HYDERABAD: There was no stopping Kolkata Knight Riders. They galloped to a seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.
This was their fourth consecutive win. It also brightened their chances for a place in the play-offs.
KKR have 12 points from 11 matches with six wins. But the listless Sunrisers, despite having a new captain in Darren Sammy, slumped to their third successive loss at home. They now stand on the edge with their hopes in tatters as this was their seventh loss of the season from 11 matches.
Sunrisers have only eight points and play three more matches. Electing to bat, the Sunrisers could not recover from the early punches in the first session.
They floundered to make 142 for eight. The target was too small to defend and KKR romped home in 19.4 overs.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir fell in the second over to Dale Steyn. The Sunrisers had chance of a second wicket in the sixth over. But Shikhar Dhawan missed a skier at covers when Robin Uthappa was on nine.
Capitalizing on the reprieve, Uthappa coasted to 33-ball 40 before he was run-out, thanks to a brilliant piece of fielding by Sammy.
But his stand of 51 with Manish Pandey (35) put KKR on course. Pandey stitched 45 runs with Yusuf Pathan, who played a cameo 28-ball 39 not out to seal the issue for KKR.
Ryan ten Doeschate (25 not out) slammed one boundary and a six in the 20th over to signal KKR’s win.
Read more: Sunrisers Fail to Rise After Early Punches