IPL 7 Highlights, KKR vs MI: Uthappa Scripts Kolkata's Six-Wicket Win over Mumbai

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by six wickets: ( Scorecard | Commentary | Points Table | Schedule)

23.30 (IST): So, Kolkata Knight Riders embark upon a winning streak with their third successive victory. They still have a long way to go as the race for the fourth spot is starting to catch up. As for Mumbai, they might just try making wholesale changes to the side to plan ahead for the next season.

23.26 (IST): Man of the match Robin Uthappa: I have been working hard, i have been improving my skill too. I am trying to play in the V, i am playing with the correct technique too. It's a result of spending a lot of hours practicing.

 

23.25 (IST): KKR captain Gambhir: This shows the character of the team, the guys were really umped up to get the campaign back on track. Winning the toss, the bowlers did great to restrict the team to 140. He [Narine] is a mystery bowler and we are lucky to have a bowler like that in our team

 

23.22 (IST): Yusuf Pathan: Our bowlers bowled very well, then we started really well. Robin's form is a good sign for our team - he is playng well, he is playing long. Our bench strength is also strong, that helps us to choose the right players for the right conditions.

23.15 (IST): The campaign is all but over for the defending champions Mumbai Indians as they crashed to their seventh  win in ten games. Kolkata, on the other hand, have registered their fifth win to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the play-offs.

23.12 (IST): Its all over! KKR (142/4) have beaten MI (141/5) by six wickets.

23.06 (IST): KKR 136/3 in 18 overs and are just six runs away from a straight-forward win.

23.02 (IST): FOUR! Shakib al Hasan gets off the mark with a four behind point off Malinga. KKR 128/3 in 17 overs, need 14 to win from 18 balls.

22.58 (IST): OUT! Robin Uthappa's brilliant knock ends! He departs for 80 off 52 balls. KKR 116/3 in 16 overs, need 26 to win from 24 balls.

22.54 (IST): SIXES! Robin Uthappa slams two sixes off Lendl Simmons to narrow down the chase. KKR 113/2 in 15.3 overs, need 29 to win from 27 balls.

22.48 (IST): OUT! Manish Pandey (14) is gone, bowled by Harbhajan Singh. Kolkata 96/2 in 14.1 overs.

22.47 (IST): Kolkata Knight Riders 96/1 in 14 overs, need 46 runs off 36 balls.

22.42 (IST): Jasprit Bumrah returns and is welcomed by Uthappa with a boundary. Uthappa cuts the ball in front of point for four. KKR 93/1 in 13.2 overs, need 50 to win from 40 balls.

22.35 (IST): Fifty for Uthappa! His 11th in IPL, off 34 balls! KKR 76/1 in 10.4 overs.

22.30 (IST): At the halfway stage, KKR reach 68/1 in 10 overs with Uthappa (45) and Manish Pandey (5) in the middle.

22.21 (IST): OUT! Gambhir is gone! He has chopped a ball from Harbhajan onto his stumps. He departs for 14, Kolkata 50/1 in 7.2 overs

22.14 (IST): KKR have collected 45 runs in the powerplay without the loss of a wicket. Uthappa (32) and Gambhir (10) going along nicely in their chase of 142.

22.07 (IST): SIX! Uthappa hits Pragyan Ojha for a six over long on. (KKR 37/0 in 4.3 overs)

22.04 (IST): Uthappa goes after Bumrah! He collects two back-to-back fours to take KKR to 31/0 in 4 overs.

22.01 (IST): FOUR! Robin Uthappa comes down the track to Harbhajan Singh and JUST clears Lasith Malinga at mid-off, off Harbhajan Singh (KKR 21/0 in 3 overs)

21.58 (IST): This is good risk-free cricket from KKR. They have 13 runs from two overs and have hardly given Mumbai a chance to breakthrough.

21.52 (IST): The KKR openers pick up seven runs off the first over. With just 141 to get, there is no real need for them to go after the bowling. Mumbai, on the other hand, need a wicket.

21.45 (IST): Lasith Malinga to open the bowling for Mumbai. Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir walk out to kick-start Kolkata's chase

21.41 (IST): Shakib al Hasan: Overall our bowling effort has been good. The ball is keeping low and is difficult to bat on. Hopefully our batsmen can do the job.

21.40 (IST): Ambati Rayudu: I think we are 10 runs short on this wicket. We need to bowl really well. I think the wicket is two-paced. Some balls are coming on nicely but some are keeping low. A few early wickets and we would be in the game.

21.38 (IST): Here's the wagon wheel of the Mumbai Indians

21.37 (IST): This is how Mumbai's batting panned out.

 

21.35 (IST): Exceptional effort in the field from KKR to restrict Mumbai to a below-par total of 141 on a wicket that seems to be slightly two-faced. A lot of deliveries kept low and put the batsmen in a spot of bother. To top that, KKR had Sunil Narine (1/18), Shakib al Hasan (1/21) and Piyush Chawla (1/32) in their ranks. Morne Morkel was the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 2/35. For Mumbai, Rohit Sharma led the way with a half-century.

21.30 (IST): Mumbai Indians post 141/5 in 20 overs.

21.25 (IST): Rohit Sharma is gone! Oh dear, what has he done? He tries a cheeky shot over fine leg off Sunil Narine and is bowled! He goes for 51. (MI 138/5 in 19.2 overs)

21.22 (IST): Fifty for Rohit Sharma! His 21st in IPL! It has come in 43 balls.

21.18 (IST): Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma continues to time the ball to perfection. He cuts the Shakib behind point for four to move into the 40s (MI 123/4 in 17 overs)

21.13 (IST): Oh dear! Tame dismissal here as Corey (18) hits one straight to Piyush Chawla at mid-wicket. (MI 115/4 in 16 overs)

21.12 (IST): Another SIX! Rohit punishes a length ball from Morkel, hits it over covers (MI 114/3 in 15.4 overs)

21.11 (IST): SIX! Rohit Sharma with some sublime timing there! He lofts one off Morkel over mid-off for a six (MI 107/3 in 15.3 overs)

21.07 (IST): Here's how Piyush Chawla's spell panned out.

21.03 (IST): Live bloggers curse? Could be! Corey Anderson rips apart Chawla! A straight six followed by a cut for four and then Rohit Sharma gets another four! 17 runs come off the over. (MI 93/3 in 14 overs)

21.01 (IST): Piyush Chawla to bowl his final over. He has conceded just 15 runs off his first three overs and has a wicket.

20.54 (IST): Dropped! Yusuf Pathan drops Rohit Sharma off Morkel! (MI 71/3 in 12.3 overs)

20.52 (IST): Rayudu started well but threw it away! Here's how his innings panned out.

 

20.50 (IST): OUT! Ambati Rayudu (33) is gone, caught by Suryakumar Yadav at long on off Piyush Chawla. (MI 70/3 in 11.5 overs)

20.48 (IST): Spinners are doing a good job for the Kolkata Knight Riders here.

20.45 (IST): At the halfway stage, MI reach 62/2 with Rohit (9), Rayudu (27) in the middle.

 

20.37 (IST): Here's how Mumbai Indians' first fifty runs have come.

 

20.35 (IST): Fifty up for Mumbai! Rayudu cuts Yusuf behind point for a four! (MI 53/2 in 8.4 overs)

20.27 (IST): Rayudu goes inside out! What a shot! Umesh Yadav gets the ball to move in the air a bit but Rayudu gets on top of it and hits it over covers! (MI 41/2 in 6.2 overs)

20.26 (IST): Bad start for Mumbai Indians here! They have managed just 37 runs in powerplay overs. Rohit Sharma is out in the middle with Ambati Rayudu who desperately need to string together a partnership.

20.23 (IST): Oh dear! What was Lendl Simmons thinking? He came down the track to Shakib and attempted a wild swing. But the ball missed everything and crashed onto the leg stump (MI 35/2 in 5.2 overs)

20.19 (IST): Gambhir makes an early change! Brings in Shakib al Hasan to bowl the fourth over. Lendl Simmons collects two boundaries off it! (Mumbai 31/1, 4 overs)

20.17 (IST): SIX! Ambati Rayudu dances down the track and lofts Morne Morkel for a six over mid-on. What a shot from the man in form! (Mumbai 23/1, 2.5 overs)

20.15 (IST): Previous game's hero Ambati Rayudu is new the man in.

20.10 (IST): Another failed opening stand for Mumbai Indians! CM Gautam is gone, caught by Suryakumar Yadav at mid-wicket off Morne Morkel (Mumbai 12/1, 2.2 overs)

20.00 (IST): Morne Morkel bowls the first over. Mumbai Indians open with Lendl Simmons and CM Gautam.

 

19:36 (IST): Gautam Gambhir decides to have a bowl against Mumbai Indians in Cuttack. Shakib al Hasan comes in place of Jacques Kallis.

Preview

High on confidence after beating Kings XI Punjab in their previous game, Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue the winning momentum when they take on erratic defending champions Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match today.

The last time the two sides faced off in the tournament opener in the United Arab Emirates, the Knight Riders came out triumphant.

The Kolkata outfit, though, has been struggling to find its feet in the ongoing tournament, but back-to-back victories, especially a win against a strong Punjab side at this very venue, must have done its confidence a world of good.

KKR, who are placed fourth in the points table with four wins and five loses in nine games, would certainly be keen to go all out for a victory and brighten their chances of making the play-off stage.

Kolkata's batting has clicked against both Delhi Daredevils and KXIP, with underfire skipper Gautam Gambhir leading from the front striking a couple of superb half-centuries to guide the team to victory.

The defending champions, with just three victories from nine games so far, are well aware that they would have to win all their remaining matches if they want a berth in the play-offs.

They will take inspiration from the seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad last night.

Despite most of their batsmen being among runs, Mumbai have faltered a little too often in this tournament so far.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and West Indian powerhouse Kieron Pollard have been successful in the current season. Even Ambati Rayudu have contributed with runs. (Read more)

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In a short span of two games, Mumbai Indians' Lendl Simmons has made an impression and the opening batsman says he wants to hit a fifty in every outing to enhance his team's chances of reaching the IPL play-offs. Simmons (68) along with Ambati Rayudu (68) put on 130 runs for the second wicket as Mumbai chased down a 158-run target comfortably against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Monday.

"As a team, we would want to win all the games and qualify for the playoffs. I want to do my part for the team by giving a good start and scoring with a good strike-rate. I want to score a half-century in every game and get my team off to a flier at the top of the innings," said Simmons. (Read more)

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