During the 33rd match of the 11th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Kolkata, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets as they moved up to the third position in the points table.
After Dinesh Karthik put the visitors in to bat, Chennai Super Kings scored 177-5 in their allotted quota of 20 overs. Their innings was powered by starts from four of their batsmen. Had even one of them went on to play substantial innings, they would have registered a match-winning total.
Now, we will look at the hits and flops players in this match.
Hits
MS Dhoni (CSK) – Coming in to bat at No. 5 in the 12th over, MS Dhoni played another innings of consequence, an innings which aided his team to finish the innings on a high note. He took his time before shifting gears, targeting right bowlers at the right time. He ended up scoring 43* (25) with the help of one four and four sixes.
Sunil Narine (KKR) – Adjourned as the ‘Man of the Match’, Sunil Narine stood up with his dual abilities to showcase an impressive display of being an all-rounder. He registered bowling figures of 4-0-20-2, taking up the wickets of Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu. Opening the batting with Sunil Narine, he ended up scoring an effective 32 (20) with the help of four fours and two sixes.
Shubman Gill (KKR) – Shubman Gill undoubtedly ended up as the man who impressed each and everyone with his unbeaten knock, sealing the chase for his team. Coming in to bat at No. 4 in the fifth over, he ended up scoring his maiden IPL half-century, 57* (36), with the help of six fours and two sixes.
Flops
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK) – It was one of those matches where Ravindra Jadeja failed to perform in any of the three departments of the game. Coming in to bat at No. 6 in the 16th over, he ended up scoring an uninspiring 12 (12) with the help of one four. In the five overs of the powerplay, one certainly expects better from him. On the field, Jadeja dropped two catches of Sunil Narine in the same over. With the ball in hand, Jadeja registered below par bowling figures of 4-0-39-1.
Mitchell Johnson (KKR) – Opening the bowling for the Knight Riders, Mitchell Johnson ended up registering bowling figures of 4-0-51-0. With someone as senior as him in the team, one expects him to lead the attack from the front.
Lungi Ngidi (CSK) – Opening the bowling for Chennai Super Kings, Lungi Ngidi leaked runs throughout his spell. He dismissed Chris Lynn in the first over itself, but nothing before and after that saw him returning with figures of 3-0-36-1.
