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Keeper pulls off sublime backhand flick run-out in IPL

Dinesh Karthik has produced a sensational piece of skill to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL.

The Kolkata Knight Riders keeper reacted brilliantly when Rahane danced down the pitch and was struck on the pad, the ball dropping down onto the leg side.

Karthik picked up the ball and backhand-flicked it one motion as he was tumbling to the ground, his throwing arm underneath his body in mid-air.

With a single stump to aim at, Karthik found the mark and found Rahane well short of his ground.

Kolkata pulled level with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the top of the standings with a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals.

Sensational. Image: IPL
Sensational. Image: IPL

The Royals came into the fixture on the back of consecutive victories but were unable to extend that run against a Knight Riders side who now sit alongside the Sunrisers on six points, although they have played two more matches.

D'Arcy Short (44) and Rahane (36) had appeared to put the visitors on a sound footing in Jaipur, while Sunil Narine was uncharacteristically impotent with ball in hand, finishing with bowling figures of 0-48.

Narine (35) went some way to making amends as he combined with Robin Uthappa (48) for a second-wicket stand of 69, after Chris Lynn fell for a duck just three balls into the Knight Riders' response to the Royals' 160-8.

And that laid the foundation for a run chase that was ultimately comfortable, with Nitish Rana (35 not out) and Karthik (42no) also making impressive contributions as the hosts surpassed their target with seven balls to spare.

The Knight Riders' time at the top could be short, with the Sunrisers set to face Kings XI Punjab on Thursday.

with agencies