KKR : 153/6, 20.0 overs; Punjab Bowlers Sizzle As Kolkata Are Short By 14 runs
5 runs off this over, no boundaries, and this is match for Punjab. KKR are short by 14 runs.
Sandeep Sharma [3.0-0-26-0] is back into the attack.
9 runs off the over. 20 runs needed off the last. This is going badly for the Kolkata Knighriders.
Mohit Sharma to Woakes, SIX, back of a length delivery, slower again and Woakes is out of his crease, weighed on front foot to whack this out. And he does. Over deep mid-wicket. 22 off 8.
Mohit Sharma to Y Pathan, out Caught by Maxwell!! Pathan takes on the pacer.. like he would a spinner. And pays the penalty. Pathan uses his feet, goes for the big wind-up but this is a slower ball, needed more biceps. Pathan doesn’t have it. Holes out to long-on. Perfection. Auction Mohit’s knuckles in the next auction, will you? Y Pathan c Maxwell b Mohit Sharma 2(3). Chris Woakes, right handed bat, comes to the crease.
Mohit Sharma to bowl the penultimate over.
Matt Henry to de Grandhomme, FOUR, slightly slower in the early 130s and de Grandhomme has picked him. Slices it square on the off-side and manages to place it wide of the deep point fielder. 29 off the last two. Just eight runs off this over.
Yusuf Pathan, right handed bat, comes to the crease.
Matt Henry to Chris Lynn, out Chris Lynn Run Out!! 1 run completed. This is a death blow, or feels like it. Lynn had the room made, swats at a back of a length delivery and hacks it to deep mid-wicket. And then coaxes de Grandhomme into a second. Is running back to the danger end. Axar darts a throw back to Saha; he’s having that kinda day. He’s having a field. On the bounce to Saha, who takes the bails off and Lynn is just short. Wow. Just the wicket KXIP needed. Chris Lynn run out (Axar/Saha) 84(52).
Matt Henry to M Pandey, out Caught by Axar!! This is big. Ends up scooping it high in the air. So high that Axar could sprint to his left at deep mid-wicket and station himself into a simple catch. M Pandey c Axar b Matt Henry 18(23).
Matt Henry [2.0-0-23-0] is back into the attack.
Mohit Sharma to Chris Lynn, FOUR, the partnership between Chris Lynn and M Pandey is now 50+. Mohit caps the over with a poor, poor ball. Overpitches at his normal pace – must have been about 135kmph – and Lynn flays him back over his head. The shot was on. Andcredit to Lynn for reading the change of pace, for Sharma was on the slower side for all the over but this. 37 off the last 3 overs.
Six runs, all singles. Extremely disciplined bowling by Kolkata. Mohit Sharma [1.0-0-8-1] is back into the attack.
12 off this over. 50 runs off 30 required. Sandeep Sharma [2.0-0-20-0] is back into the attack.
Axar to Chris Lynn, SIX, gosh. Nothing to add. Makes room to a length that has been slightly shortened and smashes it over long-off.
Axar Patel [3.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack.
Rahul Tewatia to M Pandey, 1 run, Tewatia finishes with 2/18. Has been a brilliant spell. Now this was nudged to wide long-on. The fielder in the deep comes running across, deep mid-wicket is there too, but the former hurls the ball back at pace and the duo aborts the idea of a second.
Rahul Tewatia to M Pandey, FOUR. Has the readymade room made and mows it off the front foot, right between long-on and deep mid-wicket
11 off the over. Tewatia to bowl his last over.
Swapnil Singh to Chris Lynn, SIX, boom, there you go. Slightly short outside off, and even though it’s turning away, Lynn has the room to smack it over long-on. And then the gymnasium and those arms take over. Give the ball wings. Sails over.
Four runs off the over. Swapnil Singh [1.0-0-8-0] is back into the attack.
Kolkata Knight Riders need 86 runs in 54 balls. Tewatia comes back for another over.
Three runs off the over, with three dots in a row. The runs are drying up for KKR. Excellent comeback from Punjab bowlers.
Axar Patel [2.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack.
Rahul Tewatia to Uthappa, out Caught by Axar!! Axar takes a beauty diving to his right at deep mid-wicket. Googly and Uthappa goes with the turn. But this is the first ball he is facing. Not sure what was he thinking. Does not quite time it and hits in the air towards the right of the man in the deep. Axar attacks the ball and dives in time to get his fingers underneath the ball. Uthappa c Axar b Rahul Tewatia 0(1). Uthappa goes for a duck. Manish Pandey, right handed bat, comes to the crease.
Rahul Tewatia to Gambhir, out Caught by Shaun Marsh!! The boundaries were not coming for a while now and Gambhir departs trying to up the ante. Slogs and gets the height on it. Not quite the distance he wanted. Marsh settles under it at deep mid-wicket. Gambhir c Shaun Marsh b Rahul Tewatia 8. Huge blow for the Knightriders. Uthappa comes to the crease.
Rahul Tewatia to Chris Lynn, 1 run, tossed up ball around off, Chris Lynn drives to deep extra cover to bring up his third IPL fifty.
Eight runs, including a wide, off the over. Tewatia to continue.
Four runs off the over, Swapnil Singh, left arm orthodox, comes into the attack.
Rahul Tewatia, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
Good over, three singles off it.
12 off the over. KKR are 61-1 after 6 overs. Axar Patel will bowl the next over.
Matt Henry to Chris Lynn, SIX, and now a full toss to cap off the misery. Swings across the line and sends it over the deep square leg fence. Went high and handsome.
Matt Henry to Chris Lynn, FOUR, only with a man of steel-forearms can do it. Short ball outside off, Chris Lynn is committed on the pull but the ball does not quite come with pace. He does not flinch, goes with the pull and fetches it from outside off, almost clears the fence at deep mid-wicket.
10 off the over, Matt Henry [1.0-0-11-0] is back into the attack.
Axar to Chris Lynn, FOUR, has to wait a bit as the length is a touch shorter. Cuts and finds the gap past a diving extra cover, another four.
Axar to Chris Lynn, FOUR, Axar throws it wide outside off. Chris Lynn keeps his front leg out of the equation and drives to the deep cover fence.
Mohit Sharma goes for 8 but removes Narine. Axar Patel, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack.
Mohit Sharma to Narine, out Bowled!! Round the wicket slower ball. Narine knows what is coming, waits and decides to swing across the line. Is still early on the shot and misses it completely. The stumps get shattered off this off-cutter. Punjab get a window and the breather they needed desperately. Narine b Mohit Sharma 18(10). The dangerous looking Narine falls.
Mohit Sharma to Narine, FOUR, the best we have seen so far? Maybe! Is making room to this length ball, the length is just short of a length and hence decides to play a straight-bat punch. Times it well to beat mid-off to his right.
Mohit Sharma to Narine, FOUR, slower ball but Narine waits, as if he knew what was coming, and drives uppishly over extra cover.
Six off the over, Mohit Sharma is the new bowler.
Sandeep Sharma to Chris Lynn, FOUR, there’s a long on this time but it has gone too straight. Sandeep Sharma once again teases his luck with a fuller ball. Chris Lynn, who was backing away, on-drives this one with a loft. Finds the fence with ease.
Sandeep Sharma is back into the attack.
Matt Henry to Chris Lynn, FOUR, Henry’s pacy puts Chris Lynn in tangle once again but there is no one at fine leg. The man is in the ring. Chris Lynn was hurried by the bumper and top edged the pull. And because he throws his bat so hard, these edges fly over the ring.
Matt Henry to Chris Lynn, FOUR, Henry might have had a wicket off the first ball this season. But the wicket-keeper and the slip fielder both are undecided. Nobody went for it. Length delivery and Chris Lynn goes hard at it, outside edges that flies between the two men behind the stumps.
Matt Henry, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack.
Fourteen off the first over. Excellent start.
Sandeep Sharma to Chris Lynn, FOUR, swings a bit outside off. Chris Lynn takes that into account, clears the leg and cracks the drive over cover
Sandeep Sharma to Narine, FOUR, back to back now! Another fuller ball and Narine this time lofts the drive, not much of followthrough. Just an extension of elbow and off she goes, one bounce over the ropes at extra cover. Two fours to start the innings. Narine in ominous mood.
Sandeep Sharma to Narine, FOUR, and that is an usual sight. Sandeep Sharma throws it full outside off, might have swung a bit. But how does it matter, Narine flays the drive uppishly through cover.
Narine and Chris Lynn are at the crease. Narine is on strike. Sandeep Sharma will open the attack.
KXIP : 167/6, 20.0 overs; KKR Set To Chase 168 By KKR
Rajpoot to Rahul Tewatia, 1 run, ends proceedings with a bullet tailing in on the base of the sticks. Jammed out and just walks across. So, 167 is what Punjab manage.
Rajpoot to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR, hunts the fence. Much needed this for the Punjabis. Takes it off the pads and brings out the broom as he sweeps it this away.
10 runs and a wicket off the over. Woakes ends his spell with figures of 2-20. Rajpoot to bowl the last over.
Woakes to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR, spots the slower off-cutter. And ensures to dispatch it away. Tries to fox him with the loopy bouncer here does Woakes but a walk across to pull it past the man at short fine does the job.
Woakes to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR, for some reason switches to a half volley. Tewatia, waits, buries and meets it with a full-blooded lofted drive through extra cover.
Woakes to Swapnil Singh, out Bowled!! Too high in the end and takes the inside edge to light up the night sky with some red again. Punjab falling apart in search of their catapult at the end. Swapnil Singh b Woakes 2(2). Woakes is having an excellent time bowling.
14 runs off the over, and a wicket. Woakes will bowl the penultimate over.
Kuldeep Yadav to Saha, wide, out Stumped!! And teases Saha back into the pavilion. Keeps up with his wrong ‘uns, drifting them wide and slow. Saha obviously with his show of aggression was down and away once again, just that this time even the stretch out to reach the line of the ball turns futile. Robin takes over. The best extra leaked – ever. Saha st Uthappa b Kuldeep Yadav 38(33). Another scalp for Kuldeep.
Kuldeep Yadav to Saha, SIX, gets the slog right. Invites him with an airy googly does Kuldeep and Saha throws everything he has into it. Slices it up, slices it high and slices the projectile long enough to take it over long-on
6 runs and no boundaries off the over. Narine ends his spell with figures 1-27. Kuldeep comes back to bowl his third over.
13 runs a wicket off the over. Narine is the next bowler.
Kuldeep Yadav to Maxwell, out Caught by Woakes!! Tossed up wide, floating googly and inviting Maxwell to take matters into the off-side. And he cannot resist it. Throws his hands out, with a lean and a reach out as he lofts it. Off the toe end and some clean diving at the fence seem to be enough to send him back. Maxwell c Woakes b Kuldeep Yadav 44(25). The skipper has been sent back into the hut. Huge blow for Punjab. Excellent comeback from Kuldeep and Kolkata.
Kuldeep Yadav to Maxwell, SIX, even longer. Maxwell turning it on here. A scarred ball this – flat, dragged down and real quick. Just the pace required to go for another muscling swat into the favoured cow corner region
Kuldeep Yadav to Maxwell, SIX, into the clouds. Too short this from Yadav, all the time for Maxwell to rock back, inherit the line and plunder it away. Hacked away to clear the deep mid-wicket fence
Kuldeep back into the attack.
KXIP : 115/3,15.0 overs; Punjab Look To Set 150 Plus Target
10 off the over. KXIP look to post a 150+ target here but it will be tough to defend against the Kolkata run machine.
Narine to Saha, FOUR, too short. Too wide. Further amplified by Saha backing away violently. Waits on the ball to get close and slaps it through the covers.
Sunil Narine [2.0-0-11-1] is back into the attack.
8 runs off the over, no boundaries.
11 off the over. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav comes in.
Rajpoot to Maxwell, FOUR. With the width not enough to force matters in the off-side, Maxwell takes it into the other side of the pitch. Another back of a length this from Rajpoot looking to cramp him up for room and responded with a flat bat this time. Barely bothers to keep it down either, gets it in front of the man looking to cut it off at mid-wicket. Maxwell is looking good here.
Rajpoot to Saha, FOUR. Rajpoot bumps it in, gets it at the perfect nagging height and Saha’s compulsive pull gets the top edge flying over the keeper. You cannot stop these.
First big over for Punjab, 19 runs off it. Ankit Rajpoot, right arm medium, into the attack.
de Grandhomme to Maxwell, SIX, more of the freebies. A sitter up on the hips and Maxwell couldn’t be happier in swishing it around the corner. With all the meat in the timing.
de Grandhomme to Maxwell, SIX, right in the slot. Swings, hard and mighty. Muscles it over long-on.
Four runs off the over. de Grandhomme into the attack now.
Woakes back into the attack.
KXIP : 63/2, 10.0 overs; Punjab Off To Slow Start As They Lose Marsh and Guptill
Six runs off the over.
Three runs and a huge wicket off the over. de Grandhomme back into the attack.
Woakes to Shaun Marsh, out Bowled!! Shaun Marsh is clean bowled. Seam-up delivery from Woakes from a goodish length that snakes in a tad. Marsh doesn’t account for it and attempts the drive. The ball sneaks in beating his inside edge and cannons onto the stumps. Shaun Marsh b Woakes 11(10). This is a huge wicket to fall. Punjab are now in trouble.
9 runs off the over, Woakes will continue.
de Grandhomme to Shaun Marsh, FOUR, that’s textbook stuff from Shaun Marsh. Half-volley just outside off, Marsh leans forward and middles the straight-drive.
de Grandhomme to Shaun Marsh, FOUR. Seam-up delivery on a short of length, probably kept a tad low. Marsh wanted to work it through the on-side and gets an inside edge that eludes the leg pole and dribbles away into the fine leg fence.
Four runs, all singles,off the over. Colin de Grandhomme [1.0-0-3-0] is back into the attack.
Chris Woakes, right-arm medium, comes into the attack.
Two runs and a wicket off the over.Excellent bowling by Kolkata.
Narine to Guptill, out Lbw!! A massive appeal for lbw and up goes the finger. The impact outside off maybe? No. Guptill got low on one knee to play the sweep shot and missed a straight ball. He is struck adjacent to the off-stump. That’s crashing onto the stumps. A lacklustre innings comes to an end. Guptill lbw b Narine 12(16). Wriddhiman Saha is the new batsman.
Sunil Narine back into the attack.
KXIP : 39/1, 5.0 overs; Vohra Falls To Yadav After Breezy Start
U Yadav to Vohra, out Caught by Uthappa!! Umesh Yadav persists with the short ball stuff and that pays dividends for him. Removes the dangerous Vohra with a 139kph bouncer on leg. It came of the top portion of the bat. Very close to the bat handle. Vohra c Uthappa b U Yadav 25(16). Excellent comeback by Yadav. Shaun Marsh, left handed bat, into the crease.
U Yadav to Vohra, FOUR. Superb shot. Vohra spots the slower delivery well outside off and carves it over point.
U Yadav to Vohra, FOUR, slower delivery and Vohra takes full toll of it. The attemped leg-break ends up right in the slot for Vohra. The batsman jogs down and heaves it over mid-wicket for a boundary.
9 runs and a life for opener Guptill. Yadav to bowl his third over.
Narine to Guptill, no run, huge shout for lbw, turned down by the umpire. Probably the off-cutter, Guptill comes forward and misses the clip. Probably the impact was outside off? HawkEye suggests three reds. Guptill survives.
Narine to Vohra, FOUR. Uses the slightest of widths outside off and opens his bat face to guide it wide of the keeper into the third man fence
Narine to Vohra, FOUR,. Seam up delivery from a shortish length, Vohra hammers it handsomely through the covers. Finds the gap and the ball races away.
Wide and singles, eight off the over. Leggie Sunil Narine has been introduced into the attack.
Three singles and three dots, excellent first over by Grandhomme. Yadav back into the attack.
Eight off the over, de Grandhomme will bowl the next over.
U Yadav to Guptill, FOUR, first boundary of the evening. A loose ball down leg, Guptill moves across slightly and nudges it very fine into the fine leg fence. Excellent shot.
Guptill and Vohra are at the crease. Guptill is on strike. U Yadav will open the attack.
KKR have opted to field, and they will look to exploit the low confidence of the Punjab side, who failed to defend 189 against the Gujarat Lions in the last match. This match, though KKR will look to win to finish in the top two, is more important for the Punjab side who need to win to stay alive.
Teams:
Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Manan Vohra, Martin Guptill, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell(c), Wriddhiman Saha(w), Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Matt Henry, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Swapnil Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Sunil Narine, Gautam Gambhir(c), Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa(w), Manish Pandey, Colin de Grandhomme, Yusuf Pathan, Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot
Glenn Maxwell: Yeah, probably (when asked if he would have bowled first). Wicket looks beautiful, usually it gets better at night. Hopefully, we post a good score and try to defend it. I think our fielding hasn’t been great. We have made it hard for ourselves. Hopefully win three and pray for other results. We’ve made four changes. Swapnil Singh, Rahul Tewatia, Manan Vohra come in. Matt Henry plays his first game.
Gautam Gambhir: We’re looking to bowl. Wicket’s not gonna change much. We have been chasing well, so no point changing that. As professional cricketers, very game is important. We are still not sure in the playoffs. They are a quality side. Hopefully try and play some good cricket. Robin is back in place of Sheldon and Kuldeep Yadav comes in for Piyush Chawla.
Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and have opted to field
