IPL 7, Highlights, KKR vs KXIP: First Qualifier Between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab Postponed to Wednesday Due to Rain

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab clash at the Eden Gardens will take place on Wednesday as play was not possible on Tuesday due to rain. (Scorecard | Commentary | Schedule):

 

17:55 (IST): The Kolkata vs Punjab match will be played at 4pm on Wednesday while the eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will be played in Mumbai at 8 pm. (What if rain washes out Wednesday's play too?)

17:50 (IST): Word just coming in that the match has been postponed to Wednesday due to rain.

 

17:40 (IST): Playing in Kolkata has always been a challenge for the best of teams, but Punjab coach Sanjay Bangar backs his boys to come up trumps. ('KXIP Will Revel Playing at Eden')

 

17:31 (IST): While Punjab have been the dominating team in the Indian Premier League, Ajit Agarkar feels that Kolkata have momentum in their favour. (Watch Video)

 

17:19 (IST): If the match is washed out then it will be played tomorrow. If it is washed out a second time, then Punjab qualify for the final by virtue of a better Net Run Rate and Kolkata have to play the second Qualifier.

 

17:15 (IST): While the prospects of play are bleak, all hope is not lost. Pitch curator Prabir Mukherjee feels that a match can take place if it stops raining for two hours. (Read here)

 

PREVIEW

Those who believe that momentum plays a big part in deciding who has the edge in an encounter will without a doubt back Kolkata in the first qualifier. They have 7 wins on the trot, which is their longest winning streak ever in the Indian Premier League.

Club that with possibly the most brutal innings of this season. Yusuf Pathan's incredible 22 ball 72, with 5 fours and 7 sixes. A dream knock for a power-hitter that made sure Kolkata finished in the top 2.

In a way Pathan's knock echoed the belief and confidence of the entire KKR unit. No wonder then that Robin Uthappa said after the win over Hyderabad, "There was a tremendous belief in the side that we could do it."

KKR are the only team in the competition who have directly knocked out two teams, namely Bangalore and Hyderabad. In the process they have made sure that their fans across the country now believe that they can go all the way. (Read Full Preview)

 

 

RAIN MAY PLAY SPOILSPORT

With heavy downpour since Sunday, there's a cloud of uncertainty over Indian Premier League 2014's first qualifier between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday.

Both the teams had to skip their match-eve practice on Monday as the ground remained under cover, thanks to unrelenting rainfall since Sunday afternoon because of a low pressure formation over the Bay of Bengal. (Read Full Story)

 

 

AWANA EYES ENGLAND TOUR

Kings XI Punjab pacer Parvinder Awana has set his sights on the upcoming tour of England to make a comeback into the Indian cricket team.

The 27-year-old Awana, who has played for India in two T20s, has impressed KXIP bowling coach Joe Dawes, who is hoping that the bowler gets back into the national team.

"I am very much eyeing the England tour. In fact, only last night, I was jokingly telling Joe Dawes that we have three matches left in this IPL and let me play all of them. I'll take five wickets in each game and book a seat on that plane for England," Awana said. (Read Full Story)

 

 

YUSUF'S KNOCK PAYS DIVIDENDS

A Yusuf Pathan blitzkrieg of 22-ball 72 powered Kolkata Knight Riders to the first qualifier of the Indian Premier League as they humbled Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets on Saturday. Yusuf got his 15th Man of the Match award in Twenty20s. His tally of 14 MoM awards in the IPL is bettered only by Chris Gayle - 15.

Yusuf took only 15 balls to score the fastest fifty in the Indian Premier League. He has surpassed the feats of Adam Gilchrist (85 off 35 balls vs Delhi at Centurion on May 22, 2009) and Chris Gayle (175 off 66 balls vs Pune at Bangalore on April 23, 2013). Both had taken 17 balls to reach their respective fifties.

In the process, Yusuf became the 17th player to complete his 2,000 runs in the IPL - his tally being 2032 (ave.26.73) in 104 matches. Yusuf's strike rate of 327.27 (72 off 22 balls) is the highest by a batsman in the history of the IPL (minimum fifty). (Read Full Story)