KKR register first win in IPL

Balaji, Gambhir star in 42-run win over Bangalore.

Lakshmipathy Balaji and Gautam Gambhir starred as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered their first win in the Indian Premier League (IPL), inflicting a 42-run defeat on Royal Challengers Bangalore yesterday.

Gambhir’s 64 off just 39 deliveries propelled KKR to a competitive 165 for eight in their allotted quota, before Balaji claimed four wickets to dent Bangalore’s hopes of overhauling the target as the hosts ended with 123 for nine.

After a superb opening stand worth 60 with Jacques Kallis, Gambhir combined with Manvinder Bisla as the pair took the score to 125 in just the 14th over.

However, Muralitharan broke the stand and Zaheer Khan got rid of the KKR opener as the visitors’ innings derailed.  A flurry of wickets dented KKR’s chances of getting to a higher total, giving Bangalore renewed hopes.

But the hosts got off to a terrible start with the dismissals of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli as Kallis and Balaji made regular breakthroughs. Bangalore were reduced to 78 for seven amid vanishing hopes of getting even close to the target.

Balaji finished with four for 18 and Kallis took two for seven, while left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan also chipped in with a couple of wickets. The loss was Bangalore’s first in their second IPL match. However, KKR were able to get among the points with their first win in three matches.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2012.