Gambhir, Uthappa guide KKR to 7-wicket win

Kolkata Knight Riders continued to impress in IPL 2017 as they put in a clinical performance to beat Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets at Eden Gardens.

Gautam Gambhir (71 off 52) and Robin Uthappa (59 off 33) impressed with the bat for the hosts, helping them chase down the 160/6 scored by Delhi Daredevils, who were asked to bat first.

Nathan Coulter-Nile was the stand-out bowler for KKR with figures of 3 for 34, while Sanju Samson gave DD a solid platform with a 38-ball 60 earlier in the innings.

This is KKR’s 12th successive win while chasing at the Eden Gardens. They know their strengths and play to it. Gambhir plays the anchor, while Narine, Uthappa and whoever follows use the long handle. On Friday, the trend followed.

Needing to chase down 160, KKR went about their chase with surgical precision. Despite the early setback of losing Narine, Gambhir stood firm at one end and let Uthappa take the attack to the Delhi bowlers.

With the right-hander going well, Gambhir did not fall into the trap of matching his batting partner. He was content taking the singles and the occasional boundary as Delhi’s challenge slowly wilted.

The pair added 100 runs for the second wicket, their fifth overall, as KKR slowly but surely put themselves in complete control. It took a direct throw from Karun Nair to end the stand, with Uthappa out for 59 off 33 in the 13th over.

By then, however, the result was a foregone conclusion and Gautam Gambhir came into his own to finish the game off in the 17th over.

Source: cricbuzz