IPL 2020: KXIP vs KKR Match 24, Highlights: Kolkata Knight Riders notch up nerve-wracking 2-run win over Kings XI Punjab

Bengaluru, Oct. 10: It all went down to the last over. 14 was needed off it. Narine the bowler. A wicket on the penultimate delivery. Maxwell to face the last ball. 7 needed for a win. Six needed for a Superover.Everyone is on edge as it goes high in the air and lands just inches short of the boundary. The umpire ruled it for a four and the replays confirmed it as Kings XI Punjab fell to an agonising 2-run loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Saturday.IPL 2020: KXIP vs KKR, Match 24 UpdatesAnd the story of so-close-yet-so-far continued for the KL Rahul-led Punjab side as they let another easy win slip through their fingers. After KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik opted to bat first, the Kings XI Punjab put up a good show with the ball to restrict the Knight Riders to 164. Man-of-the-match Karthik played a scintillating knock of 58 off 29 to put enough on the board for the KKR bowlers to defend. But it wasnt that tough an ask as Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul handed the Punjab a flying start as they put up an opening partnership of 115 off just 86. With such a strong start it was just a matter of time before Punjab picked up their second win of the season. Prasidh Krishna handed Kolkata the much needed breakthrough in the 15th over as he picked up Agarwals wicket. Mayanks innings of 56 off 39 ended as Maxwell Shubman Gill picked him up at deep midwicket. After Agarwals departure, Nicholas Pooran walked in. The game was still in Punjabs control. But Narine, the T20 specialist, hit the top of the middle stump to send Pooran back for 16 off 10. But with Rahul and Maxwell in the centre, KXIP were still in control, though the pressure was surely building. And it all came down to the last two overs. Rahuls solid 74 off 58 went in vain as Karnataka teammate Krishna bowled him to put KKR right back in the game. And from thereon, it was Narines who wrote the rest of the script as he tightened the noose in the final over to hand KKR their fourth win of the season.Earlier, after opting to bat Karthik silenced his critics with a whirlwind knock as the captain led the Kolkata Knight Riders from the front to put up a 164/6.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 Knight Riders got off to a disastrous start as Punjabs 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 Knights 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 captains 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 skippers 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 Knights 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. With the edge-of-the-seat win, the Knight Riders have climbed to the third spot on the table, with eight points from six matches. Meanwhile, the Punjab team remain at the bottom of the table, with only two points from seven matches.