IPL 7 KXIP vs KKR, Highlights: Gambhir's 63* trumps Sehwag's 72 as Kolkata Knight Riders Crush Kings XI Punjab

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets. Catch all highlights from the match here.: (Scorecard | Commentary | Points table | Schedule)

Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata Knight Riders captain named Man-of-the-Match: I've been very lucky since my daughter has come to my life. Sehwag is a far better player than me; you can't compare me with him. Robin (Uthappa) has taken away a lot of pressure off me, because there was a time when I could not score runs and that's where he came in and helped me. I think Chawla has bowled brilliantly and hopefully he can continue the same way and we can continue the same way. MY runs are coming in the winning cause and that's why you play the game.

 

That's the end of this game. It's Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals in Bangalore coming up next.

 

George Bailey, Kings XI Punjab captain: They summed up the conditions better and played better. There was a little bit of moisture early on. KKR used their slower bowlers well and they were very intelligent with the way they started their innings and knew exactly where to play their shots.

 

Kolkata Knight Riders win by nine wickets. After restricting KXIP to 149/8, Robin Uthappa (46) and Gautam Gambhir (63 not out), who struck his 23rd fifty, helped the side to a crushing win over the top-placed side in the tournament. Manish Pandey (36 not out) also played a great hand as the Kings XI were completely decimated, just days after their comprehensive win over the Chennai Super Kings in the same ground.

 

19:08 IST: DROPPED! Bailey grasses an easy chance offered by Gambhir. Shocker if there ever was one. It's all but over for the Kings XI and for a rare game this season, the vivacious co-owner won't be smiling away.

 

19:05 IST: After scoring three successive ducks, Gambhir brings up his second successive fifty as KKR edge closer to a win in Cuttack. KKR 131/1 after 16 overs.

 

19:00 IST: KKR 123/1 after 15 overs with two very well-set batsmen (Gambhir 47 * and Pandey 25 *) steering the visitors. Strategic timeout

 

18:57 IST: FOUR! Short from Dhawan and Gambhir dispatches that one quickly. He is in great form and KXIP needed to have done a lot better.

Uthappa has ticked a few imp boxes...lost weight, hired a personal batting coach & scored runs in Ranji/Vijay Hazare/IPL #MoovOfTheMatch

- Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 11, 2014

 

18:49 IST: FOUR! Johnson back into the attack and Pandey cracks it straight down the ground. What a shot.

 

18:46 IST: KKR are 102/1 after 12 overs, chasing 150 for victory. Gambhir and Pandey are well set.

 

18:44 IST: Maxwell into the attack with the game slipping away from KXIP. FOUR! Gambhir is in fine form too as he creams another boundary. The 100 up for KKR in the 12th over, with a wide.

 

18:39 IST: Halfway through the innings, KKR are 89/1 after 10 overs with Gambhir unbeaten on 28 and Pandey not out on 11.

 

18:37 IST: FOUR! Poor ball again from Rishi Dhawan as Pandey finds the gap over mid-wicket.

 

18:34 IST: FOUR! Awana gets his line wrong again and Gambhir puts it away to the fence - bread and butter shot. KKR 79/1 after 9 overs with Gambhir firmly in control of the chase for the visitors.

 

18:27 IST: Manish Pandey joins Gambhir in the middle with KKR on 68/1 off 7 overs.

 

18:22 IST: WICKET! That's the end of a sensational innings by Uthappa - he falls to Awana for 46 off 28 balls, four runs short of a well-deserved 11th IPL half-century.

 

18:21 IST: FOUR! Cracking shot from Gambhir to a short and wide delivery from Awana - you got to do better against a batsman of Gambhir's quality.

 

18:20 IST: FOUR! That was off the outside edge but Uthappa won't mind that at all.

 

18:18 IST: End of the powerplay sees KKR to 55/0 as Awana comes on.

 

18:16 IST: Akshar Patel in the attack and 50 up for KKR in the 6th over. FOUR! Uthappa lifts Patel over the on-side and that was good use of the feet.

 

18:14 IST: KKR are 48/0 after 5 overs and this is as good a start as they could have expected, chasing 150 to win.

 

18:11 IST: FOUR! Gambhir clears the front foot and cracks Sandeep through the vacant mid-wicket area. Top cricket. This is a great start for the Knight Riders.

 

18:09 IST: Could it be Uthappa's day today? SIX and a FOUR against Johnson, albeit the maximum was off the top-edge but the boundary was well executed.  FOUR! This time Uthappa times it down the leg-side. And another FOUR! to end the over as KKR reach 41/0 after 4 overs,

 

18:03 IST: FOUR! Crisply timed by Uthappa as the ball races past Sandeep. Sensational shot. KKR 22/0 after 3 overs.

 

18:01 IST: FOUR! Uthappa latches on to a loose ball from Sandeep and sends it scurrying to the fence. FOUR! Utahppa uses his feet and finds the gap again. Gets more runs.

 

18:00 IST: FOUR! Gambhir slams Johnson for a boundary off the last ball of what was a good over. KKR 10/0 after 2 overs.

 

17:56 IST: Mitchell Johnson will share the new ball with Sandeep.

Most #IPL wickets after 10 games 21 Sohail Tanvir/SANDEEP SHARMA 20 James Faulkner 18 Kevon Cooper/D Mascarenhas #KXIPvKKR

- Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 11, 2014

17:55 IST: Good first over from Sandeep; does not give away much - just two runs off it. KKR 2/0 after the 1st.

 

17:51 IST: Sandeep Sharma with the new ball for KXIP. Uthappa and Gambhir the openers for KKR.

this pitch is probably showing the effect of the earlier match played on it. today the #kingsxi 85 in the first 10 overs, 64 in next 10

- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 11, 2014

17:36 IST: Kings XI Punjab are 149/8 off their 20 overs. On a day when both Glenn Maxwell and David Miller flopped, it was the old warhorse Virender Sehwag, who stood up with a vintage 72 off 50 balls and waged a lonely battled against the Kolkata Knight Riders, who had opted to field in Cuttack. After Sehwag blasted Jacques Kallis for four boundaries in the first over, Morne Morkel helped KKR fight back, striking twice to remove Mandeep Singh for a duck before knocking over Wriddhiman Saha. However, the star turn for KKR came from Piyush Chawla, who removed the dangerous Glenn Maxwell and ended Sehwag's stay before adding Rishi Dhawan to his kitty.

 

17:24 IST: WICKET! Chawla has been brilliant today; he has knocked over Rishi Dhawan for 4 as KXIP reach 127/6 off 17 overs. Chawla has finished with 3/19 off his four overs.

 

17:17 IST: WICKET! Great comeback by Umesh Yadav, who has castled David Miller after being hit for a boundary. KKR are clawing back in now, with KXIP on 120/5 off 15.2 overs.

 

17:12 IST: WICKET! Chawla strikes again as he removes Virender Sehwag or 72 off 50 balls. KXIP are 112/4 off 14.3 overs as George Bailey comes together with David Miller.

 

17:08 IST: FOUR! A rare poor ball from Morkel as he goes too full and slides too much down the leg-side. Sehwag will not miss out on those. FOUR! Sehwag takes another one off Morkel as KXIP keep piling on the runs.

 

17:06 IST: Morkel back for his last over after the timeout.

 

17:03 IST: KXIP 102/3 with seven overs to go and it's a strategic timeout.

 

16:57 IST: FOUR! Ryan ten Doeschate in the attack and Sehwag dismisses him from his presence with an arrogant shot.

 

16:51 IST: WICKET! Piyush Chawla into the attack and he gets the big one; removes Glenn Maxwell for 14 off 14 balls as David Miller joins Sehwag in the middle.

16:49 IST: Halfway through the innings, KXIP are 85/2. Sehwag is in fine form and batting on 54 from 36 balls with Maxwell beginning to open his arms too.

 

16:47 IST: Fifty for Sehwag, his first of the year and 16th overall in the IPL. Great knock.

 

16:46 IST: FOUR! Maxwell lifts Kallis but the ball drops short of Yusuf Pathan in the deep and rolls over across to the fence.

 

16:42 IST: FOUR! Sehwag gets cheeky against Narine and fetches himself another boundary.

 

16:41 IST: SIX! Kallis comes back after an expensive first over but Sehwag was ready and he slammed a straight one down the ground as KXIP move to 62/2 off 8 overs.

 

16:34 IST: Sunil Narine in the attack and he finishes with an excellent first over; gives away just four of it. KXIP are 53/2 off 7.

 

16:33 IST: The end of the powerplay and KXIP are 49/2 with Sehwag and Maxwell in the middle.

 

16:30 IST: Glenn Maxwell joins Sehwag in the middle and he will face up to Morkel after the timeout.

 

16:28 IST: WICKET! The others are getting hammered but Morkel is bowling in his own zone. This time he castles Saha as KXIP reach 48/2 off 5.1 overs and it's a strategic timeout.

 

16:24 IST: KXIP are off to a brilliant start here. Saha hammers Yadav for two successive boundaries and joins the party with Sehwag. This is just poor bowling. KXIP 48/1 off 5 overs.

 

16:18 IST: FOUR! That was lucky for Sehwag; the edge from a Morkel delivery and the ball races between the 'keeper and first slip.

 

16:16 IST: KXIP are off to a fiery start despite an early blow, thanks to Sehwag. KXIP 30/1 off three overs.

 

16:12 IST: FOUR! Yadav or Kallis, Sehwag is unstoppable today. He casually flicks another poor delivery to the fence.

 

16:11 IST: Umesh Yadav into the attack, replaces Kallis who gave away 17 from his first over.

 

16:06 IST: Morne Morkel with the new ball and WICKET! The South African pacer has struck off his third ball and sees off Mandeep Singh for a duck. KXIP 17/1 as Saha joins Sehwag in the middle.

 

16:05 IST: Sehwag has taken four boundaries off the first over from Kallis - what a frenetic start for KXIP, who are 17/0.

 

16:03 IST: FOUR! Kallis drops on the pads and Sehwag whips it away. That was easy meat for a man eager to get back into the Indian team - that was his 25th boundary this IPL.

 

16:00 IST: Kallis with the new ball for KKR. Sehwag faces up. FOUR! Sehwag slams that through covers first ball to get off the mark. Signature shot from him, as Mandeep Singh watches from the non-striker's end.

 

15:40 IST: Here are the Playing XIs:

 

KXIP: Mandeep Singh, V Sehwag, WP Saha (WK), GJ Maxwell, GJ Bailey (Captain), DA Miller, AR Patel, MG Johnson, R Dhawan, P Awana, Sandeep Sharma

KKR: RV Uthappa (WK), G Gambhir (Captain), MK Pandey, JH Kallis, RN ten Doeschate, YK Pathan, SA Yadav, PP Chawla, M Morkel, UT Yadav, SP Narine

 

15:37 IST: KKR won the toss and elected to bowl vs KXIP. Both teams have made two changes. KKR recall Morne Morkel and Piyush Chawla while KXIP have added Parvinder Awana and Rishi Dhawan.

 

The erratic Kolkata Knight Riders will look to challenge the seemingly unstoppable force of table-toppers Kings XI Punjab when the two sides clash in an Indian Premier League match in Cuttack on Sunday.

While Kings XI Punjab beat once again showed why they have been amongst the best this IPL season by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 32 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders also registered a convincing victory over Delhi Daredevils in their last match, putting them in contention of reaching the playoffs.

The last time the two sides faced off, it turned out to be a low-scoring affair but even in that Punjab came out trumps after doing the job well with the ball. But given the sparkling form the duo of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller are in, KKR bowlers are likely to be put to the sword in Sunday's game at the Barabati stadium. (KXIP and Their Big Four)

On paper, it looks a lop-sided contest given that Punjab have a batting line-up, which has been in marauding form. If Maxwell and Miller were not a big enough headache to deal with for rival teams, out-of-form veteran Virender Sehwag is also slowly rediscovering his touch.

Kolkata Knight Riders will take heart from the fact that their skipper Gautam Gambhir has finally struck some form along with the explosive opener Robin Uthappa, who looks to be in great touch during this year's IPL. Among bowlers, they have the experienced Sunil Narine, who can be a major force to reckon with for the big-hitters in the Punjab team.

 

Gambhir Backs Narine-Shakib to Propel Kolkata Knight Riders

 

Back playing in familiar Indian surroundings, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir is looking at the possibility of winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) a second time.

He realises that it is not going to be easy for a team that won only three matches of the eight it has played, but he still sees a ray of hope, and to be on course it needs to win the remaining six matches to make the play-off.

For that to happen, Gambhir feels his two overseas spinners, Sunil Narine (West Indies) and Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), are the key to pulling the Knight Riders back into contention on the turning Indian tracks. (Read more)

 

Kings XI Punjab and Their Big Four

 

Of the six top totals in the IPL this year, Kings XI Punjab have scored five of them. Punjab's winning total of 198 for eight on Friday night at Chinnaswamy Stadium was the highest by any team against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2014. The total was a combined effort of KXIP's top batsmen: Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and of course, Mandeep Singh and Mitchell Johnson.

It's the team's ability to back each other up has made the biggest difference. King's XI have looked like a well-knit outfit where almost every player - whether batting, bowling or fielding - have done his bit, gave his 100 per cent. (Read more)