KKR start IPL campaign with win over SRH

Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi hit half centuries

CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders started the Indian Premier League campaign on winning note as they beat SunRisers Hyderabad by 10 runs at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday night.

Chasing 188 runs to win, Manish Pandey and Jonny Bairstow hit half centuries but could not save the team as SRH managed 177 in allotted overs losing 5 wickets.

Despite losing both openers Wridhiman Saha and captain David Warner at just 10, Pandey- Bairstow pair put on 92 runs in less than 11 overs. The English man, who made 55 off 40 balls, was claimed by Pat Cummins at the vital stage of the game. Pandey remained unbeaten at 61 off 44 balls. They needed 22 runs from the final over, but could score only 11 runs.

Earlier, SunRisers Hyderabad took five wickets in the last five overs and conceded just 42 runs but could only restrict Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 187/6.

KKR looked set for a total well above the 200-run mark when their top order batsmen Nitish Rana (80), Rahul Tripathi (53) and Shubman Gill (15) took on the SRH bowlers. However, SRH's Afghanistan duo Rashid Khan (2/24) and Mohammad Nabi (2/32) led the way in the death overs.

Rana and Gill put up a 53-run opening partnership off 42 balls before the latter fell to Rashid. However, Rahul Tripathi then came in and scored a belligerent 53 off 29 balls, smashing five fours and two sixes. Tripathi put up 93 runs off just 50 balls for the second wicket with Rana.

Tripathi eventually fell to T Natarajan and with the team cruising at 146/2 in the 16th over, KKR sent in Andre Russell ahead of Shakib Al Hasan. However, Russell ended up falling for just five runs off as many balls to Rashid after which Nabi dismissed Rana and KKR captain Eoin Morgan off consecutive deliveries in the 18th over.

Dinesh Karthik then scored 22 runs off nine balls to get KKR close to the 190-run mark while Shakib fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the last ball of the innings.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 187/6 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 80, Rahul Tripathi 53; Rashid Khan 2/24) beat SunRisers Hyderabad 177/5 in 20 overs (Manish Pandey 61no, Jonny Bairstow 54, Pradish Krishna 2/35). Agencies

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