Allen carnage keeps KKR alive in playoff race

In a nutshell

Kolkata Knight Riders secured a 27-run win, moved to the seventh spot on the points table, kept their qualification hopes alive, and ensured that 60 games later, all four playoffs spots still remain vacant.

Finn Allen's blazing 35-ball 93, backed by quickfire half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green, laid the platform for Kolkata Knight Riders' 247 for 2 at Eden Gardens on Saturday (May 16). Gujarat Titans' batters were up to task - even as they were behind in the chase for most parts - but eventually the target got too big on them despite impressive performances from Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler.

Match in Phases

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 247/2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93 [35], Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82* [44], Cameron Green 52* [28]) beat Gujarat Titans 218/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85 [49], Jos Buttler 57 [35], Sai Sudharsan 53* [28; Sunil Narine 2-29, Cameron Green 1-25] by 29 runs

Who won KKR the match?

In all honesty, it was Gujarat Titans' fielders with their sloppy work on the field. But due credit to Finn Allen for taking advantage of the chances he was offered. The KKR opener set the tempo, and laid the platform for KKR's massive total. It was a batting-friendly surface but against arguably the most effective bowling attack in the competition, it was no easy task. The assault in the middle overs - which eventually separated the two teams - even forced Gujarat Titans to alter their batting template in vain.

Amidst several brilliant individual performances, it might be hard to notice Green's all-round performance.

Mohammed Siraj dropped a catch

On the penultimate ball of the seventh over, Finn Allen hit straight down Siraj's throat at long on. It was a regulation take, but Siraj made a mess of it. Ideally, given how the tournament has panned out, this would've been one of the many easy slip-ups. But purely in terms of the carnage that followed, it was probably the most expensive drop of the season. Of the next nine deliveries, Allen pumelled 6 6 4 1 6 1 . 6 6. Allen smoked 60 runs in the 17 balls he faced after that dropped catch, setting the momentum for KKR's massive total.

It was neither the first drop of the match nor the last. Off the last ball of the third over, Jason Holder's diving effort to catch Allen at extra cover didn't yield the desired result. Cameron Green on 23 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi on 52 also enjoyed a life each.

Another Allen blaze?

Absolutely. The New Zealander, after enduring three failures at the venue this season, regained the touch that had propelled him to a 33-ball century at Eden Gardnes a couple of months ago. Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj had kept him fairly quiet in the first three overs, but after the Powerplay, he absolutely tore into GT's bowlers. Even in the Powerplay, he did smoke Rabada for a couple of sixes, but the real carnage began in the eighth over when he invited Rashid Khan into the attack with consecutive sixes. He kept the tempo going against Holder, Sai Kishore and Arshad Khan, with the latter getting clubbed for three successive sixes. The hitting was brutal and clean on an easy-paced surface. There was little place for bowlers to hide, and with the fielders not providing adequate support, it only made matters worse for GT.

Seven short of a century, he holed out to the long on fielder early in the 12th over.

What was going on at the other end?

Not much. Ajinkya Rahane, who struggled his way to a run-a-ball 14, was eventually cleaned up by Siraj. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who walked in at the fall of the first wicket, remained largely a spectator to Allen's carnage from the other end. He was largely content with passing the strike over to his partner, but as the partnership flourished, he also started taking his chances. Right after Allen was dropped, Raghuvanshi nonchalantly flicked Holder for a six, and three overs later, sent even Sai Kishore packing for a six over long off.

What happened once Allen departed?

KKR kept the attack going. Raghuvanshi took over the charge, and used his swipes to good effect against Rashid. Green too, after a fairly quite start, took Sai Kishore apart, clearing his front leg and smashing two sixes and a boundary in a space of four balls. Holder delivered a couple of quiet overs, but Green and Raghuvanshi were clear with their intent. Rashid bore the brunt of Green's attack, while Raghuvanshi cracked three sixes and a boundary off Siraj. Both brought up their respective half-centuries, with Green reaching the mark courtesy a boundary in the final over.

1-all

Even before the chase could pick any momentum, both teams suffered an injury blow. On the last ball of the third over, Sai Sudharsan failed to connect a pull and was hit on the elbow by Kartik Tyagi. The batter, in pain, left the field. Earlier in that over, he had cracked two boundaries and a six, and looked in control of taking charge.

However, even before the Powerplay could end, Matheesha Pathirana had to leave the field mid-way through his second over after seeming to be in trouble with his calf. In his debut for KKR, having come in as an Impact Substitute, he had conceded only 9 runs off 8 balls.

What else happened in the Powerplay?

Shubman Gill and Sudharsan had chucked their conventional style of play and resorted to a more aggressive approach with the bat. Within the first 15 balls, they had scored 41 runs, with Saurabh Dubey's wayward lines also helping their cause. However, KKR clawed their way back once Sudharsan left the field. Sunil Narine struck off the first ball, and GT were limited to 56 runs in the powerplay - exactly as many as KKR had scored.

The slowdown

Overs 8 to 13 proved to be the turning point. The same phase in which KKR had hammered 90 runs, GT picked only 61. Much of the credit goes to Varun Chakaravarthy, who conceded only 22 runs in three overs during this period, keeping a check on GT's scoring rate. While Buttler did find his share of boundaries, and Gill clubbed a couple of sixes off Anukul Roy, the required rate soured significantly during this phase.

A foot on the accelerator

With the required rate having mounted past the 16-an-over mark, and with nine wickets still in hand, Gill stepped up. Mid-way through the 14th over, Gill called in for a heavier bat, and immediately went on the offensive against Chakaravarthy, ending his otherwise impressive spell with 4.6.4.

He had used his feet well against the spinners, and Buttler too added to his effort by going after Kartik Tyagi as the duo stretched their partnership to 128 - the most by any GT pair against KKR. With the pressure for the first time getting transferred back to the hosts, Narine was brought back into the attack in the 17th over. He came around the wicket to Gill, and the move paid off. After beating him with a straighter one that went across him, he had Gill holed out at deep square leg.

That proved to be a decisive over as Narine conceded only 5.

Sudharsan returns

The southpaw returned and kept GT's hopes alive by cracking a six and a four off Tyagi. A delivery slipped out of the pacer's hand, but the call of a no-ball was ruled out with a review. The visitors smashed 21 runs in that over, but were still left needing 45 off the last two.

All it required from KKR was one tight over, and it came courtesy Saurabh Dubey, who used his variations well. Sudharsan was convincingly foxed over and over again, and Buttler too departed before the over could wrap up. Sudharsan brought up his half-century with a six in the final over, but the target was well out of sight by then.

Where do they stand now?

While Gujarat Titans find themselves stuck at the second spot, KKR have kept their qualification hopes alive with their fifth win of the season. However, they have jumped only one spot to No. 7 on the table.

Where do they head from here?

Gujarat Titans will head home and enjoy a reasonably long break before facing Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on Thursday (May 21) in their bid to seal a place in the top-two. KKR will remain at home to host Mumbai Indians in their next encounter on Wednesday (May 20).