Salt's explosive knock guides KKR to eight-wicket win over LSG

Phil Salt's explosive half-century, paired with a pivotal century stand with captain Shreyas Iyer at Eden Gardens, propelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a historic first win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday. This victory places KKR second on the points table with four wins and one loss.

KKR's chase of 162 began with a few extra runs in the opening over due to wides from Shamar Joseph, contributing to a 22-run over highlighted by boundaries from Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. However, LSG struck back quickly, dismissing Narine for 6 through Mohsin Khan's effort, caught by Marcus Stoinis.

Salt, joined briefly by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, continued his assault, especially on Krunal Pandya with three consecutive fours. Despite Raghuvanshi’s early exit for 7, caught behind by KL Rahul, KKR maintained momentum, bringing up their fifty in the sixth over.

The powerplay concluded with KKR at 58/2, setting the stage for Salt and Iyer’s partnership. Salt’s aggressive batting showcased three boundaries off Arshad Khan in the tenth over, bringing up his fifty in just 26 balls. Together, Iyer and Salt efficiently rotated strikes and capitalized on scoring opportunities, pushing KKR past 100 in under ten overs.

Salt continued his dominant performance, accelerating in the 14th over with multiple boundaries off Yash Thakur and a massive six over midwicket against Mohsin, moving KKR within striking distance of the target. He fittingly scored the winning runs with a boundary, concluding the chase at 162/2 in 15.4 overs. Salt remained not out at 89, and Iyer at 38, securing a comprehensive victory for KKR.

Mohsin Khan, with figures of 2/29, was LSG’s most effective bowler in a challenging defensive effort.

Earlier, LSG set a competitive target led by Nicholas Pooran’s dynamic 45, despite a shaky start that saw early wickets fall in the powerplay. Mitchell Starc and the KKR bowling lineup initially contained LSG, but Pooran's late offensive brought LSG to 147/8. Starc’s crucial final over included the dismissal of Pooran and a key toe-crushing yorker to finalize LSG's innings on a subdued note.