Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell struck belligerent fifties after veteran Brad Hogg's four-wicket haul to help Kolkata Knight Riders return to winning ways with a seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling Indian Premier League match in Kolkata, on Thursday.
- Scorecard
Playing the formidable CSK for a second time in two days, KKR, who lost by two runs chasing 135 in the first leg clash, had a stiffer target of 166 to chase at the Eden Gardens after skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and once again opted to field.
Chasing the target, KKR found themselves in a familiar position as they were reduced to 57 for three. But last season's top run-getter Robin Uthappa finally came good to steer the chase with a 58-ball unbetean 80, his 14th IPL fifty and first in this season. He struck seven boundaries and one six during his knock.
Uthappa found a perfect ally in West Indian Russell who blasted 59 off 32 balls as the duo put together unconquered 112 runs off just 62 deliveries for the fourth wicket to avenge their loss in Chennai few days back.
By virtue of this win, KKR (eight points) moved past RCB (seven) to the third spot in the table but CSK remained at top with 12 points from eight games.
But the defending champions started their chase in a terrible fashion.
On a day when it was required for their batsmen to seize momentum given by Hogg's incisive four for 28-run brilliant spell, their misery continued after skipper Gambhir (19), Manish Pandey (3) and Suryakumar Yadav's (2) early dismissals.
Debutant Ronit More took a good catch on the edge of the thirdman boundary to dismiss Gambhir off Mohit Sharma (1/22).
As KKR went into a shell and with the asking rate going up, Dhoni smartly brought in his inexperienced duo of Pawan Negi and More, who did not disappoint either by dismissing Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav respectively.
But Uthappa and Russell ensured that the packed house did not return disappointed.
Uthappa brought the crowd back on their feet when he slammed Ashish Nehra over his head for a six and followed it up with two fours in the 15th over in which the veteran India seamer leaked 15 runs.
Russell struck Ravindra Jadeja for one four and six in the next over that yielded 14 runs as from then onwards the victory looked a formality for KKR with the hosts just needing 34 from 24 balls.
Earlier, a stunning four-wicket haul by veteran Brad Hogg enabled Kolkata Knight Riders restrict a marauding Chennai Super Kings to 165 for nine in their 20 overs.
Put into bat, CSK were off to an explosive start, courtesy Brendon McCullum, who smashed a quickfire 31 from 12 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes. But Kolkata bounced back mainly through 44-year-old chinaman bowler Hogg, who registered magnificent figures of four for 29.
Hogg claimed the prized scalps of McCullum and Faf du Plessis in his first over and completed his spell with the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja (24) and Pawan Negi (27).
With McCullum looking ominous at a strike rate that almost touched 300, CSK had stepped on the gas very early after the first ball dismissal of Dwayne Smith, who was brilliantly caught by a diving Ryan ten Doeschate at point off Pat Cummins.
There were raining sixes and fours all over the park with McCullum at his murderous best as he went after Kolkata's pacers -- Cummins and Umesh Yadav.
KKR captain Gautam Gambhir brought in leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in the fifth over with du Plessis on strike and the South African matched his explosive Kiwi partner by smashing the leggie for three boundaries.
Australian Hogg turned around the fortunes for KKR by striking twice in his first over with the wickets of the two set batsmen -- McCullum and du Plessis.
CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (1) could survive just four balls before being castled by a Chawla wrong one as KKR bounced back in the game with Chennai slipping to 72 for five after seven overs.
Bravo and Jadeja ensured that there was no further damage as they batted sensibly, putting on 57 runs for the sixth wicket.
Left-hander Negi played a fine cameo when he smashed a wayward Cummins for three boundaries in an over before Hogg once again made his presence felt with double strike in his final over.
Chennai had handed pacer Ronit More his IPL debut bringing him in place of Ishwar Pandey while left-arm spinner Negi replaced the injured Ravichandran Ashwin.