(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Opener Nitish Rana came up with his highest IPL score as the Kolkata Knight Riders posted a competitive total against the Chennai Super Kings in Dubai on Thursday night.
The stylish southpaw scored 87 from 61 deliveries with the help of 10 boundaries and four sixes as the two-time champions came up with 172 for the loss of five wickets, after being told to bat, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
It was Rana's third half-century of the season after he had made 58 against the Delhi Capitals in Sharjah and 81, also against the Capitals, in Abu Dhabi. In the process, Rana also ushered in his 11th half-century of his IPL career.
Rana and fellow opener Shubman Gill showed intent by putting on 53 runs for the opening wicket. He then went on to add 33 runs of the third wicket with Rinku Singh, who had come in place of Prasidh Krishna.
Rana later stitched together a 44-run stand with captain Eoin Morgan for the fourth wicket before he was caught by Sam Curran off Lungi Ngidi.
South African pacer Ngidi was one of the three changes that three-time champions Chennai Super Kings made, with the others coming in being Shane Watson and Karn Sharma.
Morgan and his deputy Dinesh Karthik added 30 runs for the fifth wicket.
Gill scored a 17-ball 26 that had some delightful cover drives that fetched him four boundaries. Morgan made 15 from 12 with two boundaries, while Karthik remained not out on a 10-ball 21 that contained three hits to the fence.
Ngidi returned with two for 34 from his four overs.
Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 172-5 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 87, Shubman Gill 26, Dinesh Karthik 21 not out, Eoin Morgan 15, Lungi Ngidi 2-34) vs Chennai Super Kings.
Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (C), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Varun Chakravarthy.
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C) (wk), N Jagadeesan, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi.
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