Reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders produced a scintillating all- round performance to beat Titans by 89 runs in Cape Town in their last group match in Cape Town on Sunday.

Put into bat first, KKR posted a comprehensive 188-5 and then bundled out the opponents for a paltry 89.

KKR bowed out of the tournament with their head held high, but then the defeat has severed Titans’ chances of qualifying to the semis.

Let us look at some of the hits and flops of the match:

Hits:

Gautam Gambhir: Skipper Gambhir was under fire throughout the tournament but then rose to the occasion on their last day. Gambhir led the charge from the front and scored 44 off 36 deliveries which included four boundaries and a six.

Brendon McCullum: One of the best batting exponents in this form of the game rarely did justice to his talent while playing for KKR. But yesterday he launched an onslaught on the Titans and scored 36 off 20 deliveries laced with three boundaries and as many sixes.

Debabrata Das: He was the unlikely hero for KKR in the match. They were cruising at one point of time but wickets at wrong time halted their charge. Das rose to the occasion and scored at a fiery pace. He scored 43 off of 19 deliveries and hit six boundaries and a couple of sixes.

Laxmipathy Balaji: Balaji was taken to the cleaners by the batters throughout the tournament, but then was brilliant yesterday. He stuck to his line, generated enough bounce and swing and never allowed the Titans’ batsmen to settle. He ended the match with a spell of 4-19.

Flops:  

Yusuf Pathan: Pathan was woeful as usual. He was a huge flop in the IPL and could not get going in the Champions League T20. He was out for a first ball duck.

Titans:

Hits:

Roelof van der Merwe: The experienced spinner was the most successful bowler for Titans on Sunday. When others were busy leaking runs, he did enough to create problems for KKR. He ended the match with a spell of 2-18.

Flops:

Alfonso Thomas: The bowling spearhead of the Titans was the most expensive bowler, on a day when he was required to live upto his reputation, he disappointed. He gave away 52 runs in his four overs.

Martin van Jaarsveld: The captain of the team needed to score big but he failed and got out on the first delivery that he faced. He tried playing a fancy drive only to get caught at first slip for a duck.

By Indian Sports News Network