VENKATESH IYER hit 60 off 29 balls as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 80 runs in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Iyer’s innings and a 91-run partnership with Rinku Singh helped Kolkata post 200-6 at Eden Gardens after being put in to bat. The match was a repeat of last year’s IPL final.
Kolkata had bought Iyer for $2.81 million at the November auction. His knock included seven fours and three sixes.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane scored 38, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 50. The pair added 81 runs after early wickets fell.
Hyderabad were bowled out for 120 in 16.4 overs. Kolkata’s bowlers, led by impact substitute Vaibhav Arora, ensured a strong comeback after their previous loss to Mumbai Indians.
"This game was really important for us," Rahane said. "Winning by a big margin was crucial for us."
"Last two games were not up to the mark for us. But we learned a lot from our mistakes. This is a great example for us as a batting unit."
Kolkata moved from last place to fifth in the 10-team table. Hyderabad dropped to the bottom after three losses in four matches.
"Not a great night tonight," Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins said.
"In the mid-innings break, we thought it was gettable. It was a pretty good wicket. Gave away few too many in the field and obviously fell short (with the bat)."
Arora stars with the ball
Vaibhav Arora, who was named player of the match, took 3-29. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy also claimed three wickets.
Kolkata recovered from the early loss of Quinton de Kock (1) and Sunil Narine (7) inside three overs. Cummins dismissed De Kock, and Mohammed Shami removed Narine.
Rahane responded with boundaries before Raghuvanshi joined him. Raghuvanshi hit five fours and two sixes in his 32-ball fifty.
Kolkata slowed down after Rahane and Raghuvanshi got out. Iyer, after a quiet start, attacked in the final overs. He hit Cummins for three fours and a six in the 19th over.
Iyer and Rinku Singh, who scored 32, added 78 runs in the last five overs.
Hyderabad were reduced to 9-3 and then 44-4 in the chase.
Arora dismissed Travis Head for four and Ishant Kishan for two. Abhishek Sharma fell to Harshit Rana.
Kamindu Mendis, making his IPL debut for Sri Lanka, scored 27 before being dismissed by Narine.
Heinrich Klaasen made 33 as Hyderabad collapsed.
(With inputs from agencies)
