big hit off Rajat Bhatia and was caught by Morgan at deep mid-wicket in the tenth over.
The opener scored 27 off as many balls, including 4 fours.
Miller deceived by Ladda's turn
Sarabjeet Ladda bowled the 15th over and David Miller stepped out of the crease and hit his second delivery for a huge six.
However, two balls later the spinner has his revenge, rattling Miller's stumps.
Miller was out for 10 and Punjab were reduced to 120 for four after 16 overs.
Gurkeerat ensures Punjab a fighting total
After the exit of David Hussey (21 off 20), it was left to Gurkeerat Singh to swell the Punjab total.
He did it with elan, scoring 15-ball unbeaten 28 that was studded with two boundaries and an equal number of sixes that took the team to a fighting total.
Azhar Mahmood strikes
Gautam Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla opened the batting for Kolkata while Praveen Kumar, as expected, was handed the new ball.
The KKR captain got a boundary off the third and sixth deliveries. However, Azhar Mahmood, who bowled the second over, struck with his second delivery after Mandeep Singh put down an easy chance off his first.
Mahmood sent the second ball crashing into Gambhir's stumps.
Mahmood makes it two in two with Yusuf Pathan's wicket
Yusuf Pathan was promoted up the order, but he failed, out first ball.
Mahmood induced him with an outswinger and Adam Gilchrist dived to his right to pull off a great catch.
Kokata had lost two wickets in 1.3 overs.
Harmeet Singh stops Kallis
Harmeet Singh was introduced in the 11th over, replacing Piyush Chawla, and he struck with his fourth delivery to send back Jacques Kallis.
The South African batsman had scored 37 off 33 deliveries before he nicked one to Gilchrist behind.
He put on 66 runs (in 55 balls) for the third wicket with Bisla.
Eoin Morgan's 42 sealed it for KKR
Eoin Morgan came in at a time when Kolkata had lost the vital wicket of Jacques Kallis.
However, the Irishman scored 42 off just 26 balls to turn the match in the home team's favour.
His knock was inclusive of four huge sixes, the last two of them leaving KKR with just two runs to get.
Bisla remained unbeaten on 51
Manvinder Bisla was lucky early on in his innings as Mandeep Singh put him down off Azhar Mahmood.
The right-hander made the most of the opportunity, scoring a 44-ball 51 not out, his third IPL fifty, and staying till the very end.
In the final analysis, Mandeep's blemish cost Punjab dear.