Kochi Tuskers Kerala pulled off a stunning six-run win against favourites Kolkata Knight Riders in a thrilling Indian Premier League match on Wednesday. Ravindra Jadeja struck an 18-ball 29 with three sixes and a four to take Kochi to 132-7 before Kolkata were restricted to 126-9 off 20 overs on a slow Eden Gardens track.
In the other match of the day, Mumbai Indians rode on a clinical effort by their bowlers to hand a seven-wicket thrashing to Pune Warriors and register their third win in four matches. Kolkata, leading the points table before this match, lost quick wickets in their chase and could never recover from the early setbacks despite a fighting 46-run knock by Manoj Tiwary. Jadeja impressed with the ball as well, picking up two wickets including the key scalp of Tiwary. It was Kolkata's second defeat from five outings and Kochi's third win from as many games.
Spinners Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan earlier shared six wickets after Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to field.
New Zealand star Brendon McCullum (23) and Mahela Jayawardene (25) gave Kochi a steady start, putting on 49 runs for the opening wicket.
It was Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib who gave Kolkata a key breakthrough when he had McCullum caught by Eoin Morgan while Pathan accounted for Jayawardene, Brad Hodge and Parthiv Patel in quick succession.
Shaun Marsh struck a stroke-filled half century as Kings XI Punjab trounced a sloppy Rajasthan Royals by 48 runs for their third successive victory in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Former Australia opener Geoff Marsh's son Shaun blasted 71 after Paul Valthaty (46) and Adam Gilchrist (28) had a blistering start to power the Punjab side to a mammoth 195-7.
Left with a mountain to climb, Shane Warne and his Rajasthan colleagues could only manage 147-7 and the resistance offered by Ashok Menaria (34) and Stuart Binny (30) was not enough to avert their fourth defeat in six matches.
Warne was left to rue his decision to field first and could only watch helplessly as deliveries with which Siddharth Trivedi bowled Gilchrist and Shaun Tait (3-22) had Valthaty caught in the slips were both declared no-balls.
Valthaty was also dropped twice in his innings, which allowed the in-form Indian to partner Gilchrist and score at nearly 17-runs-per-over before Australian all-rounder Shane Watson cut short his compatriot's stay in the fifth over.
Marsh then joined the run-feast and hit six fours and three sixes before giving a return catch to Watson to exit after a 42-ball blitz.
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