LSG’s decision to bowl first backfired as KKR became the first team to score more than 200 runs at the Ekana Stadium.
Narine once again showed his batting prowess, knocking 81 off 38 balls, including 7 sixes and 6 fours, to push KKR’s total to 235/6. The fearful chase required aggressive attack, but they struggled to find opportunities and were eventually bowled out for 137 in 16.1 overs.
In the first 10 overs, LSG lost half of their team, including captain KL Rahul (25), Arshin Kulkarni (9), Deepak Hooda (5) and big names Marcus Stoinis (36) and Nicholas Pooran (10).
Ashton Turner played some powerful knocks and looked in the mood to showcase his batting prowess but the Australian was very unlucky and Varun Chakravarthy finished The inside edge deflected off his boot after a catch and pitch.
With the victory, KKR moved to the top of the points table. They have 16 points, the same as Rajasthan Royals, but have played one more game.
LSG, on the other hand, accumulated 12 points in 11 games, falling out of the top four and falling to fifth place. Their net run rate also took a huge hit, dropping from 0.094 to -0.371.
Earlier, the in-form Narine was dropped twice in the space of two balls, whipping out five boundaries in five balls to set the tone for the KKR innings.
First, he hit Naveen-ul-Haq for four in the last two balls of the third over. He then attacked the off side and hit three boundaries on trot Mohsin Khan in the fourth over.
Narine and Phil Salt (32) gave the two-time champions the explosive start they were looking for. Together they put on a quick 61 before Naveen-ul Haq slowed down the pace and dismissed the Englishman.
Then medium-pacer Yash Thakur stopped the runs in the final over of the powerplay, conceding just two runs as KKR reached 70/1.
However, an unflappable Narine continued his onslaught and completed his 50 off 27 deliveries, with a cheeky flick at the end allowing the ball to roll past third.
He was particularly fond of Marcus Stoinis, who sent the ball over the fence three times in the 11th over.
But Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling of Narine, who had been dismissed twice before, was lucky the third time as he ended the all-rounder’s brilliant innings.
The LSG bowlers were able to control the KKR batsmen as they kept taking wickets.
Naveen-ul Haq got rid of Andre Russell (12), followed by Yudhvir Singh as Mohsin Khan Khan, a concussion substitute, picked up the wicket of young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) in the next over.
Afghanistan pacer returns to action against hard-hitting Rinku Singh (16) while Thakur dismisses Shreyas Iyer (23 age).
But Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 25 with 6 balls helped KKR cross the 230-run mark.
(Inputs from PTI)
