Gayle drought continues in KKR loss

BANGALORE, India, CMC – Chris Gayle’s batting failures continued as Jamaica and West Indies teammate, Andre Russell, upstaged him with an electrifying cameo to fire Kolkata Knight Riders to an important win in the Indian Premier League here Monday.

Entering the run chase with KKR in a spot of bother at 69 for four in the 11th over in pursuit of 186 for victory, the right-handed Russell reignited the innings with 39 off 24 balls as the visitors reached their target off the first ball of the final over.

Yusuf Pathan finished on 60 not out off 29 deliveries, posting an invaluable 96 for the fifth wicket with Russell, who blasted a four and four sixes.

Captain and opener Gautam Gambhir stroked 37 off 29 balls.

The victory allowed KKR to move into second place on ten points, ahead of Mumbai Indians courtesy of a superior net run rate.

Gujarat Lions remained clear at the top on 12 points.

Sent in at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB were powered by a joint top score of 52 from captain Virat Kohli and opener Lokesh Rahul, as they reached 185 for seven off their 20 overs.

Australian Shane Watson chimed in with 34 while the left-handed Gayle continued his run of low scores with seven.

Subdued by Russell in the opener over, Gayle seemed ready to explode when he struck South African seamer Morne Morkel straight overhead for six, in the second over of the innings.

Off the next ball, however, Gayle miscued a pull at a ball of shortish length and skied a catch to the wicketkeeper, at eight for one.

Gayle has scored eight runs in three innings for RCB this season and all told, has now failed to reach double figures in six consecutive innings since his hundred against England in the Twenty20 World Cup last March.

Russell claimed one for 24 from four overs of pace while West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine went wicket-less from his four overs which cost 45 runs.

In reply, KKR lost Robin Uthappa cheaply for one with the score on six in the first over and wickets fell steadily to leave the two-time champions struggling.

However, Russell started the comeback by lifting leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal over mid-wicket for his first six before ripping apart left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi with two sixes and a four in the South African’s third over – the 15th of the innings – which went for 18 runs.

He mis-timed a blow off fast bowler Varun Aaron for six over cover and Pathan joined in by belting four fours and a six off the following over – the 17th of the innings – from seamer Watson which leaked 24 runs.

By then, KKR required only 23 runs from 18 deliveries and when Russell holed out to deep cover off Chahal in the next over, the pendulum had already swung the visitors’ way.