Xtra Time Web Desk : Andre Russell and Umesh Yadav on Friday performed brilliantly as Kolkata Knight Riders sealed a huge 6 wicket win over Punjab Kings in their second match of the Indian Premier League.
Umesh (4/23), coming into the season with just two games over two IPL seasons and going unsold initially at the auction, produced career-best T20 figures to help KKR dismiss Punjab for a below par 137 in 18.2 overs.
It was supposed to be a straight forward chase but Rahul Chahar raised Punjab’s hopes with a double wicket maiden to reduced KKR to 51 for four.
However, Russell (70 not out off 31 balls) came out in the middle and changed the game with his barrage of sixes, eight in total, to make it a cakewalk in just 14.3 overs. He smashed three sixes off Odean Smith in an over that went for 30 runs.
No rope is long enough when Russell is going all guns blazing and he was in that kind of zone on Friday night. The Jamaican dasher fittingly ended the game with a couple of sixes off Liam Livingtsone’s friendly leg-breaks.
It was KKR’s second win in three games while Punjab suffered their first loss of the season after the win over RCB.