PICS: Narine fires KKR past LSG and to the top of IPL

Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants, in Lucknow.

• SCORECARD

Sunil Narine continued his explosive run in IPL 2024, scoring 81 off 39 balls, as Kolkata Knight Riders trounced Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs runs, in Lucknow, on Sunday.

The victory took the Knight Riders to the top of the 10-team IPL with 16 points from 11 matches. Rajasthan Royals also have 16 points but have played a game less.

LSG dropped out of the top four to the fifth spot with 12 points from 11 games. Their Net Run-Rate also took a massive hit, going down from 0.094 to -0.371.

Proving his worth with the willow once again, the West Indian went on a six-hitting spree, blasting seven maximums and six fours as KKR amassed 235 for 6.

In reply, LSG were bowled out for 137 in 16.1 overs. Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy shared three wickets each for KKR.

Chasing an imposing total, the LSG batters had to fire from the word go but they found it hard to get the big shots and were eventually bundled out for 137 in 16.1 overs.

Within the first 10 overs, LSG had lost half the side, including skipper KL Rahul (25), Arshin Kulkarni (9), Deepak Hooda (5) and big hitters Marcus Stoinis (36) and Nicholas Pooran (10).

Ashton Turner hit some lusty blows and looked in mood to showcase his batting prowess but the Australian was supremely unlucky as an inside edge deflected off his boot and Varun Chakravarthy completed a caught and bowled.

Earlier, the in-form Narine, who was dropped twice in the space of two deliveries, smoked five boundaries in five balls, setting the tone for the KKR innings.

First, he hammered back-to-back fours off Naveen-ul-Haq off the last two balls of the third over. He then attacked the offside, hitting three boundaries on the trot off Mohsin Khan in the fourth over.

Narine and Phil Salt (32) gave the two-time champions the explosive start KKR have come to expect from the duo. Together they put up a quick 61-run stand before Naveen-ul Haq took the pace off the ball to send the Englishman packing.

Medium pacer Yash Thakur then stemmed the flow of runs in the final over of the Powerplay, giving away only two runs as KKR reached 70/1.

However, the unperturbed Narine continued his onslaught and brought up his fifty off 27 deliveries with a cheeky late dab that sent the ball rolling past short third.

He took a particular liking to Marcus Stoinis, sending the ball over the fence three times in the 11th over.

But Ravi Bishnoi, on whose bowling Narine was dropped twice before, was third time lucky as he put an end to the all-rounder's spectacular innings.

The LSG bowlers were able to rein in the KKR batters as they kept taking wickets.

Naveen-ul Haq got rid of Andre Russell (12) before Yudhvir Singh, who came as a concussion sub for Mohsin Khan, picked up young Angkrish Raghuvanshi's (32) wicket in the next over.

The Afghan pacer swung back into action to account for the big-hitting Rinku Singh (16) while Thakur removed Shreyas Iyer (23).

But Ramandeep Singh's unbeaten 25 off 6 balls took KKR past the 230-run mark. 

• IPL 2024