GT Dominates KKR to Secure First Place
10 days ago | 5 Views
Kolkata: If the Kolkata Knight Riders are aware of where the spotlight lies, it is likely due to their apparent practice in avoiding it.
Choosing to chase after selecting three spinners on a pitch that Ajinkya Rahane deemed dry was perplexing. Allowing Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharshan to establish the rhythm of the innings with a 114-run opening partnership was yet another misstep. Their failure to hit a boundary for 34 consecutive balls was particularly disastrous.
In pursuit of 199 runs, KKR struggled for nearly six overs without making any significant progress, effectively leaving Andre Russell and Rinku Singh to shoulder the burden as soon as they entered the game. Unsurprisingly, they faltered under pressure, leading to a 39-run victory for the Titans on Monday, which solidified their top position.
Rahane managed to score a fifty, but it was not sufficient to keep KKR in contention or to offset Venkatesh Iyer’s poor strike rate. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who replaced Quinton de Kock, lasted only four balls. Although Sunil Narine did hit a six, it is becoming increasingly challenging for KKR to justify his position as an opener, given that he relies solely on opening his stance and chasing the ball for runs. The Titans simply needed to adhere to their strategy, with Mohammed Siraj leading the way with an impressive economy of seven runs in three overs.
The chase was further stifled by five overs of disciplined bowling from Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore during the middle phase, who allowed only 24 runs between them. Prasidh Krishna returned to concede just six runs in his third over, raising the target to 85 runs from 30 balls.
Khan then entered the scene, teasing Russell with a sharply turning googly before deceiving him with another delivery that barely turned. After two dot balls, Russell felt compelled to make up for lost time. He managed to hit a four, but KKR required a series of sixes, prompting Russell to venture out of his crease once more, only to find himself stumped. After that, KKR seemed to surrender, displaying no intent and lacking any noteworthy partnerships; they were never truly in the contest.
In contrast, the Titans, who...
The beginning has consistently proven to be unexpectedly straightforward—maneuvering the ball through openings, taking advantage of loose deliveries, and adopting a strategic approach to scoring. Moeen Ali maintained a tight line during his initial two overs, yet the Titans managed to score off the fast bowlers, with Vaibhav Arora conceding 12 runs in his second over and Harshit Rana also giving away 12 runs in his first.
KKR opted for three spinners, likely anticipating that the Eden pitch would offer more assistance this time around. To some degree, it did, particularly for Ali. However, Varun Chakravarthy faced an immediate challenge as Gill greeted him with a boundary on the first ball of his over, cutting the ball past the fielder at backward point. In the following over, Chakravarthy bowled a bit quicker, allowing Gill to exploit the pace and drive the ball through square leg for a four, while Sudharsan followed suit with a boundary through extra cover.
Sunil Narine's introduction helped to stabilize one end, yet the Titans maintained control of the match, with Gill and Sudharsan skillfully finding gaps and keeping the scoreboard moving. It wasn't until Narine misjudged his length that Sudharsan capitalized, slapping a short ball through square leg for another four.
Gill also began to unleash his shots, executing a slog sweep that, despite not being perfectly timed, had enough power to clear square leg. By the tenth over, KKR appeared content to allow singles and twos, spreading the field and enabling the Titans' openers to achieve their third century-plus opening partnership since 2023.
Had it not been for Russell, it seemed that Gill and Sudharsan were poised for a lengthy innings. However, Russell bowled seam-up to Sudharsan at a good length, generating enough bounce to induce a faint edge off Sudharsan's bat. This brought Jos Buttler to the crease, and it could have been two wickets down within three overs had Arora not dropped a catch while backpedaling to mid-off to intercept a misdirected shot.
With a middle-overs strike rate of 170, Buttler quickly found his rhythm, striking Rana for a boundary over his head before hitting Arora for two fours in the final over, helping the Titans set a target that KKR ultimately failed to meet.
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