Pathan, Russell win match for Knight Riders against RCB

Batting knights Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell won the match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), scoring 189/5 with five balls to spare at Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday in the 30th match of IPL Season Nine.

Pathan (60) and Russell (39) started hitting regular boundaries for KKR halfway after the match to bring down the asking rate from 9.3 runs an over at the beginning of the chase to 47 runs in 24 balls and 21 runs in 16 balls finally after the dismissal of Russell to one run in five balls in the 20th over.

Russell blasted four sixes and a four in 24 balls to reach 39 while Pathan remained unbeaten on 60 with half a dozen fours and a three sixes.

Pathan destroyed Watson in the 17th over, he smashed two sixes, three fours and a double to heap 24 runs.

Russell and Pathan logged a 96 runs partnership in 45 balls for the sixth wicket. Pathan reached his half century in 27 balls in the 19th over.

Except for captain Gautam Gambhir (37) in the top order, other batsmen including Robin Uthappa (1), Chris Lynn (15) and Manish Pandey (8) got out cheaply.

Yuzvendra Chahal 2/27 emerged the most successful bowler for RCB, he claimed danger man Russell in the 18th over, caught near the boundary line by Stuart Binny while attempting a big six.

Shane Watson leaked 38 runs in three overs claiming just a wicket.

Earlier, RCB set a target of 186 runs for KKR, scoring 185/7 in 20 overs.

Lokesh Rahul and skipper Virat Kohli hit 52 each to propel RCB to a respectable total after swashbuckling hitter Chris Gayle (7) failed yet again.

Starting off slowly, RCB managed just two runs in the first over off Andre Russell.

Gayle launched a six off Morne Morkel in the second ball of the second over, only to get out on the next ball with a reckless shot, giving a simple catch to keeper Robin Uthappa.

With the latest dismissal, Gayle's "unit-score innings" streak continues in the IPL from the World Twenty20.

Opening the innings for RCB, Rahul's 32-ball-52 witnessed six fours and two sixes while Kohli managed four fours in his 44-ball-52.

AB De Villiers (4) was the other trump card which failed to make a mark for the home team.

Australian all rounder Shane Watson (34) kept the runs flowing in the last overs with five fours and a six in the company of local boy Stuart Binny (16), who cracked two sixes and a four when it mattered the most.

KKR bowlers Russell (24/1) and Morne Morkel (28/2) produced economical spells while Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav and Piyush Chawla were expensive, though the last also claimed two wickets.

Excellent performance with bat and the ball earned the man of the match award to Russell, he hit the highest number of sixes in the match.

With the latest win, KKR claimed the second spot among all teams in IPL Season Nine with 10 points, five victories and three losses in eight matches while RCB plummeted to the seventh position with just four points, two wins and five losses in seven matches.

Brief Scores:

Kolkata Knight Riders 189/5 in 20 overs (Yusuf Pathan 60, Adnre Russell 39; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/27, Sreenath Aravind 1/16) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 185/7 in 20 overs (Lokesh Rahul 52, Virat Kohli 52; Morne Morkel 2/28, Piysh Chawla 2/32).

--IANS

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