IPL 2020: KXIP vs KKR, Match 24, 1st innings: Karthik, Gill power Kolkata Knight Riders to 164/6

Bengaluru, Oct. 10: Dinesh Karthik silenced his critics with a whirlwind knock as the captain led the Kolkata Knight Riders from the front to put up a defendable 164/6 against the Kings XI Punjab in match number 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
Playing the first match of the weekend double-header, the Knight Riders skipper scored a scintillating 58 off 29 to help the Kolkata team recover from a shaky start and put up a modest total.
The Knights set a target of 165 in Abu Dhabi. With KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran in fine form, the chase might not be that tough, but on this surface it won't be a walk in the park either.
After opting to bat, the Knight Riders got off to a disastrous start as Punjab's leading bowler Mohammed Shami picked up two wickets in his second over. Shami knocked back the middle stumps to remove Rahul Tripathi for just 4 off 10. With the opener gone, Shami picked up another important wicket as Nitish Rana was run out for just 2.
KKR got off to a shaky start as they posted just 25 for two wickets in the powerplay. With the top order crumbling, captain Karthik sent Eoin Morgan up the order. Morgan and Gill steadied the Knight's innings with a solid partnership of 49 off 43. But youngster Ravi Bishnoi once again picked up an important wicket as he removed Morgan for just 24 off 23.
With KKR three wickets down, the skipper walked in. And he played a captain's knock to guide to Knight Riders' to a defendable total. Karthik scored a scintillating 58 off 29. His innings was studded with eight fours and two sixes.
The skipper's partnership with opener Gill, saw KKR add the important runs on the board. The duo stitched together 82 runs off 43 deliveries to hand the Knight's a defendable total.
Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi bowled economical spells picking up a wicket each to help the Kings XI Punjab restrict the Knight Riders.