KKR V GL, Player of the match: Suresh Raina

Batting at No. 3, the Gujarat Lions skipper went about the chase with clockwork precision even as others struggled against left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Umesh Yadav.

Suresh Raina ensured the run-rate never touched dizzying proportions in a chase of 188.

With just a solitary win to show in the first five games, Gujarat Lions was in the bottom of the points table. The team desperately needed a win against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday to lift its morale and the task didn’t seem easy. It had to chase down 188 runs in 20 overs and the wickets kept falling in regular intervals after a solid start. But captain Suresh Raina chose to hear none of it.

Batting at No. 3, the Gujarat Lions skipper went about the chase with clockwork precision even as others struggled against left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Umesh Yadav. A crucial 58-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja helped ease the tension for the Lions, but Raina had ensured the run-rate never touched dizzying proportions with a smattering of fours and sixes on either side.  

He collected his highest score for Gujarat Lions till date – a 46-ball 84, but wasn’t there to finish things off his team as he holed out to Manish Pandey at 180 for six. The team needed just eight more runs to cross the line and there were enough balls to get the job done. Raina had done enough and his able ally Jadeja would ensure there were no more hiccups. The captain had shown the way after all.