KKR’s pace woes exposed as LSG pull off last- ball win in IPL
Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders’ inexperience in pace bowling came back to haunt them yet again as Lucknow Super Giants rode on a stunning late assault from rookie Mukul Choudhary and a fifty from Ayush Badoni to clinch a three-wicket win in a last-ball IPL thriller here on Thursday.
Defending 181, KKR looked in control when Cameron Green, making his much-anticipated bowling debut this season, struck with his second ball to remove LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.
But the Australian all-rounder, short on bowling rhythm following workload management after back surgery, could not deliver at the death.
Tasked to bowl the crucial penultimate over with 30 runs needed off the last two overs, Green conceded 16 runs as 21-year-old debutant Choudhary turned the game on its head with fearless hitting, smashing two sixes and a four, including a flat hit over long leg.
With 14 required off the final over, Vaibhav Arora, who has played the lead bowler
this season for KKR in the absence of Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana, faltered under pressure.
Choudhary sealed the contest in dramatic fashion, launching two sixes, including one off the penultimate delivery after a missed
yorker that was dispatched over deep cover.
Needing just one off the final ball, the batters scampered through as Choudhary capped a sensational knock, finishing unbeaten
on 54 off 27 balls (7x6, 2x4), one of the finest cameos down the order this season.
He shared an unbroken 54-run stand with Avesh Khan, which came off just 24 balls, underlining KKR’s struggles at the death.
Earlier, Badoni had anchored the chase with a well-compiled 54 (34 balls; 7x4, 2x6) to keep LSG in the hunt before Choudhary’s late blitz as they scripted a remarkable turnaround from being 128/7 in 16 overs.
The defeat meant KKR remained winless after four matches, with their lone point coming from a rain-abandoned game against Punjab Kings.
LSG, on the other hand, registered back-to-back wins to move to the top half of the table with four points.
Under scrutiny as the IPL’s costliest overseas buy (Rs 25.20 crore), Green produced his best outing with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 32 off 24 balls (3x4, 1x6).
He stitched a crucial unbroken stand with Rovman Powell (39 not out; 24 balls, 4x4, 2x6) to lift KKR to a competitive 181/4 after a mid-innings slowdown.
Green, who had been held back from bowling following back surgery and workload management
directives from Cricket Australia, finally rolled his arm over in the ninth over and struck immediately.
With his second delivery, a sharp short ball, he dismissed LSG skipper Rishabh Pant (10), who top-edged a mistimed hook to short fine leg.
It came after Arora had rocked LSG with two wickets in three balls, removing Aiden Markram (22; 15 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (15; 11 balls) to derail their brisk start.
From 41/0 in four overs, LSG suddenly lost momentum and were left with a stiff chase.
