Kolkata through to IPL playoffs, Bangalore knocked out

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IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chris Lynn

HYDERABAD: Kolkata Knight Riders qualified for the Indian Premier League playoffs after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets and Rajasthan Royals ruined Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bid in a 30-run victory on Saturday.

Kolkata came back strongly through seamer Prasidh Krishna’s 4-30 — including three wickets in the last over — to contain Hyderabad to a competitive 172-9. Then Chris Lynn hit a composed 55 off 43 balls and Robin Uthappa scored 45 as Kolkata cruised to 173-5 with two balls to spare.

Kolkata finished the round robin third behind top qualifiers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings.

Rajasthan kept alive its playoff hopes.

Bangalore needed a win but fell to an eighth defeat in 14 games.

The defending champion Mumbai Indians will be favored on Sunday to overtake Rajasthan for the fourth and last playoff spot when they face last-placed Delhi Daredevils. Already-qualified Chennai faces trying-to-qualify Kings XI Punjab on Sunday also.

Shikhar Dhawan (50) and Shreevats Goswami (35) gave Hyderabad a brisk start of 79 off 52 balls and captain Kane Williamson missed out on his ninth half-century in the tournament in a cameo of 36 off 17 balls.

Hyderabad was well placed for a big total at 127-1 in the 13th over before Williamson was caught at deep point and the middle order collapsed.

Prasidh trapped Dhawan in the 16th over and despite putting up its highest total at home this season, Hyderabad lost five wickets in the last two overs.

Lynn and Sunil Narine gave Kolkata a flying start of 52 runs off 22 deliveries before Narine (29) was dismissed after hitting four boundaries and two sixes.

Lynn then featured in another half-century stand with Uthappa before the Australian holed out at long off in the 14th over.

Uthappa missed his fifty when he top-edged Carlos Brathwaite, but captain Dinesh Karthik eased Kolkata to victory.

At Japiur, legspinner Shreyas Gopal mopped up Bangalore’s top order with 4-16 as Virat Kohli’s side was bowled out for 134 in 19.2 overs, losing its last nine wickets for only 59 runs.

Rahul Tripathi scored a 58-ball 80 not out while opening for Rajasthan, filling the shoes of Jos Buttler, who returned to England for the first test against Pakistan.

He had help from captain Ajinkya Rahane (33) and Heinrich Klaasen (32), playing his third match of the season, who lifted Rajasthan’s total to 164-5.

It proved more than enough.

Offspinner Krishnappa Gowtham (1-6) bowled intelligently with the new ball and clean-bowled Kohli in his second over. AB de Villiers (53 from 35) and Parthiv Patel (33) put the chase back on track.

But Shreyas hurt Bangalore badly when he broke the half-century stand by having Patel stumped and then caught Moeen Ali off his own bowling in the ninth over.

And when de Villiers was also stumped by Klaasen off Shreyas in the 13th over, Bangalore slipped to 98-6.

Earlier, Tripathi hit five fours and three sixes and featured in a 99-run second-wicket stand with Rahane off 69 balls after Rajasthan’s plan of promoting Jofra Archer as opener failed.

Umesh Yadav (3-25) dismissed Rahane and Sanju Samson off successive deliveries in his return spell but Rajasthan still managed to score 63 runs off the last seven overs. And that proved enough for its spinners to defend.

The post Kolkata through to IPL playoffs, Bangalore knocked out appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

Written by Sandeep
This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/kolkata-knight-riders-through-to-indian-premier-league-playoffs-royal-challengers-bangalore-knocked-out/ under the title “Kolkata through to IPL playoffs, Bangalore knocked out”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.