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IPL 2022: Russell stars as Kolkata keep playoff hopes alive

The West Indies big-hitter steered Kolkata to 177 for six in his 28-ball 49 as he lifted the team from a precarious 94-5

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Andre Russell smashed an unbeaten 49 and took three wickets to help Kolkata Knight Riders stay alive in the IPL playoffs race with a big victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

The West Indies big-hitter steered Kolkata to 177 for six in his 28-ball knock laced with four sixes as he lifted the team from a precarious 94-5 in Pune.

Russell and fellow quick Tim Southee then shared five wickets between them as Kolkata kept down Hyderabad to 123-8 and win by 54 runs.

Kolkata jumped to sixth in the 10-team table with their second successive victory. The 2016 champions Hyderabad went down to their fifth straight loss with two more league games remaining.

Russell’s 3-22 inspired Kolkata in the absence of Australia’s Pat Cummins who has flown back home due to a hip injury.

It was Russell the batsman that set up victory after he put together 63 runs off 44 balls with England’s Sam Billings to take the attack to the opposition.

Hyderabad’s speed demon Umran Malik rattled the Kolkata batting with his twin strikes in one over to send back Nitish Rana, who made 26 off 16, and Ajinkya Rahane, for 28.

In the next over, Malik got skipper Shreyas Iyer bowled for 15 but Russell and Billings, a wicketkeeper-batsman, rebuilt the innings and put the pressure back on Hyderabad.

Russell finished off the innings with three sixes in spinner Washington Sundar’s final over — 20th of the innings.

In reply, Williamson’s dry run with the bat — scored just 208 runs in 12 matches — this IPL extended to another game as he got bowled while attempting the scoop shot off Russell.

Wickets kept tumbling as Southee’s stunning caught and bowled effort to take down a rampaging Abhishek Sharma, for 43, and Aiden Markram out bowled for 32 off Umesh Yadav.

Russell and Southee rattled the Hyderabad middle and lower-order to derail the opposition chase.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 177/6 in 20 overs (Andre Russell 49 not out, Sam Billings 34, Umran Malik 3/33) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 123/8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 43, Aiden Markram 32; Andre Russell 3/22).

Sunday’s matches: Chennai vs Gujarat (2pm) and Lucknow vs Rajasthan (6pm)