Uthappa, Shakib take Knight Riders to an imposing total

Kolkata, May 22 (IANS) Overcoming initial hiccups, Robin Uthappa and Shakib Al Hassan powered Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing 195/4 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Eden Gardens here Thursday.

The Uthappa juggernaut rolled on as he partnered Shakib 60 (38b 5x4 3x6) to stitch a 121-run partnership to enable the mammoth score for the Knights who are just a win away from securing a berth for the play-offs. Uthappa 83 (51b 10x4 1x6) and Ryan ten Doeschate (6) remained unbeaten.

For the visitors, Mitchell Starc (1/32), Ashok Dinda (1/38) and Abu Nechim (1/33) were the wicket takers.

After having won their last five encounters chasing, the Knights's applecart was upset a bit when RCB captain Virat Kohli asked them to bat first. The start for the home team turned inauspicious after skipper Gautam Gambhir (4) had to depart in the very first over nicking Mitchell Starc to be caught behind.

Uthappa, who has been in terrific form, played cautiously to repair the damage but Manish Pandey 13 (12b 3x4) starting to look good, was snared by Starc off the bowling of Ashok Dinda to put the Knights' at 23/2 in the fourth over.

There was further disaster for the Knights, when Yusuf Pathan, who looked in ominous touch belting two sixes and a four to quickly race to 22, was run out attempting for a non-existent single. A desperate dive could not save the burly all-rounder from taking the long walk back to the dugout as his team looked in trouble with 56/3 after seven overs.

Unfazed by the dismissals, Uthappa continued his brilliant show with bat, hitting some crisp boundaries including a towering six down the ground off spinner Yujavendra Chahal.

With the wicket keeping low and affording turn, Kohli brought in his spinners to make further inroads. But Uthappa joining hands with Shakib scored at a brisk rate to take the score past 100 in the 12th over.

Even as Uthappa reached his fifth half century of the season, Shakib tore into leggie Chahal scoring 24 runs of his last over, including three massive hits into the crowd, as KKR galloped to 150/3 in the 16 over.

Kohli continued to juggle round his bowlers but in vain as Uthappa and Shakib, who have been revelations for the Knights notched up their century stand in just 61 balls. Continuing his good run, Shakib scored his first half century of the season in just 32 balls.

The 121 run partnership for the fourth wicket was broken when Shakib was bowled by Nechim for 60. The Knights scored an impressive 45 runs in the last four overs losing just a wicket.