Pune, May 8 (Representative) Avesh Khan and Jason Holder shared 6 wickets as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 75 runs in an IPL match here at the MCA Stadium on Saturday. With the win, LSG have displaced Gujarat Titans to take the top spot on the points table. Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda kept LSG afloat, but it was Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder’s five sixes in the penultimate over that helped the team to post 176/7. In reply, Knight Riders folded for 101 inside 15 overs, thanks to Avesh (3/19) and Holder (3/31). KKR had a horrendous start to their 177-run target chase. They were three wickets down in the powerplay. Mohsin Khan was the first one to stuck as he dismissed opener Baba Indrajith for a 6-ball duck. LSG were all over KKR as skipper Shreyas Iyer (6) and Aaron Finch (14) fell quickly too. On a short ball by Dushmantha Chameera, Iyer tried to pull but gave an easy catch to Ayush Badoni stationed at square-leg. The short ball trick worked against Finch as well. The Australian tried to play an upper-cut off the bowling of Holder but it went straight up and keeper de Kock made no mistake while strolling to his left. LSG continued to make inroads, reducing KKR to 69/5 after 11.1 overs.
While Andre Russell was in the middle, KKR had some hopes. It was Avesh who ended Russell’s (45 off 19) stay in the 13th over. On a cross-seamed short ball, Russell was caught at third man. Another West Indian Sunil Narine (22 off 12), who looked to up his game, was held by Holder. And with wickets tumbling at regular interval, KKR were bundled out. Earlier, LSG were on 142/4 after 18 overs. But ‘The Hulk’ Stoinis changed the mood in his team’s dugout. The Australian took advantage of short balls and whacked Shivam Mavi for three consecutive sixes. In the fourth ball, however, Stoinis once again whipped the ball powerfully but couldn’t find much elevation and departed for a 14-ball 28. The incoming Holder picked up from where Stoinis left. The West Indian giant effortlessly flicked the ball away for two sixes. Mavi, who gave just 20 runs before his final over, finished with the figures of 1/50 in his four overs.
Tim Southee had to undo all the wrong and bowled a brilliant last over, giving just three runs and picking two wickets including Holder (13 off 4). LSG suffered an early blow as their skipper KL Rahul was run-out without even facing a ball. His opening partner de Kock (50 off 29) mistimed his drive and Rahul started to run before he realised that Shreyas Iyer has collected the ball. And a brilliant throw by Iyer found Rahul short at the non-striker’s end. De Kock along with Hooda (41 off 27) took revenge for their skipper, hammering KKR bowlers. The duo stitched a solid 71-run stand for the second wicket. It was Sunil Narine who finally ended the frustration for KKR as he got rid of de Kock in the eighth over. Soon, Andre Russell dismissed Hooda in the 13th over, thus putting pressure back on LSG. Krunal Pandya (25) and Badoni (15 not out) tried to go big but couldn’t do much as KKR ensured to keep them silent. For KKR, Russell picked two wickets, while Narine, Mavi and Southee took one each.