Kolkata: It was a clinical performance from Suresh Raina and his men as Gujarat Lions cruised to a comprehensive 5 wickets win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 38 of Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Chasing target of 159 runs the visitors reached home with 12 balls to spare. Dinesh Karthik scored a brilliant fifty (51 runs off 29 balls) ably supported by Aaron Finch who played a cameo of 29 runs off 10 balls. The win took the Lions to the top of the table with 14 points from 11 matches. Knight Riders dropped to the third spot in the table with 12 points from 10 matches.
Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith gave a rollicking start for the visitors reaching 42 off only 33 balls. Smith looked more dangerous of the two at the start. He hit some breath taking shots scoring 27 runs from 18 balls with 4 fours and a six off Shakib. But the all rounder from Bangladesh made a good comeback as he sent him back of the next delivery getting him bowled.
McCullum who looked restrained at the beginning opened his shoulders. He hit Morkel for two huge sixes in the same over.
Leg spinner Piyush Chawla gave his team a huge breakthrough as he sent back McCullum who was looking to cut loose. McCullum was caught by Manish Pandey at the boundary for 29 runs. Lions at that stage were 67/2 after 8 overs.
Dinesh Karthik, who came in at No 4 struck three consecutive boundaries of Brad Hogg to take the score to 81/2 after 9 overs. The Tamil Nadu batsman played some intelligent strokes all around the ground as he used the pace of Umesh Yadav to send the ball to the fence. Lions at half way stage were 89/2.
Kathik struck another six as he pulled Umesh Yadav into the stands at backward square leg. Lions were cruising at 103/2 after 12 overs. He kept frustrating the KKR bowlers with his improvised play as he late cut Morkel for another boundary.
Karthik pulled Russell to pick his sixth boundary. The Jamaican gave a crucial breakthrough by getting Raina caught at the boundary by Hogg. Raina scored 14 runs with Lions on 116/3 after 13.5 overs.
But Karthik kept on pilling more agony for the Knights as he scored another boundary towards third man off Russell.
Finch also got into the act as he hit consecutive boundaries off Piyush Chawla. The Aussie followed it up with a huge slog sweep into the stands at mid wicket. The Aussie played a blinder scoring a quick fire 29 runs off 10 balls before getting run out towards the end. His innings included 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Karthik eventually got stumped off Piyush Chawla before scoring a very important 51 runs off 29 balls. His knock included 8 fours and a six with the Lions score at 155/4.
Jadeja hit the winning runs by sweeping Chawla into the stands. The Lions cruised to a convincing 5 wickets win to go top of the IPL table with 14 points from 11 matches.
Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan stitched the highest partnership for the fifth wicket in IPL to resurrect Kolkata Knight Riders innings earlier. The hosts were in deep trouble at 24/4, but a brilliant partnership of 134 runs off only 88 balls from both all rounders took the total to 158/4. Yusuf remained not out on 63 runs off 41 balls with 7 fours and a six. Shakib played a blinder of 66* from 49 balls with four six and fours. Man of the Match Praveen Kumar was the most successful bowler for the Lions taking two wickets for 19 runs.
Veteran Praveen Kumar gave Lions a double breakthrough getting rid of in form Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey in his second over. Kumar bowled Gambhir round his legs for 5 and induced an edge from Pandey for a duck to send Knight Riders on the back foot at 15/2.
Kulkarni got in the act too getting rid of Uthappa for 14. Knight Riders was in deep trouble at 21/3 after 3.3 overs. The Mumbaikar who went for two exquisite cover drives from Uthappa in his first over did got rewarded for maintaining a disciplined line outside off stump.
Suryakumar Yadav, who was promoted ahead of Yusuf Pathan did not last long. He was brilliantly caught at slips by Raina off Smith to send the hosts reeling at 24/4 after 5.5 overs.
Pathan scored his first runs with a boundary. Knight Riders finished the power play at 28/4.
Shakib got a life on 4 runs as he was dropped by Tambe at the boundary off Kulkarni . Knight Riders was 33/4 at that stage.
The Bangladesh all rounder flicked Smith off his pads to pick up his first boundary. Yusuf Pathan sent left arm spinner Shivil Kaushik for a straight six and followed it up with a boundary. Knight Riders was 57/4 at half way stage.
Yusuf steered Ravindra Jadeja to bring up his third boundary. He scored another boundary pulling Tambe to mid wicket and slashed Jadeja for two more boundaries to take Knight Riders to 98/4 after 15 overs. Pathan brought up his half century by pulling Bravo to the square leg. He took 31 balls to reach the milestone with 6 fours and a six.
Shakib who looked to play in, cut loose as he sent Bravo into the stands for his first six. He later hit him for two more sixes in the 18th over. He made the most of the dropped chance as he brought up his fifty with a boundary off Praveen Kumar. He displayed some brilliant improvisation towards the end of the innings. The left hander pulled Bravo for a huge six towards mid wicket. Knight Riders ended their innings at 158/4.
Earlier Gujarat Lions won the toss and chose to field first. Lions made one change with Pravin Tambe coming in for Pradip Sangwan. The hosts though went in with the same team.