Consolidating their place in the playoff race, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets in Match 49 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season in Dubai, on Sunday. The Eoin Morgan-led outfit have been in top form since the tournament resumed in the UAE and have won four of their last six games. Against SRH, KKR once again showed their squad depth with Shakib Al Hasan producing a fantastic direct hit to send Kane Williamson back to the pavilion. The Hyderabad skipper initially won the toss and opted to bat. The New Zealand cricketer tried to anchor his side's innings but lost his wicket in the seventh over.
Directing a shot towards the leg side, Williamson went for a single. But Shakib was there at the right place and he threw the ball at the bowler's end with the SRH captain falling short of the crease.
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SRH could only muster 115 for eight in 20 overs, with their captain top-scoring with 26 runs off 21 deliveries. Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy, Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi were in top form for KKR, taking two wickets each.
KKR reached the 116-run target in 19.4 overs, scoring 119 for four. Young Shubman Gill was in excellent form, scoring 57 0ff 51 balls for his side. Despite his two wickets, West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder couldn't prevent KKR from winning the match at the Dubai International Stadium.
After 13 matches, Kolkata are currently fourth in the IPL 2021 points table with six wins and seven defeats. Meanwhile, SRH are bottom of the table with two victories and 10 losses.