Kolkata, April 22: Yusuf Pathan’s late burst and useful contributions from Jacques Kallis and skipper Gautam Gambhir helped Kolkata Knight Riders post a challenging score of 171 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match here today.
Yusuf consolidated with a smashing 46 from only 24 balls that had three huge sixes and three boundaries once Kallis (40, 42 balls, 3×4) and Gautam Gambhir (48, 38 balls, 6×4) set the platform.
Courtesy some wayward bowling from India speedster Zaheer Khan who conceded 53 from his four overs, KKR got off to a breezy start.
Put into bat under gloomy conditions, Kallis and Brad Haddin zoomed to 33 for no loss from the first two overs with an error-prone Zaheer giving away 19 from his first.
But slow bowlers put brakes on the Knight Riders run-rate as left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad (1/20) impressed on his IPL debut.
——–Pti