An all-round performance from West Indies star Andre Russell has led the Kolkata Knight Riders to a 28-run victory over the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL this morning.
Losing the toss and put in to bat first, the Knight Riders found themselves in strife early in their innings, losing both openers inside the powerplay to be 36/2, bringing together the combination of Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana.
The pair would turn the tables on the Kings XI, adding 110 for the third wicket, before Rana was dismissed for 63 from 34 balls, with two fours and seven sixes.
Rana's dismissal would see Russell arrive at the crease, with the Winides all-rounder earning every penny of his $NZ1.8 milllion deal.
Russell proceeded to belt a staggering 48 runs from just 17 balls, with three fours and five sixes, seeing the Knight Riders post 218/4 from their 20 overs, while Uthappa was 67 not out at the other end.
In response, the Kings XI were rocked early on by the dismissal of opener KL Rahul in just the second over, with Kuldeep Yadav completing the catch off Black Caps paceman Lockie Ferguson's bowling.
Punjab were troubled by regular wickets, Russell again in the action to dismiss both Safraz Khan and West Indies teammate Chris Gayle, leaving the Kings XI wobbling at 60/3.
The partnership of Mayank Argawal (58 from 34) and South Africa's David Miller (59 not out from 40) added some respectability to the Punjab scorecard, however the Kings XI would finish 28 runs shy of the target, in reality nowhere near chasing down the 219 runs needed for victory.
Russell would finish as man of the match - with figures of 2/21 from three overs to go with his belligerent innings with the bat, his all-round efforts vital in the Knight Riders' second straight win.
The win sees the Knight Riders move top of the IPL ladder with four points from their opening two matches, while the Kings XI sit fourth with a win and a defeat from their start to the 2019 season.
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