Live Blog - Salt, Starc hand KKR big win vs LSG

Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc made it a Bengali New Year to remember for the Kolkata Knight Riders fans at the Eden Gardens, as the hosts thumped visiting Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets on Sunday. Starc picked up important LSG wickets to finish on 3 for 28, his best figures of the season, while Salt led the charge in the second innings with an unbeaten 47-ball 89. KKR now sit second on the points table with a win in the first of their five straight games at home this month.

KKR were left chasing a comfortable target courtesy their spinners' efforts in the middle overs where they did not let LSG break away despite having wickets in hand. Sunil Narine took 1 for 17 in four while Varun Chakravarthy claimed 1 for 30 in his spell. Together, their eight overs came at only 5.88 per over.

As for LSG, there were two bright spots: Nicholas Pooran and Mohsin Khan. From No. 6, Pooran struck four sixes and two fours to make a 32-ball 45 to give LSG a competitive total while Mohsin's picked up the only two KKR wickets in the powerplay.

Salt has scored nearly 2/3rd of all the runs in this partnership as he now moves into his seventies. Shreyas has been steady from one end, contributing 37 in 35 balls.

This chase is now a walk in the park for KKR. How much of LSG's NRR will they dent?

Born in Bodelwyddan, Wales, raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, once so starstruck at seeing Sir Garfield Sobers in a restaurant that he took the wrong order home, then being in the crowd to celebrate England's T20 World Cup title in 2010 and now with a chance to do that as a member of the actual team.

Phil Salt is living the dream, but knows enough to not take anything for granted. Here's his thoughts in a recent chat.

A tale of two ends, so far.

Joseph and Krunal concede 36 between them in two overs, but Mohsin Khan keeps chipping away. This time he gets a short-ish ball to angle across, and youngster Raghuvanshi pokes at it to join Narine back in the dug out.

Can Mohsin also trouble Shreyas Iyer? Shreyas has been out exclusively to left-arm seamers in IPL 2024 - Mustafizur, Natarajan and Khaleel.

Shreyas Iyer has survived a caught-behind decision on review. He is still slowly finding his feet. But Phil Salt is tearing LSG apart, helped by another dropped chance on 31 on the boundary line which got parried for six.

KKR 68/2 in seven overs

He's raw, he's quick, and he's got the heart of a fast bowler.

A high-pace over to start, and he very nearly had Salt dismissed in the (regulation) last ball of the first over. But short fine leg cannot hold it and the hooter goes off. So it wouldn't have been out anyway.

However, Shamar then loses his line after that delivery, and concedes a bunch of extras, giving KKR some free runs. Ends up leaking 22 in his first over after conceding only 8 in his first five balls.

Narine does not last long tonight, falling to Mohsin Khan's slower ball in the second over, but that wicket does not stop KKR's charge one bit.

Next over, Phil Salt pummels Krunal Pandya for a hat-trick of boundaries to start the third. Interestingly, Salt strikes at 160 against spin and 141 against pace in IPL 2024. He's got Raghuvanshi for company.

KKR 42/1 in three overs.

An eventful 11th over starts the second half of the innings.

Rahul goes six and out for 39 off Russell. But the incoming batter Stoinis pummels him for two fours.

Stoinis,though,perishes next over courtesy an excellent effort from Salt.

LSG 96/4

Varun: 4-0-30-1.

Narine: 4-0-17-1.

Combined economy of their eight overs: 5.88

You suspect KKR would've taken this at the toss: no fifties from any LSG batter, no real big stand, and conceding only 48 in the last five. Nicholas Pooran was the only LSG batter who showed some fluency, but he fell to Starc for his third dismissal in five T20s against the bowler.

KKR have already activated Rinku Singh as their impact player, while LSG have already introduced Arshad Khan in the death overs. Who you backing to win?

With a wicket by Vaibhav Arora at the other end and LSG not yet running away in the powerplay, Shreyas Iyer gives the fast bowler a third, and the ploy has paid off!

Deepak Hooda's horror run continues, and LSG don't get much benefit today in him replacing Padikkal.

He made 30 in 19 against Titans in the powerplay and 30 in 14 in their last game.

They were both his highest powerplay scores in LSG colours.

Today he made 23 in 13.

It's time for Kolkata Knight Riders to host Lucknow Super Giants at their home away from home. It's two teams in the thick of things when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs, with KKR just one spot away from being the leaders and LSG hot on their heels at fourth. Both teams have the same points, although KKR have a game in hand - and two when compared to table-toppers Rajasthan Royals. Both these teams have also produced some close finishes and with former LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir switching over to KKR, whom he led to their two IPL titles, there is plenty to watch out for at the Eden Gardens today.

Live pictures from the Eden Gardens... and we see the West Indian quick getting a cap! He'll relish bowling on a bouncy pitch.