Kolkata, Apr 9 (PTI) Kolkata Knight Riders’ inexperience in pace bowling came back to haunt them yet again as Lucknow Super Giants rode on a stunning late assault from rookie Mukul Choudhary and a fifty
from Ayush Badoni to clinch a three-wicket win in a last-ball IPL thriller here on Thursday.
Defending 181, KKR looked in control when Cameron Green, making his much-anticipated bowling debut this season, struck with his second ball to remove LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.
But the Australian all-rounder, short on bowling rhythm following workload management after back surgery, could not deliver at the death.
Tasked to bowl the crucial penultimate over with 30 runs needed off the last two overs, Green conceded 16 runs as 21-year-old debutant Choudhary turned the game on its head with fearless hitting, smashing two sixes and a four, including a flat hit over long leg.
With 14 required off the final over, Vaibhav Arora, who has played the lead bowler this season for KKR in the absence of Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana, faltered under pressure.
Choudhary sealed the contest in dramatic fashion, launching two sixes, including one off the penultimate delivery after a missed yorker that was dispatched over deep cover.
Needing just one off the final ball, the batters scampered through as Choudhary capped a sensational knock, finishing unbeaten on 54 off 27 balls (7×6, 2×4), one of the finest cameos down the order this season.
He shared an unbroken 54-run stand with Avesh Khan, which came off just 24 balls, underlining KKR’s struggles at the death.
Earlier, Badoni had anchored the chase with a well-compiled 54 (34 balls; 7×4, 2×6) to keep LSG in the hunt before Choudhary’s late blitz as they scripted a remarkable turnaround from being 128/7 in 16 overs.
The defeat meant KKR remained winless after four matches, with their lone point coming from a rain-abandoned game against Punjab Kings.
LSG, on the other hand, registered back-to-back wins to move to the top half of the table with four points.
Under scrutiny as the IPL’s costliest overseas buy (Rs 25.20 crore), Green produced his best outing with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 32 off 24 balls (3×4, 1×6).
He stitched a crucial unbroken stand with Rovman Powell (39 not out; 24 balls, 4×4, 2×6) to lift KKR to a competitive 181/4 after a mid-innings slowdown.
Green, who had been held back from bowling following back surgery and workload management directives from Cricket Australia, finally rolled his arm over in the ninth over and struck immediately.
With his second delivery, a sharp short ball, he dismissed LSG skipper Rishabh Pant (10), who top-edged a mistimed hook to short fine leg.
It came after Arora had rocked LSG with two wickets in three balls, removing Aiden Markram (22; 15 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (15; 11 balls) to derail their brisk start.
From 41/0 in four overs, LSG suddenly lost momentum and were left with a stiff chase.
Markram and Marsh had set the tone with aggressive strokeplay, the former taking on Saini with a flurry of boundaries in an 18-run over.
But Arora’s well-directed short-ball ploy paid off as Markram miscued a pull, while Marsh gloved one down the leg side.
With Pant’s dismissal adding to the slide, LSG were reduced to a tricky position, though the game was still in balance at 84/3 with 97 needed off the last 10 overs and Nicholas Pooran alongside a well-set Badoni.
Pooran threatened briefly, striking Green for a six, but KKR kept chipping away.
Kartik Tyagi provided the key breakthrough, dismissing Pooran (13) in the 12th over.
Sunil Narine then tightened the screws with a superb one-run over, building pressure that led to further wickets.
Abdul Samad (2) fell soon after, while Badoni, fighting a lone battle with a well-made 54, also got out to leave LSG struggling at 125/6.
From there, the chase fizzled out quickly as the target proved beyond reach, before Choudhary pulled it off in a stunning fashion.
KKR’s third loss also highlighted their middle over slump as from being 98/1 at the halfway mark, they missed the 200-run mark.
The duo added 84 runs off 52 balls and looked set to power the home side past 200 after Finn Allen (9) fell for a second successive single-digit score.
However, a smart mix of spin and tidy pace bowling triggered another familiar middle-overs slump for KKR who lost three wickets between overs 11 and 14.
Rahane (41 off 24 balls; 4×4, 2×6) fell to spinner Digvesh Rathi with Mohammed Shami completing a fine low catch, while Raghuvanshi (45 off 33 balls; 5×4, 2×6) holed out to long-on in the very next over off left-arm spinner Maniraman Siddharth.
The slide worsened when Avesh Khan returned strongly after an expensive start to clean up Rinku Singh (4) with a sharp back-of-a-length delivery that seamed away, leaving KKR without a boundary for 30 balls.
KKR slipped to 115/4 in 15 overs, once again exposing their fragility in the middle phase.
Thanks to a late flourish from Rovman Powell (39 not out off 24 balls; 4×4, 2×6) KKR managed a competitive total.
Powell also brought out the best in Cameron Green who from being eight off 13 balls finished with 32 not out (24 balls; 3×4, 1×6).
It was the Australian all-rounder’s best show for KKR in four innings but there will still be question mark. PTI TAP PDS PDS
