IPL-9: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets

Skipper Gautam Gambhir's superb half-century, powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match on Sunday

Hyderabad: Brilliant bowling by the pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel, followed by skipper Gautam Gambhir's superb half-century, powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match on Sunday.

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir plays a shot during the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pic/AFP

The Knight Riders took early control by reducing the Sunrisers to 50 for four in 10 overs before Eoin Morgan led the fight-back with a breezy 51 off 43 balls to help the hosts, who elected to bat first, reach a respectable 142 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.

The visiting team made a fantastic start in the run-chase with openers Robin Uthappa (38) and Gambhir (90 not out) putting on 92 runs for the first wicket.

There was no stopping the Knight Riders charge after the fine start and they reached the target in 18.2 overs with Gambhir remaining unconquered on a well-made 90 off just 60 balls, embellished with 13 fours and a six.

Gambhir finished off the game in style by hitting a boundary off Karn Sharma to take the team to 146 for two with 10 balls to spare.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, the Sunrisers lost four of their top five batsmen with only 50 runs on board, including that of skipper David Warner's (13) wicket.

They were revived by Morgan and Naman Ojha (37 off 28 balls) as the duo put on a solid fifth wicket stand of 67 runs together off just 47 deliveries to take the team to a respectable total.

Pace duo of Umesh (3/28) and Morkel (2/35) did their job to perfection as they ran through the Sunrisers top order.

Out-of-form opener Shikhar Dhawan (6) was the first to depart in the third over when KKR wicketkeeper Uthappa took a smart catch off Morkel's bowling.

Warner, who got a life in the very first over of the match as he benifitted from a no ball delivery, failed to capitalise on it and gave away his wicket to Umesh with fielder Suryakumar Yadav diving forward to grab it. Warner's 13 off 12 balls included two boundaries.

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