PHOTO COURTESY: BCCI
Narine smashed a 17-ball 54 — including six fours and four sixes — as Kolkata reached the 159-run target in 15.1 overs to win by six wickets late on Sunday.
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Narine and Australian Chris Lynn put together a 105-run opening partnership in the first six overs of Sunday's game. Lynn needed 22 balls to make his 50 at Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
If West Indies are looking for a new opener in the shorter format @SunilPNarine74 it is ! @IPL
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) May 7, 2017
He was outdone by Narine who, despite being better known for his off-spin bowling, matched Yusuf Pathan's 15-ball half-ton for Kolkata in 2014.
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"I'm surprised too. Lynn just said keep your eyes on the ball, keep focused and swing at it. I try to keep it simple," Narine said.
"I'll hopefully get used to the expectations but it really was a team effort. Umesh's [Yadav] wickets early especially were key and I'm thankful for it," added Narine.
Bangalore's batting again faltered with big-hitter Chris Gayle, who fell for a golden duck in his 100th IPL game, skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers managing just 15 runs between them.
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Australia's Travis Head hit an unbeaten 47-ball 75 to take Bangalore to 158-6 in 20 overs. Kolkata paceman Yadav took three wickets while man-of-the-match Narine bagged two.
Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata lie second in the eight-team table, with bottom-placed Bangalore already out of the play-off race in the cash-rich league.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjuFI4Aua2Q
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