Kolkata Knight Riders showed great character to mount a comeback against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday.
The Indian Premier League 2020 continues to deliver viewers with thrilling encounters. On October 7, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) delivered a stellar performance to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat against Chennai Super Kings at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Dubai. On the back of this result, KKR moved to third position in the table, while CSK remains fifth with a negative net run rate.
KKR posted a total of 167 runs due to a batting collapse in the second half of their innings. CSK didn’t collapse, but they couldn’t get a move on when the run rate was increasing with every passing over. In the nail-biting moments, KKR managed to keep composure and get the third victory of the campaign. Here are key takeaways from KKR’s narrow win over CSK.
Rahul Tripathi delivers for KKR
KKR decided to shuffle the batting order as Sunil Narine was struggling to score runs at the top. On the back of quickfire 30 runs against Delhi Capitals, Rahul Tripathi was awarded the chance to open the innings. Tripathi grabbed this opportunity with both hands and scored 81 runs in 51 deliveries.
Tripathi has previously shone in IPL while opening the innings, so it is not a surprise that he scored big runs for KKR yesterday. The 29-year-old batsman compliments Shubman Gill perfectly. The former is an aggressive batsman, while the latter can play the role of anchor. KKR should stick with this combination and use Narine as a pinch hitter in the middle order.
CSK struggling to deliver under pressure
At the halfway stage in CSK’s innings, the score was 90/1. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu were looking comfortable on the pitch. However, the duo was dismissed in quick succession in the next couple of overs. Despite these wickets, CSK were expected to win the game since asking run-rate was achievable.
The middle-order had the opportunity to see out the game, but they just couldn’t score runs freely. MS Dhoni came in early, but he found it difficult to score runs quickly. The run rate kept on increasing with every passing over, and CSK eventually succumbed to a defeat.
CSK will have to rethink strategy about chasing scores as they have found it difficult to chase totals this season apart from the game against Kings XI Punjab. In the past, they used to chase it from unlikely situations, but right now, even smaller targets are being made difficult.
Dinesh Karthik shows astute captaincy to win the game
Dinesh Karthik has been under pressure due to his batting performances for KKR this season. He struggled on Wednesday too, but his captaincy was astute throughout the game. Karthik’s management of bowlers was spot on as he turned the screws on CSK’s batting lineup after dismissals of Watson and Rayudu.
The experienced wicketkeeper also showed faith in Varun Chakravarthy to bowl in the death. His move was well rewarded as Chakravarthy delivered a cracking final over that included the big wicket of MS Dhoni. Karthik will be breathing a sigh of relief due to his good captaincy on Wednesday, but getting back in form with his batting will be on the agenda in the upcoming games.
By Kiran Thakare