IPL 2019, SRH vs KKR Talking points: Narine blitz, Warner-Bairstow show and Khaleel’s slower ones

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squandered a bright start and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) put up a dominating show in the 38^th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 as they beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by nine wickets in what eventually turned out to be a one-sided affair at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

While KKR enjoyed a brisk start, they failed to cash in on the same as the home team did not let any opportunity to slip to register their fifth win of the season.

Here are the five talking points from the SRH versus KKR match:

Lynn-Narine rampage

Put in to bat, KKR were off to a flying start as the openers – Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine – took apart SRH bowling. While Lynn scored at a brisk pace, it was Narine who was on a roll, clearing the boundary ropes with ease. The left-hander went bonkers as he hit two sixes and three fours in his 8-ball 25-run knock.

Such was the ferocity of his innings that KKR zoomed past 40-run mark even before the third over was completed. While Narine fell, he did his bit to set the ball rolling for Dinesh Karthik and Co.

Slower ones to fast rescue

Bowl slow to stop the run flow. That seemed to be the mantra for success for Khaleel after Narine went after him on his first three deliveries, hitting him for two fours and a six. However, Khaleel had the last laugh as he dismissed the West Indian, disturbing the timber with a slower one.

The pace-off-the-delivery approach offered him success once again as Shubman Gill fell for three, giving Vijay Shankar a catch at the backward point. While SRH did not really a bright start, Khaleel’s two wickets in the powerplay helped them pull back the things and allowed them to restrict KKR to 159/8.

Karthik fails with the bat:

The KKR skipper, who was recently picked in India’s 15-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in England, the failed to score big when his IPL franchise needed him the most. Karthik, who had earned plaudits for the way he guided KKR with the bat in the last season of the IPL, could only last for four balls and score six runs.

Karthik walked in after the fall of Nitish Rana in the eighth over. While KKR had enjoyed a brisk start, they had lost three wickets in quick succession as SRH were clawing their way back in the game. What the visitors needed was a partnership, with the skipper leading the way.

While Karthik was lucky not to get run out on the first ball but he did not cash in on that opportunity eventually to get out three balls later. With Karthik’s fall, KKR, from 42/0 in 2.3 overs were reduced to 73/4 in 8.2 overs.

Russell did not score big

Despite him saying that he will be eager to bat slightly up in the order following KKR’s loss against RCB in the last match, the team management did not pay heed to Russell’s suggestion.

The big-hitting West Indian batted at seven and walked out to bat in the 16^th over after Rinku Singh’s fall. While he hit two sixes, he could only score 15 off 9 balls and failed to give KKR a much-needed push towards the big total. Although it is unfair to expect that he will always go big and score runs, should he have been pushed ahead of Rinku after KKR lost Karthik in the 10^th over?

Warner-Bairstow blitz

Not that the 160-run target was big enough, but David Warner and Jonny Bairstow made an absolute mockery of that total as the two went after KKR bowlers from the word go.

While Warner, who is Orange Cap holder with 517 runs against his name in IPL 2019, scored 67 off 38 balls, Bairstow, who is now on the slot in the list of leading run-getters in the 12^th season of the tournament, scored an unbeaten 80 as the duo put up 131-run partnership in 74 balls.