Chakravarthy five-for keeps Kolkata in IPL play-off race

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed this Indian Premier League season’s first five-wicket haul as Kolkata Knight Riders gave their playoff hopes a boost with a 59- run win over Delhi Capitals yesterday. In the second match of the day, England’s Chris Jordan led a disciplined bowling with figures of 3-17 as Kings XI Punjab trumped Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs to register their fourth successive win.

Chakravarthy’s 5-20 from his four overs helped Eoin Morgan’s KKR restrict Delhi to 135 for nine in their chase of 195 in Abu Dhabi. Nitish Rana, who topscored with 81, and returning all-rounder Sunil Narine, who hit a 32-ball 64, put on a key 115-run fourth-wicket stand to guide Kolkata to 194 for six after being put in to bat. Morgan was all praise for Narine, who played his first game after being cleared of having a suspect bowling action. It was his team’s sixth win in 11 games to stay fourth in the eight-team table. “Great of Sunil to come back and play as a proper all-rounder. And Nitish Rana and him adding all the runs,” said Morgan.

“The decision to bat Narine there (at number five) is all the coach (Brendon McCullum). He likes to play his cards. It is all Brendon.” On Chakravarthy’s mystery spin, Morgan told reporters: “He has been one of the positive stories out of our campaign so far. “Up until today we felt we haven’t played our best cricket but today I think we were close to that.