KOLKATA Knight Riders (KKR) kept their IPL playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans on Saturday after Finn Allen smashed 93 off 35 balls.
Kolkata’s top order led the way as the hosts posted 247-2. Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 82 not out off 44 balls and Cameron Green hit 52 not out off 28 balls in Kolkata’s third-highest IPL total.
Sunil Narine then returned figures of 2-29 in his 200th IPL match as Gujarat finished on 218-4.
Shubman Gill scored 85 for Gujarat, but the Titans missed the chance to move to the top of the table.
Gujarat remain second with 16 points from 13 games. They need to beat Chennai Super Kings on Thursday to confirm qualification for the playoffs.
"200-210 seemed par for that wicket but we dropped too many catches, our fielding could have been better," Gill said.
"Dropping three simple chances meant we didn't deserve to win this game.
"It is better to have a game like this now and not in the knockouts," he added.
Kolkata are seventh with 11 points from 12 games and still have a chance of reaching the knockouts.
They have two matches left and need to win both while also depending on other results.
"We have been putting in the hard yards, preparing well, and it is showing," Narine said after reaching 200 IPL games.
"Hopefully we can continue winning, no matter what the tournament has in store for us.
"God gave me the strength, health and talent to play 200 games. Hopefully, I will play many more," he added.
After being put in to bat, Kolkata lost skipper Ajinkya Rahane early, but Allen survived two dropped catches and reached his fifty off 21 balls with four sixes.
Allen hit 10 sixes in total and added 95 runs off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi for the second wicket.
Kolkata scored 56-1 in the powerplay before adding another 44 runs in the next 18 balls to reach 100.
Raghuvanshi completed his fifty off 33 balls with four sixes. It was his fourth half-century of the season.
Allen, who had earlier scored 100 not out off 47 balls against Delhi this season, fell for 93 when he was caught at the midwicket boundary in the 12th over.
Raghuvanshi continued the scoring and added 108 runs off 52 balls with Green, who hit four sixes.
It was Kolkata’s highest partnership against Gujarat.
Gujarat started quickly in reply as Gill and Sai Sudharsan added 42 runs off 18 balls before Sudharsan retired hurt after being hit on the elbow.
Gill then added 128 runs off 73 balls with Jos Buttler, who made 57.
Gill needed treatment for neck cramps during his innings. He hit seven sixes before being caught on the boundary by Anukul Roy.
It was Narine’s second wicket and Gujarat could not build enough momentum despite Sudharsan returning to complete his half-century.
This was the first instance of six half-centuries in a single IPL game.
