DLF IPL 2012
Spin wins it for KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders played three spinners for the first time in this year’s IPL against Mumbai Indians last night and the decision paid rich dividends as the visitors successfully defended a paltry total of 140.
The three spinners, Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Iqbal Abdullah stifled the Mumbai run chase to bowl them out for 108 in 19.1 overs, winning the match by 32 runs and bagging three valuable points.
Shakib, who was unlucky not to have Sachin Tendulkar out for naught, later accounted for Ambati Rayudu and returned figures of 1 for 25. Iqbal gave away 22 for the wicket of Herschelle Gibbs. But the hero of the night was mystery spinner Narine who took four important wickets for 15 runs to thwart the Mumbai innings.
The spinners were well supported by the two pacers, Jacques Kallis and Laxmipathi, who took two wickets each. The Mumbai innings never gathered pace and lost wickets at regular intervals, with Tendulkar scoring highest 27 and Karthik following with 20.
Earlier, Rudra Pratap Singh bagged two wickets in as many balls in his first over as to restrict Kolkata’s innings to 140 for seven, which at that time, looked like a modest total.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir made 27 off 23 while Manoj Tiwary scored an attractive 41 off 43 balls and Shakib scoring 13. Yusuf Pathan scored an unbeaten 21 to give Kolkata bowlers the chance to exploit the Wankhede pitch.
SCORES IN BRIEF
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS: 140 for 7 (Gambhir 27, Tiwary 41, Shakib 13; Singh 2-33).
MUMBAI INDIANS: 108 all out in 19.1 overs (Tendulkar 27, Karthik 20; Narine 4-15, Shakib 1-25).
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders won by
32 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Sunil Narine.
-With The Daily Star input