IPL Results 2017: Gujarat vs. Kolkata Score, Revised Table and Schedule
Kolkata Knight Riders notched their first win of the 2017 Indian Premier League season on Friday after chasing down a target of 184 runs to beat Gujarat Lions in their campaign opener with all 10 wickets remaining.
Chris Lynn enjoyed a terrific return to the IPL and finished his day with 93 runs not out while partner Gautam Gambhir contributed another 76 runs to down the Lions in fine fashion.
According to Sajal K Patra of NDTV, this was the highest score in T20 cricket ever chased down with all 10 wickets intact by match's end, sending a statement to the rest of the division that the Knight Riders mean business.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Read on for a roundup of the updated 2017 IPL standings after Friday's sole league result, complete with a look at this weekend's IPL schedule.
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +3.254 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.750 |
| Rising Pune Supergiant | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +0.229 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| Mumbai Indians | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –0.229 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –1.750 |
| Gujarat Lions | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –3.254 |
| Saturday, April 8 | 10:30 a.m. BST/4 p.m. local time | Kings XI Punjab vs. Rising Pune Supergiant |
| Saturday, April 8 | 2:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Delhi Daredevils |
| Sunday, April 9 | 10:30 a.m. BST/4 p.m. local time | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Gujarat Lions |
| Sunday, April 9 | 2:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time | Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders |
Gujarat Lions vs. Kolkata Knight Riders
Knight Riders, 184 for none (Lynn 93, Gambhir 76), beat Lions, 183 for four (Raina 68, Karthik 47).
Kolkata won the toss before electing to field at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, a decision that paid dividends as the visiting outfit restricted their hosts to a score they felt they could chase down.
With Australian dynamo Lynn in the squad, that was always a realistic mission, but the man of the match nevertheless lauded the talents of batting partner Gambhir in the aftermath of Friday's result, per ESPN Cricinfo:
"To hit the ball a long way is my role. Touch wood and I enjoy the role. At the end of the day, it is about preparation. I like the spot at the top, the ball is coming on. I am used to the ball coming on at home. Gauti is such a good player of spin, I can turn the strike to him and I can handle the quicks. One good innings does not make a summer.
"
Kiwi Brendan McCullum might have hoped to have a bigger hand in building Gujarat's lead after they opened with the bat, but the fine bowling of Kuldeep Yadav ensured the New Zealander was limited to just 35 runs.
Raina was the star performer in Gujarat's attack and survived the 20 overs while scoring 68 runs of his own, but Aaron Finch's bowling out after just 15 runs covered Yadav in more glory, per Crictracker:
In the end, however, what turned the tide in favour of the Knight Riders was individual merit as Lynn and Gambhir rose to the challenge of the chase and responded just as their fans will have wanted.
Lynn struck no fewer than eight boundaries which, coupled with Gambhir's 12 fours, made up for a monstrous total of 169 runs between the pair as the Kolkata Twitter account reacted:
As impressive as the visiting team were in Rajkot, however, home fans in attendance will undoubtedly ask more of their bowlers moving forward if they're to weather the test of the IPL's heavy hitters.
Both the Lions and the Knight Riders now have a two-day wait before they're back in action, with the former travelling to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, while Kolkata take on Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
