IPL 7, Highlights, KKR vs KXIP: Kolkata Knight Riders Beat Kings XI Punjab by 28 Runs to Seal Final Berth

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs to qualify for the IPL 7 final. Catch highlights here: (Scorecard | Commentary | Schedule):

 

19:50 (IST): Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs to seal IPL7 final berth.

19:49 (IST): OUT! Bailey c Pandey b Umesh Yadav 26. KXIP 134/8 (19.1 overs). Need 30 runs to win from 5 balls.

 

19:46 (IST): Punjab need 30 from the final over.

 

19:41 (IST): OUT! Rishi Dhawan b Shakib 14. KXIP 117/7 (17.3 overs). Wait, there's still more to this game. George Bailey gets two consecutive sixes and this game is yet from over. KXIP now need 34 from 2 overs.

19:35 (IST): Things look really bad for Punjab now. They will have to seal their spot through a solid performance in Qualifier 2. KXIP 102/6 (16.3 overs). Here's Raima Sen looking pleased with Kolkata's performance.

 

19:27 (IST): OUT! Akshar Patel run out Chawla 2. KXIP 87/6 (13.3 overs). They are falling quickly now.

19:18 (IST): OUT! Miller b Piyush Chawla 8. KXIP 82/5 (12.2 overs) chasing 164 vs KKR.

 

19:15 (IST): OUT! Saha c Umesh Yadav b Morkel 35. KXIP 80/4 (12 overs) vs KKR. The D/L par score is 94.

19:09 (IST): Saha gets 6 and sends KXIP 5 runs shy off the D/L par score! KXIP 75/3 (10.3 overs).

 

19:07 (IST): KXIP are still 9 runs behind based on D/L calculations. They are 68/3 (10 overs) chasing 164 vs KKR.

 

18:54 (IST): OUT! Maxwell lbw b Umesh Yadav 6. KXIP 55/3 (7.5 overs). The par after 8 overs should be 64. Not looking good for Punjab now. Preity Zinta looks in the direction of the rain.

 

18:46 (IST): OUT! Vohra c Umesh Yadav b Morkel 26. KXIP 45/2 (5.5 overs) vs KKR. Maxwell comes in to bat now! We are approaching a rain stoppage again.

 

18:43 (IST): There's another one from Vohra! Six! Some great batting there from the young lad, he has hit Morkel for six! KXIP 45/1 (5.3 overs).

 

18:40 (IST): Manan Vohra gets back-to-back sixes and this takes Punjab just one shy off the par score! Kings XI Punjab now 39/1 after 5.1 overs.

18:34 (IST): Saha sends Morne Morkel for a huge six! KXIP 17/1 (3 overs) chasing 164. Oh dear! It's raining again! But the umpires send the covers right back! The drizzle comes and goes! Kings XI Punjab are 20 runs behind the par score right now.

 

18:25 (IST): OUT! Sehwag c Shakib b Umesh Yadav 2. KXIP 5/1 (1.1 overs). Shakib is delighted after taking the catch and the crowd at Eden Gardens erupts!

18:24 (IST): Kings XI Punjab get just 5 runs off Morne Morkel's first over. KXIP 5/0 (1 over) chasing 164 vs KKR.

 

18:09 (IST): Kolkata Knight Riders post 163/8 after being put in to bat first by Kings XI Punjab.

 

17:59 (IST): OUT! Ryan ten Doeschate c Vohra b Johnson 17. KKR 147/7 (18.4 overs). This is a big blow at this stage of the game for KKR!

 

17:54 (IST): OUT! Suryakumar Yadav b Karanveer 20. KKR 145/6 (18 overs). Piyush Chawla comes in to bat now! This guy can hit the ball a long mile too!

17:53 (IST): Ryan ten Doeschate hits two consecutive sixes! KKR 140/5 (17.2 overs). Can KKR get to 160 or better from here? Looks probable now.

 

17:47 (IST): It's Suryakumar Yadav's turn to hit big now! Six! And he follows it up with a cracking four! KKR 124/5 (16.2 overs) vs Kings XI Punjab.

17:43 (IST): Covers are off and play is about to begin once again! KKR 113/5 (15.4 overs) vs Kings XI Punjab.

17:31 (IST): Oh dear! The covers are coming back on. It's raining once again! The umpires are in a state of confusion. SRK also looks a touch bothered, doesn't he?

17:28 (IST): Good news! The covers are coming off with KKR at 113/5 after 15.4 overs vs KXIP.

 

17:23 (IST): It's raining heavily now and the covers are coming on! KKR 113/5 (15.4 overs).

 

17:18 (IST): OUT! Yusuf c Miller b Karanveer 20. KKR 108/5 (14.3 ovs). I'm afraid KKR will now need a herculean effort to get to a big score.

17:17 (IST): OUT! Shakib c Miller b Karanveer 18. KKR 108/4 (14.2 ovs).

17:11 (IST): Yusuf gets into the groove now! Hits Rishi Dhawan for six! KKR 103/3 (13.4 overs). Pathan has moved to 20 off 16 balls.

 

17:07 (IST): Shakib gives himself room and goes over extra cover for 4! KKR 94/3 (12.2 overs) vs KXIP.

 

16:59 (IST): Yusuf Pathan uses Mitchell Johnson's pace to get a boundary! KKR 81/3 (11 overs).

 

16:48 (IST): OUT! Pandey b Patel 21. KKR 67/3 (8.5 ovs) vs KXIP. Yusuf Pathan comes in to bat! Shah Rukh is cheering his team from the stands.

 

16:46 (IST): OUT! Uthappa c Miller b Patel 42. KKR 67/2 (8.2 ovs). That was his 10th consecutive 40-plus knock by the way! The dangerman is gone! Shakib Al Hasan comes in to bat now!

16:43 (IST): Pandey goes in the direction of extra-cover for four off Karanveer! KKR 66/1 (7.5 ovs). This is turning out to be a great start!

 

16:33 (IST): All going in the direction of the boundary! Manish Pandey now! 50 partnership! KKR 54/1 (5.5 ovs).

 

16:29 (IST): Uthappa waits for the ball and dispatches Awana for a lofted four! KKR 42/1 (5 overs). This is a good platform for KKR.

 

16:21 (IST): Uthappa sends Johnson for 6! The first of the match! And then 4! KKR 30/1 (3.4 overs). Uthappa will be key if KKR are to post a big score here.

 

16:18 (IST): Uthappa finishes off the third over bowled by Akshar Patel with a four. KKR 14/1 (3 overs) vs KXIP.

 

16:09 (IST): OUT! Gambhir c Bailey b Johnson 1. KKR 2/1 (1.2 overs). That looked like a good shot going for four but Bailey jumped well at mid-on to catch it and send the KKR captain back in the dugout.

 

16:07 (IST): Just two runs off Parvinder Awana's first over. KKR 2/0 (1 over).

 

16:04 (IST): Uthappa gets Kolkata off the mark with a single! KKR 1/0 (0.2 overs) vs KXIP. Some good, tight bowling there from Parvinder Awana.

 

Playing XIs

Kings XI Punjab

Manan Vohra, Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey(c), Wriddhiman Saha(wkt), Akshar Patel, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh, Parvinder Awana

Kolkata Knight Riders

Gautam Gambhir (captain), Robin Uthappa(wkt), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav

 

15:34 (IST): Kings XI Punjab win toss, elect to bowl first vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. While Punjab are unchanged, Kolkata bring in Piyush Chawla for Vinay Kumar.

15:15 (IST): Just 15 minutes to go before toss at Eden Gardens. Who do you think will win? Kolkata? Or Punjab?

 

HOW RAIN CAN PLAY SPOILSPORT

A depression over the Bay of Bengal may be a meteorological condition but it can have a deep impact on cricket - and on Kolkata Knight Riders in particular. After a whirlwind performance to book a berth in the Indian Premier League qualifiers, there is now a possibility that incessant rain may wash away their dreams of a direct entry into the final.

Kolkata were scheduled to play table-toppers Kings XI Punjab in the first IPL qualifier at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. Relentless rains though forced the match to be postponed to the reserve day - Wednesday at 1600 hrs IST. According to the Indian Meteorological Department though, dark clouds are likely to remain over Kolkata - a dismal sign for fans of the 2012 champions. If Wednesday's play is washed out as well, Kings XI Punjab will enter the final owing to a better run-rate, as per rule 21.10 (b) of the IPL Playing Conditions. However, if there is scope, a Super Over would decide the victors and the 'said match' can be played as late as 2032 hrs IST. (Read full story)

 

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)

 

 

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)