IPL Highlights - Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR Win Thriller, Beat RPS by Two Wickets
Ajinkya Rahane's 67 and a late blitz from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the Rising Pune Supergiants to 160/5 after Kolkata Knight Riders' bowlers choked the batsmen for most of the innings. In reply, the Knights clinched a cliffhanger by just two wickets and three balls to spare. Catch all the highlights of RPS vs KKR match here.
That Umesh Yadav six at the end sealed it as Rising Pune Supergiants succumbed to their fourth successive loss while Kolkata Knight Riders have now won four out of five matches to go top of the standings. Catch all the highlights here (SCORECARD | IPL POINTS TABLE | IPL NEWS | STREAMING | PLAY FANTASY CRICKET)
23:37 hrs IST: That is it from us tonight. See you tomorrow for another exciting clash between Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab.
© BCCI
23:33 hrs IST: Suryakumar Yadav is Man of the Match for his steady knock of 60 off 49 balls.
"I was told by my captain, that I have to express myself. Carrying my form from the last game. Did not finish the game but happy that it came in a winning cause. First 8 overs would have been crucial because later it was difficult for the batsmen to capitalise. Winning against this challenging side on this wicket, it shows good signs," said Yadav.
23:31 hrs IST: KKR are No.1 in the standings while RPS are second from bottom.
.@KKRiders won by 2 wickets. Relive the match here - https://t.co/3SDz1cIlzz #RPSvKKR #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/UgFFzgS3sO
- IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 24, 2016
23:27 hrs IST: For obvious reasons, MS Dhoni is not happy with his team's bowling unit.
"Difficult to hit the spinners. When I got time, I told the spinners not to bowl up to the batsmen. Still five were hit. 30 runs were scored. No excuses for us. It's not about what should have happened. It's about how you execute your plans in the field. That is when you relish it and what it takes to win games in the pressure, We are definitely lacking it, especially the bowling unit. Someone like an Ashwin, he is new and he will feel the pressure. You can advise individuals, but when you have the ball, nothing can be done for you. Overall plenty of areas where we have to improve," said MS Dhoni.
23:23 hrs IST: SIX!!! KKR don't need the last six balls as Umesh Yadav smashes it for a six down long-on! What a finish to this thriller! The KKR dugout exulted together the moment they realised the ball was going to clear the boundary line.
A huge six from @y_umesh and KKR wrap up another chase with 3 balls to spare. KKR win by 2 wickets! #RPSvKKR #AmiKKR
- KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2016
23:18 hrs IST: OUT!!! This is unpredictable! Chawla caught by Smith bowl Perera! 5 off 4! wow!
23:15 hrs IST: One over to go! 7 needed off 6! This is some tense finish!
23:12 hrs IST: Sathish hits a SIX and then is BOWLED!
23:11 hrs IST: 18 needed off 12 balls.
23:10 hrs IST: Poor fielding from Saurabh Tiwary at thirdman and FOUR!!!!
23:07 hrs IST: OUT!!!! The big wicket! Russell gets caught at long-on. KKR in trouble!
23:04 hrs IST: Two SIXES from Russell in the 17th over and KKR now need 25 off 18 deliveries.
22:58 hrs IST: End of the 16th over, KKR 119/5!
22:56 hrs IST: Dhoni shows his experience as captain to bring in young leg spinner into action and he clicks immediately!
22:54 hrs IST: OUT!!! Big one this time as Yadav walks back to the pavilion after being LBW by M Ashwin!
GOT 'EM!! What a special young man you are Murugan! RISING to the occasion. #RPSvKKR #IamSuperGiant
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
22:52 hrs IST: FOUR!!! from Yadav who moves into 60s. He needs to be there if KKR are to win.
22:51 hrs IST: Bhatia's spell comes to an end, finishes with lovely figures of 4-0-19-2!
22:49 hrs IST: OUT!!!!! Yusuf Pathan is LBW for 36 by the experienced Bhatia, who has picked up two now!
22:45 hrs IST: KKR 110/3 after 14 overs
22:37 hrs IST: KKR 89/3 after 12 overs.
22:36 hrs IST: Suryakumar Yadav scores his maiden IPL half-century. This has been a well composed innings from him.
.@surya_14kumar brings up his first #IPL 50. A stellar innings from the vice-captain so far #RPSvKKR #AmiKKR pic.twitter.com/cBnnaJES2q
- KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2016
22:29 hrs IST: End of 10 overs, KKR 78/3.
22:26 hrs IST: 23 balls since the previous boundary, KKR 72/3 after 9 overs.
22:18 hrs IST: Gambhir looks concerned in the dug out. Still has not taken off his pads.
22:17 hrs IST: OUT!!! Shakib is bowled by Rajat Bhatia. Another blow for KKR. The Bangladeshi edged the ball which went on to hit the leg stump.
Oh yes Rajat! Oh YES! The experienced fox strikes again and it's a big wicket. 60/3 for KKR. Game on! ?? #RPSvKKR
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
22:15 hrs IST: This wicket could end up as the defining moment of the match.
© BCCI
22:14 hrs IST: Though their 2 wickets have fallen, their run rate has not. KKR 59/2 after 6 overs. Yadav batting at 40.
22:04 hrs IST: And he is welcomed with a SIX!!! After 4 overs, KKR 42/2!
.@surya_14kumar read the ball and deposits it into the stands lofting it over mid-on. #RPSvKKR #AmiKKR pic.twitter.com/LhMX3bODXV
- KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2016
22:02 hrs IST: Dhoni brings in his Trump card. R Ashwin is here to bowl.
22:01 hrs IST: Gambhir is livid with himself! KKR 31/2 after 3 overs!!!
.@msdhoni knocks off the stump and is sure he's got Gambhir! How quick was that stumping?! #IamSuperGiant #RPSvKKR
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
22:00 hrs IST: Oh my wrong decision! And Gambhir is RUN OUT!!!!! Fantastic from Saurabh Tiwary and Dhoni.
21:55 hrs IST: Both Gambhir and Yadav are dealing in boundaries!
21:50 hrs IST: Four again! Suryakumar Yadav punishes a widish ball with a four though the point.
21:48 hrs IST: Consecutive fours! KKR captain Gambhir takes the pressure off with two boundaries. The first goes through the slip region, while the second flies over the head of Dhoni. In fact three FOURS! What a start! 15/1 after first over.
21:45 hrs IST: Out!! Robin Uthappa (0) gone. First ball and a wicket!
What a start by RPS, as Albie Morkel's fullish delivery traps opener Uthappa plumb in front of the wicket off the first ball of the KKR innings.
21:27 hrs IST: RPS hit 60 runs off the last  five overs to take themselves to quite a competitive score.
© BCCI
Crucial innings from Rahane again.Excellent finish by Albie & Dhoni!Do you think that this is a match winning score? pic.twitter.com/hZpWteTkXt
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
21:26 hrs IST: Dhoni smashes 17 off Morne Morkel's last over to take RPS to 160/5. Dhoni ended on 23 not out off 12 balls.
2?6?0?4?4?1?- This is how the final over from @albiemorkel looks like. Vintage @msdhoni turned up for the match tonight! #IAmSuperGiant
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
21:20 hrs IST: What a cameo from MS DHONI! The skipper came to help the side when the team needed him.
21:14 hrs IST: Morkel BOWLED!!! Umesh Yadav scalps one!
21:13 hrs IST: Good over this for RPS, they lose a wicket but earn 14 runs!
21:12 hrs IST: Another SIX!!!! Just went past the hands of a leaping Suryakumar Yadav at long-on.
21:11 hrs IST: Albie Morkel hits a 96m SIX!!!!
21:10 hrs IST: In comes captain Dhoni and Gambhir sets a very aggressive field for the India skipper.
21:08 hrs IST: OUT!!! Rahane gets out with minimal fuss, hits straight to bowler Sunil Narine who gladly takes the catch.
Soft dismissal as @SunilPNarine74 sends Rahane back to the dug out after a classy innings #RPSvKKR #AmiKKR pic.twitter.com/FmgWZkjCkJ
- KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2016
21:07 hrs IST: Innovation and an unorthodox SIX over long leg by Rahane! He is into 60s!
21:04 hrs IST: End of 16 overs, RPS 109/3.
21:02 hrs IST: And SIX from the willow of Rahane!
6!!! @ajinkyarahane88 crossed the mid off boundary with ease! No slogging, this is pure batsmenship gentlemen! #IAmSupergiant
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
21:01 hrs IST: Gambhir has used his bowlers really well - two pacers and as many as four genuine spinners.
21:00 hrs IST: 100 comes up! 100/3 after 15 overs. Albie Morkel and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.
20:59 hrs IST: And 2 balls are the SIX, Perera is BOWLED by Sathish!
20:58 hrs IST: SIX!!! Perera has to strike now.
© BCCI
20:57 hrs IST: And 50 comes up for Rahane! Well deserved.
5?0? for @ajinkyarahane88 ! Assured, classy and elegant! #IAmSupergiant
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
20:56 hrs IST: End of the 14th over, RPS 90/2.
20:54 hrs IST: Rising Pune Supergiants are going very slowly as of now. If they do not accelerate, it will be difficult to defend a small total in Pune.
20:53 hrs IST: Good captaincy from Gautam Gambhir. He has realised it is pitch for slower bowlers who are dominating at the moment, easily containing RPS.
20:46 hrs IST: OUT!! Brilliant work from Rajagopal Sathish. Rahane hit it straight to the bowler who collects it and runs out Steve Smith, who returns to the pavilion for 31.
20:44 hrs IST: After 12 overs, RPS 79/1.
20:40 hrs IST: Yes boundaries have dried up but Smith and Rahane are making up by regularly converting 1s into 2s and 2s into 3s.
20:37 hrs IST: End of the 10th over, RPS 61/1. Rahane looks good for a half-century as of now.
20:31 hrs IST: Gambhir is regularly rotating his spinners -- Chawla, Narine, Shakib -- all in action.
20:28 hrs IST: End of the 8th over, RPS 47/1. Smith and Rahane need to up the ante.
20:26 hrs IST: Rahane and Smith at the crease now.
20:23 hrs IST: Here is the wicket of du Plessis again.
© BCCI
20:22 hrs IST: End of the 6th over, RPS 31/1.
20:18 hrs IST: Gambhir brings in Sunil Narine and he immediately exacts enormous spin!
20:17 hrs IST: Faf du Plessis was clean bowled by Shakib with his off-stump knocked out.
Gone. @faf1307 misses the line completely! We lose out first wicket ?? #IAmSupergiant
- Pune Supergiants (@RPSupergiants) April 24, 2016
20:16 hrs IST: Shakib strikes in his first over! At the end of the fourth over, RPS 24/1!
20:14 hrs IST: Gambhir introduces spin, Shakib Al Hasan comes in to bowl some slow left-arm.
20:13: Rahane looks in nick. Hits a SIX and a FOUR in the third over.
20:07 hrs IST: End of 2 overs, KKR 6 for no loss.
20:01 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane and Faf du Plessis open for RPS while Morne Morkel has the ball in his hand.
20:00 hrs IST: And it is match time!
19:45 hrs IST: Here are the teams:
Rising Pune Supergiants: Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Steve Smith, Saurabh Tiwary, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Thisara Perera, Albie Morkel, Rajat Bhatia, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ankit Sharma, Murugan Ashwin
Kolkata Knight Riders: Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell, Rajagopal Sathish, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav
19:35 hrs IST: Gautam Gambhir has won the toss and KKR will bowl first against Pune Supergiants.
© AFP
Dhoni's side started the tournament on a bright note with a win over Mumbai Indians. But since then they have lost three matches. To add to their woes, senior batsman Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury.
The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis and Steven Smith need to step up in his absence. Not to be forgotten captain Dhoni himself.
Their opponents Kolkata Knight Riders, have been helped by the terrific openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. However, they will miss Manish Pandey, who is down with chicken pox.
© BCCI
In the bowling department for Pune, Ishant Sharma need to step up. They also have the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Murugan Ashwin in the spin department.
For KKR, Shakib Al Hasan, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel have been consistent.