KKR vanquish Punjab Kings in IPL 2022, with Umesh Yadav bowling like a dream and Russell crushing an unbeaten 70.
It was Kolkata Knight Riders’ game to lose when Punjab Kings were bowled out for 137 in 18.2 overs. Four fast wickets had put them in trouble, and Punjab saw an opportunity at 51/4. But Andre Russell blew up at Wankhede, and Sam Billings was right there with him. It was eventually a cakewalk for KKR thanks to an unbroken 90-run (47 balls) fifth wicket stand between the two. With 33 balls to spare, they triumphed by six wickets. Russell hit two fours and eight sixes on his way to a 31-ball 70 not out. Billings scored 24 unanswered runs in 23 balls.
Punjab returned to normal business after chasing down a 200-plus total against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their maiden encounter. Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s nine-ball 31 and Rahul Chahar’s 2/13 from four overs were their only takeaways from this encounter. Chahar’s consistent growth as a bowler has been encouraging for Indian cricket. The leg-spinner has broadened his bowling repertoire.
Russell’s strike has a lot of power.
Odean Smith’s strategy of bowling length on a leg stump line to Russell from around the wicket was as perplexing as it was futile. The big man’s pet peeve has always been rising deliveries from back-of-a-length into the body. Russell thought Smith’s bowling was steak and drink.
In the 12th over, the first three balls went for a four and two sixes. Smith continued to bowl length when he switched to over the wicket. Punjab was completely thrown out of the game after the 30-run over. Russell was unstoppable after that.
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Despite the fact that the redirection is still in its early stages, the knights appear to be in good shape. Aside from Russell’s x-factor, Shreyas Iyer’s extension has pushed their batting line-up forward, despite the fact that the KKR captain was bowled by a leg-spinner for the first time in his career. KKR’s bowling line is led by Umesh Yadav, who has been a revelation in this league.
Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy are giving the spin-punch, while Tim Southee has been complimenting him well. Their fielding was also good on Friday. Southee’s catch off Russell to dismiss Kagiso Rabada was spectacular.
Yadav’s new lease on life
The experienced fast bowler went unsold in the first round of the auction before being snapped up by KKR as an afterthought for Rs 2 crore. It now appears to be a good deal.
Yadav, who is 34 years old, is having a T20 second wind. In three games, he’s already taken eight wickets, five of which came inside the Powerplays. He came back today with 4/23 from four overs. The KKR media team responded with a thank-you tweet.
Yadav has created a wobble-seam ball that is reducing the length of the ball to a manageable level for right-handers. Mayank Agarwal was caught leg-first. The Punjab captain had shuffled across, but the nip-backer had beaten him.
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Disrupting Yadav’s length is one approach to counter him. Shikhar Dhawan gave it a shot by sprinting down the track and hitting a six. In this IPL, however, the senior fast is combining brains and strength to remarkable effect. He’s also changing his length and pushing the ball both directions at a fast pace. So far, Iyer’s captaincy has been rather excellent, particularly in terms of how he manages his bowlers. In the ninth over, he brought back Yadav and was rewarded with Liam Livingstone’s scalp.
Yadav reappeared for his last spell after Narine’s spin choke – Varun, too, deserves special mention – and Southee’s wickets had put Punjab on the back foot. He stifled the opposition’s back-end comeback with two dismissals in three balls.
With statistics of 1/23 from four overs, Narine only had one wicket in the match. In the middle-overs, the spinner, on the other hand, puts on the choke game after game. Rival teams try to depose him. They’re doing everything they can to play directly into his hands. It throws off the game’s rhythm, adds pressure, and makes wicket-taking for his teammates easier.
Punjab Kings 137 for 4 in 18.2 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 31, Kagiso Rabada 25; Umesh Yadav 4/23, Tim Southee 2/36) were defeated by KKR 141 for 4 in 14.3 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 31, Kagiso Rabada 25; Umesh Yadav 4/23, Tim Southee 2/36). (Andre Russell had a 70-yard no-hitter off 31 balls.) KKR won the match by six wickets.