Shahrukh Khan blasted Punjab Kings to a two-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants after a maiden Indian Premier League half-century for Sikandar Raza on Saturday.
KL Rahul (74 from 56 balls) struck his first fifty of the season and become the fastest player to 4,000 IPL runs as the Super Giants posted 159-8 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Raza (57 off 41) put the Kings on their way to victory, but a tense game was in the balance before Shahrukh (23 not out off 10) finished off the job with three balls to spare to make it three wins from five for his side and consign Lucknow to only a second loss.
Harpreet Brar removed Kyle Mayers (29) to end an opening stand of 53 with Rahul after Sam Curran, taking over as captain with Shikhar Dhawan out due to a shoulder injury, won the toss and opted to field.
The Super Giants were reduced to 111-4 in a 15th over from Kagiso Rabada in which Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran departed, but Rahul ticked along on a surface that was by no means the easiest to bat on.
Rahul was finally removed by Arshdeep Singh in the penultimate over before Curran (3-31) struck twice in the last to keep Lucknow below 160.
Debutant Yudhvir Singh (2-19) struck an early blow in the run chase by getting Atharva Taide caught by Avesh Khan at third man in his first Kings over and also cleaned up Prabhsimran Singh.
Matthew Short (34) and Harpreet Singh (22) got starts but failed to go on and Curran fell cheaply trying to launch Ravi Bishnoi over the rope, but Raza was able to hang around and keep his side on course to reach their target.
Lucknow were scenting the win when Raza fell to Bishnoi and Mark Wood struck twice to set up a tense finish, but Shahrukh hit his first ball for six and won it with a four off Bishnoi in the final over
Rahul breaks another record
Lucknow skipper Rahul came to the party by anchoring the innings, reaching the 4,000 IPL runs landmark in record time.
The opener got there in his 105 innings, pushing Chris Gayle (112 knocks) down to second on the list of the quickest batters to hit that tally.
He got to his half-century in 40 balls, hitting a six and eight fours before falling to Arshdeep.
Raza rises to the occasion
Zimbabwe all-rounder Raza turns 37 this month and he showed all of his experience to show why he was given a first IPL chance by the Kings.
He hit three sixes and another four boundaries to reach his 50 from 34 balls and looked like being there at the end until Bishnoi ended his excellent knock.
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
IPL: Jadeja stars as CSK move into playoff places
Chennai Super Kings moved into the Indian Premier League playoff places after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala.
The reigning champions avenged their seven-wicket defeat by the Kings in Chennai four days earlier to climb to third place in the table with three games remaining.
After a slow start, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell's partnership brought 57 runs and settled CSK into their stride. Although MS Dhoni went for a duck, Ravindra Jadeja's late surge of 43 from 26 balls saw them close at 167-9.
Tushar Deshpande claimed Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the second over to stem the Kings' early momentum, while Jadeja (3-20) also took a quickfire double of Sam Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the 13th over as the hosts finished well short of their target at 139-9.
Data debrief
In getting back to winning ways, CSK ended their five-game losing streak against the Kings, stretching back to 2021.
Despite going for a duck, Dhoni managed to make amends in the field. When he caught out Jitesh Sharma, he became the first player in IPL history to take 150 catches.
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