IPL Highlights, KKR vs KXIP: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul Star As Kings XI Punjab Beat Kolkata Knight Riders By 9 Wickets (DLS)

Chris Gayle and KL Rahul scored half-centuries apiece as Kings XI Punjab outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in a rain-hit IPL encounter on Saturday. While KKR scored a competitive 191 for 7 in 20 overs, KXIP had a revised target of 125 in 13 overs after rain halted play. Gayle completed a hat-trick of half-centuries with an unbeaten 62 from 38 balls that had five fours and six sixes while Rahul helped himself to a 60 off only 27 balls. Gayle hit the winning runs six off Tom Curran over long-on as they sealed the issue with 11 balls to spare. This was also KXIP's first win at the Eden Gardens since 2012. Earlier, Kings XI Punjab looked on course to chase down 192 set by Kolkata Knight Riders when rain interrupted play in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Openers Chris Gayle (49 off 27 not out) and KL Rahul (46 off 23 not out) were at the crease with KXIP cruising on 96/0 in 8.2 overs when rain disrupted play. KXIP were ahead by 31 runs of the Duckworth-Lewis par score (65/0).  Earlier, Chris Lynn scored a brilliant 74 off 41, while captain Dinesh Karthik smashed a 28-ball 41 as KKR posted 191 for 7 against KXIP. Lynn, who had scored a 49 against Sunrisers Hyderabad but did not look his swashbuckling best till now, took time to settle down against the spinners and plundered the quicks, smashing six fours and four sixes in his first half-century of IPL-11. Lynn got a reprieve in the 13th over when when he was on 62, Barinder Sran (2/50) dropping a catch at deep extra cover off Andrew Tye (2/30) but the damage was already done. Skipper Dinesh Karthik (43; 28b 6x4) gave him good company with a composed knock. The pair stitched together a 62-run partnership off 34 balls for the fourth wicket. Karthik holed out to Tye at deep backward square off Sran with U-19 World Cup winner Shubman Gill (14 not out) staying on till the end. KKR lost Sunil Narine (1) early to Mujeeb before, the mystery spinner-turned opener picking out Karun Nair at long-on where the Karnataka batsman took a brilliant catch. In his first over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1/32) gave away just five runs and took the wicket but only to be punished by Robin Uthappa in the next. The dashing right-hander swept the Afghanistan teenage spinner for three consecutive fours, taking 15 runs off the 4th over. Lynn looked in his elements from the outset, hitting Barinder Sran for two sixes and a four just after the Powerplay as the hosts looked in control of the game. Skipper Ashwin broke the 72-run second wicket stand in the first ball of his second over when Uthappa (34; 23b 5x4 1x6) lost his concentration and tried to clear the deep wicket boundary, only to find Nair there who took an easy catch. Nitish Rana (3) was run out after the in-form southpaw fell prey to a poor mix-up with Lynn while trying to take a single. At the halfway stage, KKR were 86/3 with Karthik and Lynn at the crease. From there on, Lynn shifted gears to take Yuvraj Singh and Andre Tye to the cleaners in the middle overs and bringing up his 50 off 30 balls. Suffering from cramps, Lynn finally departed by bottom-edging Tye to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. Andre Russell (10) did not make an impact as KKR's surge tapered off towards the end as they could not reach the 200-mark. (SCORECARD)

IPL 2018 Highlights of Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab match, straight from Eden Gardens, Kolkata

20:30 IST: KINGS XI PUNJAB BEAT KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS BY 9 WICKETS (DLS)

20:29 IST: SIX! Gayle seals the win with a huge six off Tom Curran.

20:28 IST: Excellent over from Mavi. Just 3 runs off his over. KXIP need 5 off 12 balls.

20:27 IST: Gayle tries to play this hard against Mavi but misses it completely.

20:24 IST: Brilliant bowling from Shivam Mavi. A yorker to Gayle.

20:22 IST: Mayank Agarwal comes to the crease now.

20:21 IST: WICKET! Narine strikes, Rahul departs for 60 runs. KXIP 116/1, need 9 runs in 20 balls.

20:20 IST: FOUR! Another one from Rahul. He stays back and slashes hard towards deep backward point.

20:19 IST: FOUR! Rahul smashes Narine for a boundary towards sweeper cover.

20:18 IST: FIFTY! KL Rahul brings up his half-century with a six off Narine.

20:17 IST: Fabulous job by groundsmen.

What a fabulous job by the groundsmen to ensure the play resumes #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KKRvsKXIP pic.twitter.com/XyY0u6WWbs

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 21, 2018

20:16 IST: 13 runs off Chawla's over. KXIP need 23 runs in 24 balls to win.

20:15 IST: SIX! What a start from Gayle. The Universe Boss smashes Chawla for a huge one straight down the ground. FIFTY for Gayle off 28 balls.

20:14 IST: KKR players in a huddle. Gayle and Rahul are making their way to the middle.

20:13 IST: KXIP Need 29 Off 28 Balls To Win Against KKR

20:09 IST: UPDATE:

UPDATE: We will have an 8:15PM start. It will be a 13-over game. Target for KXIP -125 #VIVOIPL #KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/SMpdMyNvwT

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2018

20:03 IST: Rahul-Gayle show before the rain interrupted play.

Strong start until rain stopped play #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/F4ztZLdABN

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 21, 2018

20:01 IST: The players are warming up.

The last layer of cover is off the field now. The players are warming up, and we should have some action soon. No official word on the exact time of resumption yet. Stay tuned! #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

19:34 IST: Meanwhile, the other match of the day between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils all set to begin. Virat Kohli has opted to field at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

19:28 IST: Good news! The rain has stopped and the super soppers are out.

#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/rsNvCgYF4P

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 21, 2018

UPDATE: Rain has almost stopped, and the super-soppers are out!
The crowd is trickling back into the stands. It will, however, take some time to clear the water and for the covers to come off. #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

19:02 IST: KKR's twitter handle says, "KXIP were 31 runs ahead of the DLS par score (65/0) when rain stopped play after 8.2 overs. The drizzle has turned to heavy showers right now. Cut off time for play to resume is 8:10 PM IST."

KXIP were 31 runs ahead of the DLS par score (65/0) when rain stopped play after 8.2 overs. The drizzle has turned to heavy showers right now. Cut off time for play to resume is 8:10 PM IST. #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

18:45 IST: Kings XI Punjab are ahead on the DLS par score.

18:42 IST: It's raining at Eden Gardens. Playing are leaving the field. Covers are coming on.

18:41 IST: SIX! Gayle smashes Chawla towards long on for a huge one.

18:36 IST: 13 runs off Kuldeep's over. KXIP 86/0, need 106 more runs to win off 78 balls.

18:35 IST: SIX! Gayle picks the length and whacks the ball into long on stand. What a hot from the universe boss.

18:33 IST: FOUR! Rahul picks the length and smashes Kuldeep for a boundary.

18:33 IST: Left-arm Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack.

18:30 IST: 6 overs gone! KXIP 73/0, need 119 off 84 balls.

18:29 IST: FOUR! Another one from Rahul. He uses the pace and sends the ball towards fine leg fence.

Fair play for a reason #KKRvKXIP #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi pic.twitter.com/VZIAtRubF8

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 21, 2018

18:28 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul sends Piyush Chawla towards fine leg for a boundary.

18:26 IST: FOUR! Gayle leans forward and smashes Narine towards fine leg for a boundary.

18:25 IST: Sunil Narine into the attack now.

18:22 IST: Nitish Rana to bowl Russell's last ball over the over. The West Indies' all-rounder is off the attack due to pain.

18:19 IST: SIX! Gayle moves away from the crease and cuts the ball over third man region for another six. What a shot from the big man. 50 comes up for KXIP.

18:17 IST: SIX! Gayle welcomes Russell with a huge six over deep mid wicket.

18:16 IST: 17 runs off Mavi's second over. KXIP 39/0 in 3 overs, need 153 more to win.

18:15 IST: SIX! Short from Mavi. Rahul picks the length and slaps the ball over deep square leg for a maximum. What a shot from the right-hander.

18:13 IST: FOUR! Gayle hits Mavi towards deep mid wicket region for another boundary. Gayle moves to 12 off 9 balls.

18:12 IST: FOUR! Gayle stands tall and sends the young Mavi towards sweeper cover for a boundary.

18:08 IST: FOUR! Gayle sends Russell towards square of the wicket for a boundary.

18:07 IST: FOUR! Rahul uses the pace, opens the face of the bat and guides Russell towards third man for a boundary.

18:06 IST: FOUR! Andre Russell to KL Rahul. The right-hander leans forward and drives the ball for a boundary. What a timing from him.

18:04 IST: 9 runs off Mavi's over. KXIP 9/0 in 1 over.

18:02 IST: FOUR! Rahul opens the face of the bat and guides the ball towards third man for a boundary. Poor start from the young pacer Mavi.

18:01 IST: FOUR! Mavi to Rahul. The right-hander gets a thick inside edge and the ball races towards boundary.

18:00 IST: Welcome back! Chris Gayle and KL Rahul are in the middle. Shivam Mavi will open the attack for KKR.

17:44 IST: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS 191/7 IN 20 OVERS AGAINST KINGS XI PUNJAB AT EDEN GARDENS

Chris Lynn 74

Dinesh Karthik 43

Andrew Tye 2/30

Innings Break!@KKRiders posts a total of 191/7.#KXIP need 192 runs to win this game at the Eden Gardens. #KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/U1mbgPTVl2

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2018

17:41 IST: WICKET! Andrew Tye removes Tom Curran for 1 run. KKR 186/7 in 19.2 overs.

17:40 IST: Andrew Tye to bowl the last over of the innings.

17:39 IST: Tom Curran is the new man at the crease.

17:38 IST: WICKET! Barinder Sran removes Dinesh Karthik for 43 runs. 

17:32 IST: FOUR! Gill smashes Rajpoot towards sweeper cover for a boundary. KKR 180/5 in 18 overs.

17:29 IST: FOUR! Karthik does the same. He uses the pace, opens the face of the bat and guides Rajpoot for a boundary.

17:28 IST: FOUR! Karthik uses the pace, opens the face of the bat and guides Rajpoot for a boundary.

17:26 IST: FOUR! Shubman Gill sends Barinder Sran towards square of the wicket for a boundary.

17:24 IST: WICKET! Barinder Sran removes Andre Russell for 10 runs. Super catch from Karun Nair at the boundary ropes. KKR 159/5 in 16.5 overs.

17:23 IST: FOUR! Russell uses the pace and sends the ball towards fine leg for a boundary.

17:22 IST: FOUR! Russell hits Ashwin straight down the ground for a boundary. KKR 154/4 in 16.3 overs.

17:21 IST: 150 comes up for KKR in 16.2 overs.

17:18 IST: Andre Russell is the new man at the crease.

17:16 IST: BIG WICKET! Andrew Tye ends Chris Lynn's stay at 74 runs. KKR 147/4 in 15.2 overs. Brilliant innings from Lynn. His innings was studded with 6 boundaries and 4 sixes.

17:13 IST: 10 runs off Ashwin's over. The skipper finishes with the figures - 4-0-33-1

17:11 IST: Ashwin starts his fourth and last over.

17:07 IST: 9 runs off Mujeeb's over. KKR 136/3 in 14 overs.

17:05 IST: FOUR! Karthik welcomes the Afghanistan spinner with a boundary towards fine leg.

17:04 IST: Mujeeb is back into the attack.

17:02 IST: 15 runs off Andrew Tye's over. KKR 127/3 in 13 overs.

17:01 IST: FOUR! Lynn smashes Tye towards square of the wicket for a boundary.

17:00 IST: SIX! That's colossal. Lynn stands tall and launches Tye towards long on.

16:57 IST: FIFTY! Chris Lynn brings up his half-century off 31 balls. 

And, there comes the FIFTY for @lynny50.#KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/YP1cugDVLj

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2018

16:56 IST: FOUR! Lynn sends Yuvraj towards long off for a boundary.

16:55 IST: FOUR! Karthik welcomes Yuvraj with a superb boundary towards third man.

16:54 IST: Yuvraj Singh comes into the attack.

16:51 IST: FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries from skipper Karthik. Ashwin isn't happy with this.

16:49 IST: Dinesh Karthik is the new man at the crease.

16:47 IST: WICKET! KKR have gifted a wicket to KXIP. Nitish Rana is run out for 3 runs.

No need for the umpire #KKRvKXIP #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi pic.twitter.com/ZWxhlGTLSJ

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 21, 2018

16:43 IST: Nitish Rana is the new man at the crease.

16:41 IST: WICKET! Ashwin gets the much-needed breakthrough, Robin Uthappa departs for 34 runs. Easy catch for Nair at the boundary. KKR 78/2 in 8.1 overs. 

KKR - 78/1, 8 Overs


Profitable over for us, Lynn (40*) and Uthappa (34*) looking solid at the crease!#KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/pDBowWKOHs

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

16:39 IST: 23 runs off Sran's over. KKR 78/1 in 8 overs.

16:38 IST: SIX! Lynn smashes Sran towards deep square leg for another maximum.

16:36 IST: SIX! Lynn picks the length and whacks the ball over deep mid wicket for a huge one. KKR 72/1 in 7.4 overs.

16:35 IST: FOUR! Lynn sends Sran towards sweeper cover. 

16:34 IST: SIX! Barinder starts his second over. Uthappa welcomes him with a beauty towards deep square leg. Excellent shot from the right-hander.

16:32 IST: Just 5 runs off Ashwin's over. KKR 55/1 in 7 overs.

16:30 IST: Captain R Ashwin comes into the attack now.

16:29 IST: 50 COMES UP for KKR.

16:28 IST: FOUR! Uthappa picks the ball early and sends Tye for a boundary.

16:25 IST: Another bowling change for KXIP. Andrew Tye comes into the attack. And, he starts with a NO BALL. It will be a FREE HIT. Lynn is on the strike.

16:24 IST: 5 overs gone! KKR 42/1.

16:23 IST: Sensible bowling from Sran. He is experimenting with his length and variations.

16:22 IST: FOUR! Short ball from Sran. Lynn picks the length and pulls the ball towards fine leg for a boundary.

16:21 IST: Bowling change for KXIP. Barinder Sran comes into the attack.

16:20 IST: 15 runs off Mujeeb's over. KKR 36/1 in 4 overs. Uthappa 18*, Lynn 15*

16:19 IST: FOUR! Third in a row for Uthappa. He sends Mujeeb towards fine leg. KKR 34/1 in 3.4 overs.

16:18 IST: FOUR! Another one from Uthappa. He uses the pace and sweeps the ball towards fine leg.

FOUR! Uthappa confidently reverse sweeps it for a boundary! #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/XATYppz5ks

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

16:17 IST: FOUR! Reverse sweep from Uthappa. He sends Mujeeb towards third man.

16:15 IST: SIX! First six of the KKR innings. Lynn goes on backfoot and slaps the ball over deep square leg for a maximum. KKR 21/1 in 3 overs.

16:12 IST: FOUR! Rajpoot to Uthappa. Edged and boundary.

16:11 IST: FOUR! First boundary of KKR innings. Lynn smashes Mujeeb towards square of the wicket for a boundary.

FOUR! Chris Lynn cuts it beautifully between the gap and the ball races to the boundary! #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/nbnjWvGjrC

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

16:10 IST: Robin Uthappa is the new man at the crease.

16:08 IST: WICKET! Mujeen Ur Rahman strikes, Sunil Narine departs for 1. What a catch by Karun Nair. KKR 6/1 in 1.3 overs.

16:08 IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman starts from the other end.

16:06 IST: Brilliant start from Rajpoot. Just 5 runs off his first over. KKR 5/0 in 1 over.

16:03 IST: Great start from Rajpoot. Three runs off his first three balls.

16:00 IST: Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn are making their way to the middle. Ankit Rajpoot will open the attack for KXIP. Here we go....

15:58 IST: Chris Gayle is ringing the bell at the Eden Gardens.

15:34 IST: Playing XIs:

Kings XI Punjab: Lokesh Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin (captain), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Here's the Playing XI for #KKRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/Q6jjgVUy7p

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2018

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk/captain), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

Skipper, @DineshKarthik goes with the same playing XI once again as we bat first against @lionsdenkxip at Eden Gardens!#KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/LJCA49ESGy

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

15:30 IST: TOSS: Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandra Ashwin wins toss, opts to field against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

KXIP Captain, Ravichandran Ashwin has won the toss & we are going to bat first at Eden Gardens. #KKRvKXIP #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/DIThptaWeY

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2018

#KXIP Captain @ashwinravi99 wins the toss and elects to bowl first against #KKR#KKRvKXIP #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/oI9UeeRGd4

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2018

15:22 IST: Hello and welcome to the Live updates from the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab at Eden Gardens.

Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will both be high on confidence after registering morale-boosting victories in their respective previous games, when they clash in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Eden Gardens. While KKR got the better of Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Jaipur, Punjab rode Chris Gayle's blazing hundred to stymie Sunrisers Hyderabad's three-game unbeaten streak and coast to a 15-run victory at home. KKR had Nitish Rana -- who fired with bat and ball once again -- and their wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla to thank for the second triumph in a row. Rana took two crucial wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and D'Arcy Short when both were looking good for a big score. With the bat, KKR's most consistent player so far remained unbeaten on 35 to see them cross the line with ease. Needless to say, Rana's form augurs well for Dinesh Karthik's men who also have Robin Uthappa among runs along with the captain himself. Rana, who bagged the Man-of-the-Match award for the second game in a row, now has 162 runs in five matches at 40.50, and four wickets. Backing up their batsmen, Kuldeep and Piyush kept it really tight the other day after they were handed the new ball. The pair returned combined figures of 2/41 in eight overs which is excellent in T20 cricket. KKR's worry would be the form of dashing Australian opener Chris Lynn who lasted just two balls against Rajasthan and departed cheaply without troubling the scorers. Lynn has struggled against spin and was seen playing with a horizontal bat in only the second ball of his innings to K. Gowtham who castled him. The likes of Punjab captain R. Ashwin and 17-year old Afghanistan offie Mujeeb Ur Rahman would be licking their lips when they bowl to him and it remains to be see how the Queenslander tackles them. The other opener, Sunil Narine, has come good with his brisk cameos, but has shown susceptibility to shot-pitched deliveries, something Punjab would be aware of.

Coming to Gayle, the burly West Indian smoked 11 sixes en route his unbeaten 63-ball 104 to help his side post a challenging 193/3. Hyderabad were never in the chase and lost comprehensively in the end. This was Gayle's second consecutive match-winning innings after his 33-ball 63 against Chennai Super Kings. Gayle's innings was typical of him but in the manner in which he saw off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first spell and later unleashed a brutal assault on Rashid Khan's legspin, underlined the reservoir of experience that came into play during the knock. Besides Gayle, Punjab bat deep with the likes of big-hitting Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and ageing Yuvraj Singh in their ranks. Their bowling lacks experience, especially in the pace department. Mohit Sharma went for a lot of runs against Hyderabad and will have to get his act together against KKR. Having played one match less than KKR, Punjab have so far just lost once in four outings and are placed third. The two teams have met 21 times before and KKR have a superior 14-7 head to head record.