IPL 2021 Match 21: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Punjab Kings by 5 wickets — As it happened
Morgan and Tripathi steer Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over Punjab Kings
Kolkata trounce Punjab by five wickets
Skipper Eoin Morgan (47 not out) and Rahul Tripathi (35) strung together a 66-run partnership to help the Kolkata Knight Riders score a five-wicket win over the Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad tonight.
The change of venue has brought about a change in the fortunes of KKR. This is their second victory in six games, one that lifted them from the basement to the fifth spot on the table.
Electing to bowl first, KKR bowlers put on a disciplined performance to restrict the Punjab Kings to 123/9. After Punjab reached a tepid 36, skipper K.L. Rahul fell in the sixth over. A steady procession of batsmen followed as KKR bowlers tightened the screws. If it were not for Chris Jordan’s big-hitting at the end, Punjab would have been worse off.
A target of 124 was well within the grasp of KKR, but there were early scares as they lost three quick wickets. But Morgan and Tripathi ensured there were no more alarms.
KKR bowlers restrict Punjab to 123
The change of venue seems to have suited the Kolkata Knight Riders well. Eoin Morgan’s side put on a fine bowling performance to restrict the Punjab Kings to 123/9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad tonight.
Put into bat, Punjab made a tepid 36 before skipper K.L. Rahul fell in the sixth over. After that, there was a steady procession of batsmen as KKR bowlers tightened the screws. If it were not for Chris Jordan’s big-hitting at the end, Punjab would have been worse off.
A target of 124 is well within the grasp of Kolkata unless they botch it.
The Kolkata Knight Riders are desperate to lift themselves from the basement of the Indian Premier League 2021 table. Today, they come against the Punjab Kings, who have their tails up after trouncing five-time champions Mumbai Indians. That makes for an exciting encounter in Ahmedabad.
After four defeats from five matches, KKR need to get their act together. Their approach is rather confusing. Initially, they adopted England’s tactics of attacking batting from the start. Not surprising since Eoin Morgan leads them. But in the last match, they struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Morgan’s KKR have an abundance of batting talent, but there’s a lack of clarity in the approach. They need to fix it fast to turn their campaign around. And that has to start with this match.
K.L. Rahul’s PBKS are eyeing a playoff slot. They have put behind them three losses in a row and are more or less a settled combination. The batting is more assured, but the bowling might need some tweaks. More so, since the action has shifted to Ahmedabad. On current form, Punjab should win. But don’t write off Kolkata. They are wounded tigers