Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match on Saturday. Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill’s 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
The explosive New Zealand opener made GT pay dearly for dropping him on 14 and 33, smashing 10 sixes and four boundaries in a breathtaking assault where 86 runs came through boundaries.
If Allen ripped apart the bowling in the first half, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (82 not out) and Cameron Green (52 not out) maintained the momentum with unbeaten fifties in their 108-run stand off just 53 balls for the third wicket. GT dropped as many as four catches in the innings with all three KKR half-centurions — Allen, Raghuvanshi and Green —making them pay heavily.
Raghuvanshi got a reprieve on 52 by Washington Sundar. Green was dropped on 23 by Arshad Khan off Rashid Khan.
Asked to bowl first by skipper Shubman Gill on a sticky surface that had remained under covers after rain, Gujarat’s disciplined attack struggled badly as poor catching compounded their problems during KKR’s relentless batting display.
Allen set the tone as the home side raced to 100 in nine overs, then they took just eight overs to get to 200 with Green-Raghuvanshi combine doing well in their must-win match. He survived a difficult chance on 14 when the tall Jason Holder got fingertips to a sharp opportunity at cover off Mohammed Siraj.
The Kiwi opener then tore into Kagiso Rabada, launching successive sixes — one straight over mid-off and another whipped over midwicket off a 149kph delivery — to race to 28 from just 11 balls. While Allen dominated from one end, Ajinkya Rahane never quite settled during his scratchy 14 off 14 balls before Siraj cleaned him up.
There was a brief slowdown inside the powerplay after Rahane’s departure before Allen got another life.
Introduced into the attack, Holder induced a mishit from the batter, but Siraj spilled a straightforward catch at long-on. From there, Allen went into overdrive. He attacked both pace and spin with equal ease, picking lengths early and clearing the boundaries effortlessly.
Rashid was welcomed with two sixes and a four as Allen stormed to a 21-ball half-century. Raghuvanshi played the ideal supporting role. The young batter used the pace cleverly and kept the scoreboard ticking, including a sharp scoop over the wicketkeeper off Rabada to get going.
Allen looked set for a second IPL hundred this season before Rashid finally ended the carnage, taking a well-judged catch at deep midwicket off Sai Kishore.
