New Delhi: Kings XI Punjab collapsed to 170 for 9 in an IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Eden Gardens Kolkata.
Opting to field first, KKR were up against it as Punjab openers Hashim Amla and Manan Vohra got off to a flying start, nullifying Trent Boult and Umesh Yadav.
Brought on in the fifth over, Piyush Chawla struck in his very first ball to bring KKR back in the match by cleaning Manan Vohra for 28. The Punjab innings went downhill from there onwards as Sunil Narine and debutant Grandhomme got them in strangle.
The experiment of sending Stoinis up the order did not work out as the Australian was bowled by Narine for 9.
Walking in at No. 4, an in-from Glenn Maxwell threatened to take the game away from KKR but was stopped on his tracks by Umesh Yadav for 25.
Kings XI were reduced to 97 for 4 when Miller and Saha got together for the repair work. The duo put on an important 57 run partnership before Umesh Yadav came back to bowl the most effective over of the innings. He first got Miller caught in the deep for 28, then foxed Saha in the very next ball as the latter chipped one to mid off. Another well disguised slower one spelt doom for Axar Patel (0) and Kings XI went from 155 for 4 to 156 for 7 in a matter of 4 balls.
Making a comeback after an injury lay off, Umesh Yadav returned with figures of 4 for 33- the best of this season’s IPL.
Change of action or not, Sunil Narine again proved to be a handful as it was he who kept a hold on the Kings XI scoring rate when Amla and Maxwell were going all guns blazing. Narine gave away just 19 runs and picked up one wicket in his 4 overs.
A lot of the Kings XI batsmen got starts but none of them could convert it into something substantial and therefore they could only manage 170.