IPL 2018 : Kolkata Knight Riders Enter Play-Offs, Beat Sunrisers Hyderabad By 5 Wickets

Picture Credit : BCCI

Kolkata Knight Riders needed a win to seal play- offs berth and they did that in style. Powered by Aussie opener Lynn’s half-century and a fine spell of bowling from young Prasidh Krishna Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in an IPL encounter.

Lynn struck a brisk 55 off 43 balls with three sixes and four boundaries, Narine smashed 29 in just 10 to give the visitors a flying start. Robin Uthappa, contributed 45 off 34 balls

In front of packed home crowd at Hyderabad, Sunrisers after a great start could not sustain the momentum and could post a targets of 172 for nine . Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami (35) added 79 runs in 8.4 overs, an opening record. But the rest barring Williamson failed to score big and this mattered in the end.

KKR, while chasing on the other hand reached the target with two balls to spare finishing at 173 for five.

Earlier, SRH opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scored for the hosts with 50 off 39 balls, while skipper Kane Williamson blazed away to 36 in just 17, hitting three sixes in the process.

But KKR,  staged a fightback as SRH managed just 45 runs in the last 7.1 overs after Williamson’s dismissal.  The loss exposed some chinks in the SRH armoury before the play- offs.

SRH are already there with the  Chennai Super Kings and now with KKR joining them.  The race fore the final play- offs spot will see three teams battling for it – Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab