SEVEN-WICKET DEFEAT

Sunil Narine sparkled with the bat and followed up with a steady spell, but could not prevent Kolkata Knight Riders from a seven-wicket defeat against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

KKR making only 137 for 9 from their 20 overs, captain Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 34 from 32 balls and opener Narine produced 27 from 20 deliveries after his team was sent it to bat.

KKR lost Phil Salt to the first ball of the game from seamer Tushar Deshpande (3-33) but Narine belted three fours and a number of sixes in a 56-run second wicket partnership with Angkrish Raghuvanshi  on 24 to lead the team’s recovery.

Both fell in the seventh over from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja with 3-18 as KKR slumped to 85 for 5 in the 12th over but Iyer produced a 27-run, sixth wicket stand with Rinku Singh (9).

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell bats during the VIVO IPL cricket T20 match against Delhi Capitals in Kolkata, India, Friday, April 12, 2019. Associated Press / Bikas Das, file

All-rounder Andre Russell struck two fours scoring only 10 before perishing at the start of the penultimate over.

In reply, CSK reached their target with 14 balls to spare with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad blasting 67 from 58 balls.

Narine’s four overs cost 30 runs and took one wicket while Russell’s single over went for eight runs.

CSK lost Rachin Ravindra for 15 in the fourth over but Gaikwad countered, striking nine fours inspiring a 70-run, second wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell with 25 and a 38-run, third wicket partnership with Shivam Dube who belted 28 from 18 balls. Narine bowled  Mitchell in the 13th over.

The defeat was KKR’s first in four games this season while CSK achieved their third victory in five outings.