Sharma picks up three wicket to help Punjab win the match
Kings XI Punjab's Laxmipathy Balaji (second from right) celebrates the fall of a KKR wicket with Virender Sehwag (Photo: BCCI)
Abu Dhabi: Sandeep Sharma scalped three crucial wickets as Kings XI Punjab produced a disciplined bowling display to compensate for their batting failure and notch up a comfortable 23 run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match here on Saturday. Asked to take first strike, Punjab were strangled by spinners Sunil Narine (3 for 24) and Piyush Chawla (3 for 19), who outfoxed the Kings XI batsmen with their web of spin to restrict them to 131 for nine.
However, table toppers Punjab came up with a superb bowling effort to dismiss Kolkata for 109 with 10 balls to spare at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and continue their invincible run in the tournament. Pacer Sandeep Sharma (3/21) and spinner Akshar Patel (16), while Mitchel Johnson (2/22), Lakshmipathy Balaji (1/21) and Rishi Dhawan (1/24) all got wickets as Punjab registered their fourth win as many matches.
Suryakumar Yadav was the top scorer for Kolkata as he blasted three fours and one six in his 17 ball 34 run innings down the order but it was not enough in the end. Defending 133, Punjab pace trioka of Sharma, Johnson and Balaji ripped through the top order to reduce Kolkata to 31-3 in 8 overs.
While Sandeep drew first blood, trapping Manish Pandey infront of wicket in his second over, the Punjab pacer came back to dismiss skipper Gautam Gambhir in his third over.
Kings XI Punjab: C. Pujara (run out) 8, V. Sehwag b Chawla 37, W. Saha lbw b Kallis 14, G. Maxwell b Morkel 15, D. Miller c Morkel b Chawla 14, G. Bailey c Morkel b Chawla 11, R. Dhawan (not out) 19, A. Patel st Uthappa b Narine 7, M. Johnson b Narine 0, L. Balaji lbw b Narine 0, Sandeep Sharma (not out) 2. Extras (b1, lb2, w1, nb1) 5. Total (for nine wickets in 20 overs) 132.
FoW: 1-9, 2-28, 3-58, 4-74, 5-101, 6-103, 7-126, 8-126, 9-126.
Bowling: Yadav 4-0-28-0, Morkel 4-0-26-1, Kallis 4-0-32-1, Narine 4-0-24-3, Chawla 4-0-19-3.
Kolkata Knight Riders: M. Pandey lbw S. Sharma 8, J. Kallis c Maxwell b L. Balaji 9, G. Gambhir c A. Patel b S. Sharma 1, C. Lynn b A. Patel 13, R. Uthappa (run out) G. Bailey, 19, Y. Pathan lbw R. Dhawan 3, S. Yadav c M.G. Johnson b S. Sharma 34, P. Chawla st Saha b A. Patel 0, S. Narine b M. Johnson 6, U. Yadav (not out) 2, M. Morkel (not out) 3. Extras (lb 5, w 4) 9. Total (all out in 18.2 overs) 109.
FoW:1-13, 2-19, 3-19, 4-50, 5-59, 6-62, 7-65, 8-85, 9-103, 10-1-9.
Bowling: S. Sharma 4-1-21-3, M.G. Johnson 3.2-0-22-2, L. Balaji 3-0-21-1, R. Dhawan 4-0-24-1, A.R. Patel 4-0-16-2
( Source : PTI )
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