Luck favored the Kolkata Knight Riders despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat first. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, their opening pair, swiftly propelled the scoreboard to 57/0 within just four overs.
However, the home team’s Naveen-ul-Haq broke the partnership by dismissing Salt in the fifth over. Despite this setback, Narine, with his left-handed prowess, continued to wreak havoc on the Lucknow bowlers, boasting an impressive strike rate of 207. His innings received a boost when he survived two close calls due to sloppy fielding by the home side.
In the 12th over, Ravi Bishnoi delivered a length ball that Narine aimed to loft. As he advanced down the pitch, he struck the ball high over long-on. Devdutt Padikkal, stationed there, anticipated the trajectory of the ball and positioned himself for a potential catch. Though he managed to catch the ball, he found himself near the boundary cushions, struggling to maintain balance. Inadvertently, he made contact with the rope, resulting in a six.
On the subsequent delivery, Narine attempted another aggressive shot, resulting in a thick top edge towards third man. Mohsin Khan made a valiant dive but couldn’t hold on, sustaining an injury that required assistance from the physio and forced him to leave the field.
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Narine’s luck eventually ran out on the last ball of the 12th over when Padikkal finally held onto a catch at long-on. This marked the end of Narine’s explosive innings, much to the relief of the hosts. Social media platforms erupted with reactions to the dramatic turn of events, with many favoring the home team as Narine’s rampage concluded with Padikkal’s catch.
