Dhawan blitz propels Punjab to 179-7 against Knights

PBKS’s Shikhar Dhawan during the match against KKR at Eden Gardens yesterday. Pic/PTI

Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings managed a 179-7 against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Monday.
At the time of going to press, KKR were 67-2 after 8 overs.

The visitors had begun in rollicking fashion before KKR, in another must-win match, pulled things back with wickets at regular intervals. It was an unfinished partnership of 40 off 16 balls between Shahrukh Khan and Harpreet Brar that took Punjab from a dissapointing to a challenging total.

Earlier, it was Shikhar Dhawan who kept the innings on course with a 47-ball 57, the skipper adding 53 off 44 with Jitest Sharma after three early blows.

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On a hot and sultry day, Punjab's openers went guns blazing against KKR's inexperienced new-ball attack, Prabhsimran sending Vaibhav to the boundary thrice in the first over and Shikhar Dhawan smashing two more off Harshit Rana in the next.

The plan was evident and seemed to be working but Singh perished overdoing it as he gave Harshit the charge in the third over to top-edge to wicketkeeper Gurbaz. Harshit removed new man Rajpaksa in his next over, Gurbaz again involved in the dismissal as the Sri Lankan had a swipe at wide off the off-stump.

When Varun Chakravarthy, coming in to stem the flow of runs after Andre Russell went for 19 in the fifth, removed the in-form Liam Livingstone, Punjab had lost much of the initiative they hoped to gain after deciding on first strikeChakravarthy came back to break the fourth-wicket partnership by removing Sharma, Gurbaz gloving the snick well as it reared up on his right.