IPL 2018: Youth of Shubman Gill, experience of Dinesh Karthik wins the day for KKR

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Young Shubham Gill and the experienced Dinesh Karthik came to the party as KKR beat CSK by six wickets at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.

Chasing 178 to win, the hosts were precariously placed a 97/4 in the 12th over when Karthik joined Gill at the crease. Both batted nonchalantly and added an unbeaten 83 off just 36 balls to see the side home in 17.4 overs.

Gill was unbeaten on 57 off 36 balls and Karthik on 45 off 18 balls as KKR registered their fifth win in nine matches to move one rung up to third. CSK, on the other hand, moved one place down to second after suffering their third defeat in nine matches.   

Gill scored his maiden IPL fifty in what was a special chase for KKR.

Gill, who played a big role in India's triumph at the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, reached his fifty off 32 balls and became the fourth youngest to score an IPL fifty. The following seven are the youngest to have achieved the feat. 

18 years 169 days Prithvi Shaw (2018)

18 years 169 days S Samson (2013)

18 years 212 days R Pant (2016)

18 years and 237 days Shubman Gill (2018)

18 years 299 days I Kishan (2017)

19 years 001 days S Goswami (2008)

19 years 253 days M Pandey (2009) 

Earlier in the day, Dhoni, continuing his great run with the bat this season, smashed a 25-ball 43* to take CSK to a respectable 177/5.

CSK, after being put into bat, started well with Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson adding 48 runs for the opening stand. Du Plessis departed after scoring 27. 

Suresh Raina, who added 43 runs with Watson for the second wicket, got just 31 runs but that was enough for him to overtake Virat Kohli as the highest run-getter in the history of the IPL.

Raina was looking good for a big score when spinner Kuldeep Yadav had him caught at wide long-on by Aussie Mitchell Johnson in the 12th over. During his 26-ball stay, Raina hit four boundaries. 

Raina took his overall tally to 4,776, nine runs ahead of Kohli (4,767). 

Watson (36), Raina (31) and Ambati Rayudu (21) - who took the Orange Cap back from Rishabh Pant during his stay - fell in quick succession and the CSK innings appeared in the doldrums.

However, Dhoni, who became the seventh batsman this season to score 300 or more runs, showed his class and experience and scored 36 runs in a 54-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja to give CSK bowlers a good total to bowl at.   

Sadly for the visitors, Gill and Karthik proved to be too good as KKR comfortably chased down the target.