Karthik overpowers Dhoni’s CSK

Dinesh Karthik hit a whirlwind 14-ball 45 and Subhman Gill struck a beefy fifty to throttle Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a resounding six-wicket win against leaders Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata today.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik batted in a way as if his shirt was on fire, hitting seven fours and a six, as KKR made Super King’s stiff total of 177 for five an easy chase, romping to 180-4 with 14 balls to spare.

Gill also hit an equally impressive 57 off 36 balls that contained six fours and a couple of sixes. The victory took Knight Riders to the third position behind Super Kings and Shakib Al Hasan’s Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eight-team table with 10 points.

KKR were never troubled after player-of-the-match Sunil Narine gave them a rollicking start. The left-hander struck a 20-ball 32 after claiming two wickets for 20 runs in his four overs. The West Indies leg- spinner dismissed a menacing Shane Watson for 36 before removing Ambati Rayudu for 21. Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored a quick-fire 43 off 25 balls, but his KKR counterpart Karthik more than matched that exploit when it was his turn.