Narine sends RCB packing

Sunil Narine played key roles with bat and ball to hand the Kolkata Knight Riders a slender four-wicket victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League Eliminator at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Monday.

Narine claimed 4-21 with the ball to help restrict the Challengers Bangalore to 138 for seven after Virat Kohli had won the toss and elected to bat first. Then Narine came to the crease with Kolkata slightly behind the run rate and clubbed his first three balls for three consecutive sixes to change the nature of the chase as Kolkata reached 139 for six with two balls to spare.

The victory sends Kolkata into the second qualifier to face off against the Delhi Capitals on Wednesday for a spot in Friday’s final against the Chennai Super Kings.

Kohli (39) and Devdutt Padikkal (21) had given RCB the perfect start with an aggressive opening stand of 49 from 33 deliveries, scoring at almost 10 runs to the over but Lockie Ferguson (4-0-30-2) broke the opening stand when Padikkal played on to his stumps.

Narine then dismissed Srikar Bharat (9) and claimed the all-inportant wicket of Kohli, clean-bowled to set the cat among the pigeons. With Glenn Maxwell (15) and AB de Villiers (11) at the crease, RCB were looking for two of their star batsmen to take Bangalore to the next level.

However, Narine beat De Villiers’ defense, taking out the middle stump before having Maxwell caught by Ferguson at short third man. Ferguson then had Shahbaz Ahmed caught on the square=leg boundary by Shivan Mavi for 13 and then combined with Mavi to run out Dan Christian for just nine.

Narine was brilliantly supported by Shakib Al Hasan (4-0-24-0) and Varun Chakravarthy (4-0-20-0) as the spinners took control of the middle overs.

In reply, Shubman Gill (29) and Venkatesh Iyer (26) laid the perfect platform for the chase with an opening stand of 41 from 32 balls before the tournaments leading wicket-taker, Harshal Patel (4-0-19-2) had Gill caught at long off by De Villiers.

Yuzvendra Chahal (4-0-16-2) then dismissed Rahul Tripathi (6), trapped in front before Patel had Iyer edging behind to Bharat behind the stumps. Chahal then had Nitish Rana (23) caught down the ground after striking one four and a six to leave Kolkata in a bit of a spin.

But Narine strode out to the crease and took an immediate liking to Christian (1.4-29-0) as he struck his first three legal deliveries for six, down to fine leg, then over backward square-leg and then a one-handed stroke down the ground.

Mohammed Siraj (4-0-19-2) then gave the Knight Riders some striking nerves as he bowled Narine, who faced 15 deliveries and then had Dinesj Karthik caught behind for 10, going to 100 T20 wickets.

But Eoin Morgan (five not out) and Shakib (nine not out) saw to it that KKR would live to fight another day against Delhi and spoil, what turned out to be, Kohli’s final match in charge.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Virat Kohli (capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat (wk), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy