IPL 2017, KXIP vs KKR: Chris Lynn’s dismissal is the SK Turning Point of the Match

The Kings XI Punjab kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling win over the Kolkata Knight Riders at Mohali on Tuesday. Batting first, the KXIP pushed and prodded their way to a score of 167/6 riding on skipper Glenn Maxwell’s 44(25) and Wriddhiman Saha’s 38(33).

Rahul Tewatia also played a crucial hand with the bat, managing a cameo of 15*(8) at the end of the innings. The KKR bowlers also did a decent job with the ball. Chris Woakes was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-0-20-2. Although Kuldeep Yadav was expensive – he went for 37 runs in his three overs – he did pick up the important wickets of Maxwell and Saha.

A target of 168 looked like a cake-walk for the Kolkata Knight Riders considering the form they were in. However, no one could have predicted what was to follow.

The opening duo of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine once again provided KKR with a fabulous start as they put on 39 runs. It was Narine who departed first for a score of 18(10) being clean bowled by Mohit Sharma. However, Lynn carried on alongside his new partner at the crease, Gautam Gambhir, to take KKR’s score above 60 at the end of the power-play.

However, the KKR skipper soon began to struggle at the crease and the momentum of the game began shifting towards the home side. It was then that Rahul Tewatia produced an inspiring spell as he claimed the wickets of both Gambhir and Uthappa in the same over.

Extra Cover: IPL 2017, KXIP vs KKR: Rahul Tewatia's double blow is the SK Play of the Day

Thus, KKR found themselves in the mire having lost 3 wickets for 79 runs, however, they still had Manish Pandey and Lynn at the crease. The duo tried to resurrect the innings but failed to up the ante. They scored at a run-a-ball and tried to take the innings as deep as possible.

Lynn was going great guns until his dismissal

It was all on Lynn for KKR as even Pandey used up 23 valuable deliveries for his 18 runs. They did, however, manage to stitch a partnership of 52 runs at a run-a-ball but it was in 18^th over that the complexion of the match changed completely.

The Turning Point

Lynn was once again proving his worth as a batsman having scored his second consecutive half-century after his recovery from a shoulder injury. He was fighting a lone battle at one end with no support from the other end at all.

He would have taken KKR home safely had he stayed until the end. However, the 18^th over by Matt Henry turned out to be Kolkata’s downfall. First, he dismissed Manish Pandey (18) and then Lynn was run-out for 84(52) by Axar Patel.

Watch the dismissal here

Lynn’s dismissal all but guaranteed the victory for KXIP. The Aussie had struck eight power-packed boundaries and three huge sixes on his way to 84 and there was hardly any bowler who looked like troubling him during his stay. But his dismissal meant the end of KKR’s challenge and hence was the turning point of the match.

KKR required 36 runs to win in 16 balls after Lynn’s dismissal. However, they fell short by 14 runs with Grandhomme (11) and Woakes (8) remaining unbeaten at the crease.