Sharjah: Fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a horror on Monday as Kings XI Punjab bowlers tore apart their batting line-up at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Put to bat first, KKR were reduced to 10 for 3 within two overs and finally restricted to 149 for 9 in 20 overs. Seven of KKR batsmen, who were dismissed, couldn't reach double-figure today. Mohammed Shami picked up three wickets for 35 runs in four overs.
Glenn Maxwell, who so far couldn't add a teeth to KXIP team, was surprisingly handed the new ball. He didn't disappoint his skipper KL Rahul. In his second delivery, match's first over, Maxwell bowled a slower drifting down leg. Rana was looking to gets in its way, but couldn't go anywhere and ended up giving a top-edge which was caught by Chris Gayle at the short fine leg.
In the second over, Rahul brought in quick Mohammed Shami. This time the India international rattled Rahul Tripathi and Dinesh Karthik with a seaming away delivery that pitched outside off. Both of them gave an edge and caught behind by wicket-keeper Rahul in a span of a delivery.
A nightmarish start followed an 81-run fantastic partnership between opener Shubman Gill (57 off 45) and Eoin Morgan (40 off 25). This partnership helped KKR made a superb recovery scoring 101 in 11 overs after Rana and Karthik got out for a duck each.
However, Eoin Morgan's removal by Ravi Bishnoi in the tenth over left KKR in tatter. Their middle-order crumbled as Sunil Narine (6), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (6) and Pat Cummins (1) fell in quick succession.
This time Bishnoi (2 wickets), Chris Jordan (2 wickets) and Murugan Ashwin (1 wicket) wreaked havoc on KKR lower order to restrict to them 149 for 9 in 20 overs. As the middle order failed, Lockie Ferguson's unbeaten 24 off 13 balls helped KKR set a moderate 150 runs target for KXIP.
