Chris Lynn, Gautam Gambhir star as KKR pummel GL by 10 wickets

Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn smashed unbeaten half-centuries as former IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets to make a rousing start to their campaign at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

After winning the toss and asking Gujarat Lions in to bat, skipper Gambhir and the KKR camp might have been worried a lot as Lions’ skipper Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum and Dinesh Karthik helped the hosts pile up 183.

However, what seemed a formidable total soon ended up looking like a below par one as Lynn and Gambhir toyed with the Gujarat Lions bowling, putting on 73 runs in the six powerplay overs. The duo continued the carnage as they smashed records at will and raced to their individual half-centuries. While Gambhir paced his innings well with 12 boundaries to lead from the front, Lynn’s brute power and clean-hitting dismantled every single strategy Raina might have had in his mind.

This was only the third time in 87 T20s that Lynn had opened the innings, and the Australian didn’t disappoint. While he tormented almost every bowler he faced, he had reserved his best for Dwayne Smith, who he smashed for 23 runs in the seventh over to reach his half-century in just 19 balls.