No triumphant return for Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly threatened to bring down his old team on his return to Kolkata, but the Pune Warriors ultimately lost to the Knight Riders by seven runs.
Sourav Ganguly threatened to bring down his old team on his return to Kolkata, but the Pune Warriors ultimately lost to the Knight Riders by seven runs on Saturday.
Known as the Prince of Kolkata, Ganguly was back at the ground where he has long been idolised, and his partnership with Angelo Mathews put Pune on course to chase down Kolkata's total of 150 for five.
However his dismissal for 36 from 35 balls saw the Knight Riders take control once again, and mystery spinner Sunil Narine's stinginess ensured that the home side triumphed.
South African quick Marchant de Lange had dismissed both Robin Uthappa and Michael Clarke at the start of Pune's chase, and Narine accounted for the in-form Steven Smith when he had the Australian controversially adjudged lbw.
At 55 for five the Warriors were in a hole, but Ganguly dug them out in a 73-run alliance with Mathews that put the visitors back on track.
However Rajat Bhatia's dismissal of Ganguly sparked another collapse, and Narine allowed just 13 runs from his four overs to leave Pune needing 18 from the final over.
De Lange ensured that wouldn't happen as he claimed the wicket of Mathews, leaving Pune 143 for eight at the end of their 20 overs.
Kolkata's innings had got off to a flying start, with Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum putting on 113 for the first wicket in 12.3 overs, but after both men fell in consecutive overs the innings fell apart.
Gambhir continued his good form as he stroked a classy 56 from 36 balls, while McCullum chipped away to put on a run-a-ball 42.
Yet none of the batsmen who followed could build on that platform, as Yusuf Pathan's poor run continued and Jacques Kallis fell for a single.
Debabrata Das contributed 15 to take the Knight Riders to a reasonable total, which ultimately proved enough thanks to a disciplined bowling display.
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