Match Review: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad – IPL 2017 – Match 14
The 14th match of the IPL 2017 season took place on April 15, 2017, at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In a thrilling encounter, KKR emerged victorious by 17 runs, showcasing their prowess with both bat and ball.
Kolkata Knight Riders Innings
KKR batted first and set a challenging target by posting a total of 172 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The standout performance came from Robin Uthappa, who played a magnificent innings of 68 runs off 59 balls, hitting 5 fours and 4 sixes, for a strike rate of 174.35. Manish Pandey also contributed significantly with a score of 46 runs, anchoring the innings after the early wickets of Sunil Narine (6 runs) and Gautam Gambhir (15 runs).
As the innings progressed, Yusuf Pathan (21 off 30) added some late runs along with Suryakumar Yadav (4 off 5) and Colin de Grandhomme (0 off 3), but it was Uthappa’s explosive knock that propelled KKR to a respectable total of 172 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling attack for SRH, taking 3 wickets for just 20 runs in his 4 overs, effectively derailing KKR's momentum.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings
Chasing 173, SRH started with a few promising contributions but struggled to build substantial partnerships. The initial blow came when David Warner (26 runs) fell to Kuldeep Yadav. Shikhar Dhawan (23 runs) and Moises Henriques (13 runs) could not convert their starts into substantial scores.
Yuvraj Singh (26 runs) and Deepak Hooda (13 runs) showed glimpses of resistance, but the KKR bowlers maintained pressure effectively, with Chris Woakes and Sunil Narine taking crucial wickets at critical times. Ultimately, SRH's innings faltered at 155 runs, falling short of the target by 17 runs. KKR’s bowling was spearheaded by Sunil Narine, who took 1 wicket for just 18 runs in his 4 overs.
Conclusion
In the end, KKR's consistent batting performance and disciplined bowling proved to be the decisive factors in their victory over SRH. The win helped KKR solidify their position in the tournament, while SRH will need to regroup and strategize for their upcoming matches. As the IPL 2017 season unfolds, fans can expect more exhilarating cricketing action!