Uthappa and Raine guide KKR to score 187 in their innings against Gujarat lions
Putting into bat after losing the toss, KKR started flamboyantly with Narine setting the trend hitting seven fours off 11 balls to total 29 without loss in first two overs.
Naraine, who was again promoted to open the innings, batted like a man possessed and punished the Gujarat bowlers- Kumar, Faulkner and Thampi hitting all around the wicket till he was out after taking the total to 45 which included his 42 off only 17 deliveries. While other opener and KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir remained subdued, Narine delighted the huge Eden crowd hitting nine fours and a sixer.
After the opening bowlers got punished by Narine, Gujarat skipper Suresh Raina brought himself to bowl and tasted success . While trying to hit Raina, Naraine mistimed and was caught by Faulkner in the second ball of first over by Gujarat skipper.
The departure of Narine brought Robin Uthappa into the creae . Uthappa and Gambhir took up the cudgel and and added 69 run in their partnership when Gambhir was caught by Raina off Faulkner after making 33 off 28 balls which included two fours and a sixer.
Raina brought jadeja into attack and both the spinners checked the KKR run rate considerably as the hosts score board read 141 for 2 after 15 0vers .
Gambhir’s exit saw test star Rabin Uthappa took up the responsibility and shouldered it well . Batting judiciously and at the same time aggressively, Uthappa emerged highest scorer for KKR making 72 off 48 deliveries . He hit eight fours and two over bounderies before he was caught by Brendon Mccullum off Pravin Kumar.
Apart from Uthappa, Narine and Gambhir, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan also chipped in with 24 and 11 not out respectively.
None of the Gujarat bowlers could perform worth mentioning. However, Jadeja , though did not get any wicket, checked the run arte to some extent and conceded 31 runs off 4 overs.(EOM)
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