Shubman Gill made a brilliant unbeaten half-century to steer Kolkata Knight Riders to a seven-wicket Indian Premier League win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

Both sides had lost their first game of the tournament and it was KKR who got up and running at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where Sunrisers could only post 142-4 after David Warner won the toss and opted to bat.

Manish Pandey top scored with 51 from 38 balls and Warner made 36, but Pat Cummins (1-19) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-25) were the standout bowlers in a fine performance in the field from the Knight Riders.

KKR stayed ahead of the run-rate in reply, but there was work to do when they were 53-3 in the seventh over in Abu Dhabi.

Star spinner Rashid Khan trapped captain Dinesh Karthik leg before for a duck to leave the Knight Riders three down, Sunil Narine having also gone without scoring and Nitish Rana (26) caught behind off Thangarasu Natarajan.

Gill (70no from 62) and Eoin Morgan (42no off 29) then combined for a match-winning unbroken stand of 92 to get Kolkata home with two overs to spare.

That leaves Sunrisers as the only team without a point early in the tournament.

CUMMINS SPOILS BAIRSTOW'S BIRTHDAY

Jonny Bairstow was unable to celebrate his 31st birthday with an explosive knock, departing for only five off 10 balls.

The England batsman might have thought it was his day when he successfully reviewed after being given out to Cummins, but he was cleaned up off the next ball from the Australia quick.

Cummins, who went for 49 from three overs in a loss to Mumbai Indians three days earlier, was outstanding and deserved more than just the one wicket, bowling 11 dot balls in four excellent overs.

Bairstow's opening partner Warner was looking in great touch until he was caught and bowled by Chakravarthy.

 

YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE GET KKR HOME

The 21-year-old Gill reached his half-century off 42 balls and saw it through with great support from the vastly experienced Morgan.

Gill and England's ODI World Cup-winning captain Morgan both struck two sixes as they took the game away from Sunrisers.

The powerful Morgan finished the game in the style, dispatching Natarajan over long-on for six and hitting the next ball for four to finish it off.

Gill, who also found the rope five times, was named man of the match after giving another demonstration of his considerable promise.