Gony wreaks havoc as Punjab sneak victory
Kolkata lose by four runs despite Narine’s first IPL hat-trick.
Gony stunned the crowds with his 42 runs off 18 balls to help Kings XI Punjab seal a thrilling four-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders. PHOTO: BCCI
Playing his first Indian Premier League (IPL) match, Manpreet Gony stunned the crowds with his 42 runs off 18 balls to help Kings XI Punjab seal a thrilling four-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
After helping his side stabilise when they were tottering at 99 for six, Gony managed to stay long enough on the wicket to enable Punjab to post a decent 157 for nine.
Earlier, Kolkata seemed to be controlling the match with Sunil Narine claiming the first hat-trick of the sixth IPL edition. Even with the bat, they looked assured as Gautam Gambhir (60) and Eoin Morgan (47) put up a strong 107-run stand. However, things started to unravel as they got out in quick succession, resulting in the team’s narrow loss.
“The wicket was to my liking,” said man-of-the-match Gony, according to ESPNcricinfo. “I was enjoying my batting, I was looking to hit straight.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2013.