IPL 2013: Yusuf Pathan takes KKR to 130 against SRH
Yusuf Pathan scored an unbeaten 29-ball 49 to take Kolkata to a defendable total © IANS (File Photo)
By Jaideep Vaidya
Hyderabad: May 19, 2013
Yusuf Pathan saved Kolkata Knight Riders the blushes with an unbeaten 29-ball 49, including three boundaries and as many sixes, and set Sunrisers Hyderabad a target of 131 to win the match and qualify for the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Kolkata lost wickets at regular intervals and at one point, it didn’t seem like they would cross even 120.
Manvinder Bisla (15) was the first to go in the fifth over after top-edging Thisara Perera straight to Cameron White at short cover. A couple of overs later, a silly mix-up between Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir, where the former just refused to budge from his crease, resulted in the run-out of a livid KKR skipper for 10 runs. Eoin Morgan (9) played his trademark reverse-sweep off the spinner Karan Sharma, before being trapped in front going for the traditional sweep.
Kallis and Yusuf Pathan then shared a run-a-ball 30-run partnership to calm a few nerves, before Dale Steyn got his “enemy tonight” and South Africa teammate caught at deep square-leg for 24. Ryan ten Doeschate (1) didn’t stick around long as he was foxed by the wrong ‘un from Amit Mishra to make it 95 for five.
It was here that Yusuf switched bats and embarked on a late blitz, including hitting Steyn for a massive six over long-on and then urged the partisan Hyderabad crowd to applaud. Steyn took it in good humour and applauded the batsman too, but Yusuf didn’t appear to have taken it very well as a few words were exchanged between the two.
Paras Dogra (5) and Sunil Narine (1) also didn’t trouble the scorers too much, but Yusuf bided his time at the crease well and helped KKR put on 30 runs in the last three overs to take them to a defendable, if not imposing, total.
Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 130 for 7 in 20 overs (Yusuf Pathan 49*, Jacques Kallis 24; Dale Steyn 2 for 24, Anand Rajan 1 for 16) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad.