It was what the commentators called the perfect T20 performance. Runs, wickets and catches. Rashid Khan did it all in Kolkata on Friday, sinking the home side Kolkata Knight Riders to an agonising defeat and ending their IPL campaign.
With the 13-run win, Sunrisers Hyderabad advanced to Sunday’s final against Chennai Super Kings.
Sunrisers seemed down for the count at 134-6 in the 18th over, but Khan smashed four sixes in 34 off 10 balls to power his side to 174-7. Fifty runs came off the last three overs as Sunrisers entered the break with the momentum. Kuldeep Yadav took 2-29.
Sunil Narine (26 off 13) and Chris Lynn started in a frenzy, adding 40 in 3.2 overs, and by the halfway stage of the chase, Kolkata Knight Riders were on course at 92-2.
However, Khan prized out Lynn for 48 and danger-man Andre Russell cheaply in consecutive overs to stymie the run-chase. It came down to 19 off the last over, and despite a four off the first ball, Carlos Brathwaite managed to bring it home for Sunrisers, picking up two wickets in the over.
Khan finished with 3-19, to complement his two catches and the run out of Nitish Rana. Brathwaite had 2-16 and Siddarth Kaul 2-32.
