Uthappa, Gambhir power KKR to thumping win over Pune

TIL Desk Sports/ Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir struck blistering half centuries as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets in a crucial encounter in the ongoing IPL season 10 at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a stiff target of 183, KKR rode on the innings of Uthappa, who struck 87 off just 47 balls and was ably supported by his skipper Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries as the two-time champions crossed the line with 11 balls to spare. Uthappa’s match-winning knock was decorated with 7 fours and 6 sixes while Gambhir’s inning was laced with 6 fours and 1 six.

Earlier, RPS skipper Steven Smith led from the front with an unbeaten 51 to help his side post a challenging 182 for five. Besides Smith, Ajinkya Rahane (46), Rahul Tripathi (38), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23) and Daniel Christian (16) also made useful contributions for the home team.