Kolkata, May 16 (IANS) Gujarat Titans’ experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj reached a milestone in his career on Saturday by claiming his 200th wicket in T20 cricket during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The fast bowler from Telangana reached the landmark by claiming the wicket of KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, becoming the 21st Indian bowler to register 200 wickets in the shortest format of the game.

Siraj claimed the all-crucial wicket in the fifth over of the innings with a fuller inswinging delivery that breached Rahane’s defence and crashed into the stumps. It also added to Siraj’s strong record against the former India batter in the IPL, dismissing him for the third time. The milestone underlines Siraj’s position as one of India’s leading fast bowlers across formats over the last few years.

The Indian pacer reached the 200-wicket mark in his 174th T20 appearance, at an average above 25 and an economy rate slightly over eight runs per over. He also has six four-wicket hauls in the format. Of the right-arm pacer’s 200 wickets in T20 cricket, 123 have come in 121 IPL matches with three four-wicket hauls to his name.

Siraj made the breakthrough as Kolkata Knight Riders posted 247/2 in 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans.

Powered by Finn Allen’s blistering 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s composed 82 not out, and Cameron Green’s unbeaten rapid half‑century, KKR posted a mammoth 247/2 in their 20 overs against the Gujarat Titans.

Allen played an absolute blinder – dropped twice on 14 and 33, the New Zealander made GT pay dearly, by hitting four boundaries and ten sixes at a strike-rate of 265.71. The Titans did themselves no favours with sloppy catching and ragged fielding that only added to the carnage unleashed by KKR.

Once Allen departed as GT halted the 95-run stand for the second wicket, Raghuvanshi took charge by hitting 82 not out off 44 balls, his highest score in the league, studded with four boundaries and seven sixes.

Green provided solid support by sharing an unbroken 108-run stand with Raghuvanshi for the third wicket and helping himself to 52 not out off 28 balls, laced with three fours and four maximums as the runs continued to flow unchecked for KKR.

Sent in to bat first, KKR were off to a brisk start as Ajinkya Rahane cleared third man for six. But it was Allen who seized control of the innings, launching into Kagiso Rabada with successive towering sixes after taking two fours off Siraj and racing past 30 inside the powerplay. Rahane’s dismissal for 14 to Siraj did little to halt the momentum as Raghuvanshi joined Allen to stitch a fluent partnership.

–IANS

bsk/