Gony leads Kings XI to upset win over KKR

Toss: Kings XI Punjab won the toss and chose to bat

Result: Kings XI won by four runs.

Click here for the scorecard.

Kings XI Punjab: 157/9 (Gony 42, Mandeep 41, Kallis 3-33)

Sunil Narine took the first hat-trick in the 2013IPL, but it was Manpreet Gony who would have the last laugh. Narine had David Hussey caught behind before getting Azhar Mahmood to pop a simple return catch back to him. Gurkeerat Singh had no idea about the carrom ball and lost his offstump to send Narine and KKR into rapture. At that stage, KXIP were 99/6 after 15 overs. Enter Gony.

He hit Senanayake for two fours, Balaji for a four and a six in the course of taking 15 runs from the 18th over, and then smashed Narine for six, four and six off consecutive deliveries. He was bowled by Kallis with the first ball of the final over, but the damage had been done – 42 from 18 balls to push KXIP past 150.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 153/9 (Gambhir 60, Morgan 47, Mahmood 3-21)

Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis both fell with just one run on the board but Gautam Gambhir and Eoin Morgan first steadied Knight Riders, then went on the offensive, with Gambhir smashing David Hussey for three consecutive fours. The pair added 105 together in 11.5 overs when Gambhir chased a wide won from Gony and nicked it to the keeper. At that stage KKR needed 52 from 42 balls and the wicket seemed like a speed bump on the road to victory. But it set off a sequence of wickets instead as the runs dried up.

Morgan fell in the next over and Manoj Tiway fell two overs later. Yusuf Pathan was the last recognised batsman but he struggled with his timing and couldn’t get the ball away. Rajat Bhatia hit Awana for two huge sixes in the 19th over to raise KKR’s hopes but Yusuf and Senanayake were both dismissed in the last over as KKR came up just short. Gony’s last two overs cost just two runs as he finished with figures of 2 for 18.

Turning Point

Knight Riders were cruising at 106 for 2 when Gambhir went after a wide delivery from Gony. When Eoin Morgan fell in the next over, KKR had lost their set batsmen and never recovered.

Man of the Match: Manpreet Gony