Abu Dhabi: Spectular bowling performance by Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal restricted Kolkata Knight Riders at 84/8 in their 20 overs here at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will now come out to chase the below-par target of 85.
After electing to bat first, KKR had the worst start of the season as they lost top-three batsmen at the score of 3-3 in 2.2 overs.
Chris Morris bowled the first over for RCB and just gave three runs off it. Mohammed Siraj came to bowl the second over and changed the momentum of the game as he scalped Rahul Tripathi (1) and Nitish Rana (0) and finished as a double-wicket maiden.
In the next over, Virat Kohli handed the bowl to Navdeep Saini despite an economical over by Morris. Saini did not let his skipper down and claimed Shubman Gill (1) in the third over.
Tom Banton and Dinesh Karthik then tried to build the innings but Siraj, in his second over, claimed the former and dismantled the KKR’s innings. Siraj became the first bowler in the IPL to bowl two maiden overs in a game. KKR were at 4-14 after 3.3. overs.
Eoin Morgan joined Karthik in the middle and stitched an 18-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Yuzvendra Chahal bagged Karthik (4) in the ninth over.
Pat Cummins too failed to had a great outing and was dismissed by Chahal after scoring four runs.
KKR skipper Morgan was the only batsman who got going for the side but his innings was ended by Washinton Sundar in the 16th over. Morgan played a knock of 30 runs.
Lockie Ferguson scored 19 runs while Kuldeep Yadav played a knock of 12-run before getting run out on the last ball of the innings.
In the end, KKR were restricted to 84/8 in their 20 overs.
For RCB, Siraj returned with the figures of 3-8 while Chahal clinched two wickets.
Brief scores: KKR 84/8 (Eoin Morgan 30, Lockie Ferguson 19, Mohammed Siraj 3-8, Y Chahal 2-15)