T20 2018: Kolkata beat table-toppers Hyderabad to make playoffs

Kolkata's Chris Lynn en route his 55 against Hyderabad on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Kolkata must have a special affinity for targets in the range of 170. In an all important encounter against Hyderabad here, Kolkata chased down 173, their sixth successful run-chase of the season and fourth in the vicinity of the score of 170, with five wickets in hand.

The win ensured that their third place on the points table remained unchallenged as they comfortably made the playoffs. As much for their chasing prowess, it was a dramatic comeback from the bowlers that they would have been most thankful for. At one stage, Kolkata were staring down the barrel with their hands tied behind, having conceded 127 in 12.5 overs with only wicket to their credit. Misfields and dropped catches were a common sight, along with shoddy bowling that saw them consistently miss their lengths in the first 12 overs.

The Hyderabad batsmen took full toll of the freebies on offer as the openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami, who was elevated, added 79 before Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand, dismissing Goswami for a quickfire 35.

Dhawan and Kane Williamson continued to bat at a good pace thereafter, before the skipper was dislodged somewhat unluckily, caught at sweeper-cover for 36. Kolkata pulled things back after the fall of Williamson conceding just 45 in the next 43 balls, largely due to the seven wickets they took in that period. Four of those came in the final over bowled by youngster Prasidh Krishna, who finished with figures of 4-30. In response, openers Chris Lynn (55) and Sunil Narine (29) settled any nerves, adding over fifty in the fourth over, before the latter was dismissed by his old Kolkata teammate Shakib Al Hasan for a nine-ball 29.

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