IPL 2021: Eoin Morgan powers KKR to victory against PBKS
A significant partnership between Rahul Tripathi and Eoin Morgan propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to victory against Punjab Kings in the 21st game of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The duo helped the Kings Riders chase down 124 after they were reduced to 17/3 at one stage. Earlier, the KKR bowlers dented the plight of Punjab Kings. Here are the records broken.
How did the match pan out?
Put in to bat, Punjab made a steady start. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 36 runs before the former departed. The middle-order was in complete disarray due to lack of partnerships. Eventually, Chris Jordan's late cameo (30) drove Punjab to 123/9 in 20. Although KKR were off to a terrible start, their run-chase was powered by Rahul Tripathi and Eoin Morgan.
Tripathi and Morgan added 66 crucial runs
Chasing 124, Kolkata Knight Riders were reduced to 17/3 initially. However, top-order batsman Rahul Tripathi took the onus and drove KKR forward. He was joined by skipper Eoin Morgan, who kept the KKR innings afloat. The duo shared a 66-run stand to steady the ship, however, Rahul got dismissed soon after. Rahul scored 41 off 32 balls with the help of 7 fours.
Prasidh Krishna took three wickets for KKR
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna remained the pick of KKR bowlers in the match. He was introduced in the attack right after the powerplay. In his very first over, he dismissed middle-order batsman Deepak Hooda. Prasidh also impressed in the death, taking wickets of Shahrukh Khan and Chris Jordan. Overall, he registered figures of 3/30 in four.
Narine finally finds his form
Off-spinner Sunil Narine finally found form in the ongoing season. He turned out to be deceptive even though the wicket assisted the batsmen. Narine picked two wickets in the form of Mayank and Moises Henriques. He conceded only 22 runs at an economy-rate of 5.50. Narine has now become the eighth bowler to take 130 or more wickets in the IPL.
Punjab failed to get going in the powerplay
Punjab Kings couldn't do much damage in the powerplay. They were dragged on the back foot by fast bowler Shivam Mavi, who bowled four back-to-back overs. Punjab even lost KL Rahul just before the six-over mark. They managed only 37/1 in the powerplay. The KL Rahul-led side have now made the three lowest first-innings totals of the IPL 2021.
