KKR lose despite Shakib fireworks
Shakib Al Hasan hit his highest score, 66, in the Indian Premier League in Kolkata during his side's game against the Gujarat Lions. He wasn't as successful with the ball though as he got smacked for 38 runs in three overs. He did, however, get a wicket.
The remaining KKR bowlers also leaked runs at a similar rate and as a result, the target that they set was easily overcome by the Lions. They reached home with two overs and five wickets to spare.
However, that won't take anything away from Shakib's batting knock.
The all-rounder, who was under pressure due to his lean run with the bat in the competition, came back in style with a 49-ball 66.
While he began slowly, he ended up smacking four fours and as many sixes too make up for the cautious beginning.
It was an important innings under the circumstances as he helped Kolkata recover from a precarious 24 for 4 and post 158. He shared a 134-run stand with Yousuf Pathan, who scored 63 off 41. This was the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for KKR.
Shakib steadily scored 24 runs off the first 32 balls he faced. After that phase though, he got set and unleashed himself. He danced down the track and hit Dwayne Bravo for a beautiful six over cover in the 16th over. An over later, he hit Bravo for two consecutive sixes. The first one was over wide long-on, while the second one was blasted straight back past the bowler's head.
He then finished in style by slogging the same bowler for a six over deep mid-wicket in the 20th over. He also hit two boundaries in the 19th over off Praveen Kumar, both of which involved plenty of innovation. The first one was off a slower bouncer, which Shakib literally smashed behind the keeper. The second one went over the keeper again, although this time he scooped it.
Shakib had taken a short break from the IPL and came to Dhaka for two days in order to speak to his longtime coach Mohammad Salahuddin and rectify his batting. Whatever advice Salahuddin gave him seemed to work as Shakib smacked his first half-century of the tournament.
However, despite Shakib's knock, some good hitting from the Lions, led by Dinesh Kartik's 29-ball 51, Gujarat eased to a win.
SCORES IN BRIEF
KOLKATA: 158 for 4 in 20 overs (Shakib 66 not out, Pathan 63 not out; Kumar 2-19)
GUJARAT: (Smith 27, McCullum 29, Karthik 51, Finch 29; Shakib 1-38)
Result: Gujarat won by 5 wicket.
Player-of-the-match: P Kumar.
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