IPL 2019: Kings XI Punjab Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Local boy Shubman Gill played an unbeaten knock of 65 off 49 balls to help the visiting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chase down a 184-run target with relative ease. Achieving it with two overs to spare. Skipper Dinesh Karthik hits Sam Curran for a six and a four to wrap up the match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali.

Earlier, Curran blitz (55 off 24) helped Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) post 183/6 in the do-or-die match after Chris Gayle and KL Rahul failed to give a good start.

Not only did KKR reach the target in 18 overs but they also improved the net run-rate as they now have 12 points with a must-win away game against Mumbai Indians left.

And some calculations for Punjab. They need to beat Chennai Super Kings by at least 160 runs and pray that SunRisers Hyderabad lose to Royal Challengers Bangalore by some 100 runs to stay in contention for the playoffs.

Man of the Match: Shubman Gill

Brief Scores:

KXIP - 183/6 (Sam Curran 55 off 24, Nicholas Pooran 48 off 27; Sandeep Warrier 2/31)

KKR - 185/3 in 18 overs (Shubman Gill 65 no off 49, Chris Lynn 46 off 22).

Playing XIs:

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Prab Simran Singh (wk), Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Murugan Ashwin, Andrew Tye, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Shubman Gill, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Harry Gurney, Sandeep Warrier

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11:26 PM IST: KKR captain is happy to rotate the strike. Sam Curran on with his last over. A single to Dinesh Karthik, to long on. Another single, to long on again. A fine edge and beats the wicketkeeper for a four. Karthik gets his first boundary. A wide for height. And fans start leaving. A double to third man. A flat six, over fine leg. Sublime, cracking. A four to win the match. And yes, he's done it with a four to fine leg. KKR-185/3. They win by seven wickets with two overs to spare.

11:20 PM IST: Andrew Tye on with his third over. A single to Dinesh Karthik, to square leg. Two more singles. What a shot! Unbelievable shot to deep mid-wicket for a four. That's Shubman Gill at his best. A single to long-on. A very quick single, to mid-off. Nine runs from the over. KKR-166/3 after 17 overs. They need 18 from 18 and Gill is unbeaten on 64 off 48.

11:14 PM IST: Sam Curran on with his third over. A single to Shubman Gill, thanks to a good stop from R Ashwin at cover. Dinesh Karthik plays a pull shot for a single. His first run. A double as Gill picks from the leg stump and to deep mid-wicket. Good running. A dot, to point. Another dot as Gill misses the ball. A double, to square leg. Six runs from the over. KKR-157/3 after 16 overs. They need 27 from 24 balls. Time out.

11:09 PM IST: Mohammed Shami returns for his third over. A single to Shubman Gill, then a dot. Andre Russell creams the third ball for a four through cover. And fifty stand from Shubman and Russell in 24 balls. A dot than, Shami had Russell caught by Andrew Tye at deep square. FoW-150/3 (14.5 Over). Russell made 24 off 14. Dinesh Karthik is the next man. One leg bye to end the over. Six runs from it. KKR-151/3 after 15 overs. They need 33 from 30 balls.

11:00 PM IST: Andrew Tye returns for his second over. Andre Russell hits the third ball for a mighty six, over cow corner. Either side of that, two wides. Then, Russell gets a lucky six, parried by Mayank Agarwal at long-off. And Russell needs some medical attention. 17 runs from the over. KKR-145/2 after 14 overs. They need 39 from 36 balls.

10:55 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin on with his last over. Shubman Gill hits the first ball for a six over long on, a dot then, a six over deep backward square. A dot, then a wide. A four to third man and fifty for Gill, in 36 balls. 18 runs from the over. Ashwin's figures: 1/38. KKR-128/1 after 13 runs. They need 56 runs from 42 balls.

10:51 PM IST: Sam Curran returns for his second over. One quiet over, until the third ball. Andre Russell clubs the fourth ball for a four to square leg boundary. And one for the over. Very good bouncer. A slow bouncer and Nicholas Pooran appeals for caught behind. Nothing from the bowler. Eight runs from the over. KKR-110/2 after 12 overs. They need 74 runs from 48 balls.

10:46 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin strikes in his third over to break a 38-run stand. He had Robin Uthappa caught at long-off by Mayank Agarwal. FoW-100/2 (10.3 Over). Andre Russell is the new man. Four singles from the over. KKR-102/2 after 11 overs, and they need 82 runs from 54 balls.

10:42 PM IST: Ten overs gone. KKR are 98/1. Sam Curran gets his first over and concedes eight runs, including a sublime cover drive off the third ball by Shubman Gill. KKR need 86 runs from 60 balls.

10:36 PM IST: Murugan Ashwin on with his second over. KL Rahul let slip the ball for a four at wide long on, then Robin Uthappa hits the next two balls for a six and a four. Two more singles and 17 runs from the over. KKR-90/1 after nine overs. They need 94 from 66 balls. Time out.

10:33 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin returns for his second over. Four singles. KKR-73/1 after eight overs. They need 111 runs from 72 balls.

10:30 PM IST: Seven runs from Murugan Ashwin's first over -- five singles and a double. KKR-69/1 after seven overs. They need 115 runs.

10:26 PM IST: Andrew Tye on with his first over, and gets the wicket of Chris Lynn. Well after getting hit for a six and a four off the previous two deliveries. FoW-62/1 (5.6 Over). Lynn made 46 off 22. They need 122 runs from 84 balls. Robin Uthappa is the new man.

10:21 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin introduces himself into the attack. Chris Lynn gets a lucky four, beating the wicketkeeper with a thick outside edge. Lynn hits the third ball for a six over long-off. KKR-47/0 after five overs. They need 137 runs from 90 balls.

10:17 PM IST: Chris Lynn hits Arshdeep Singh for three successive fours, off the second, third and four balls. Then a misfield at long off for a double. 15 runs from the over. KKR-35/0 after four overs. They need 149 runs.

10:13 PM IST: Seven runs from Mohammed Shami's second over, including a four off the third ball, hit by Shubman Gill to mid-on fence. KKR-20/0 after three overs. They need 164 runs from 17 overs.

10:07 PM IST: Arshdeep Singh shares the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Chris Lynn hits the fifth ball for a six, over deep mid-wicket. 10 runs from the over. KKR-13/0 after two overs. They need 171 runs from 18 overs.

10:02 PM IST: Mohammed Shami concedes just three singles from the first over.

9:44 PM IST: Babyface assassin Sam Curran hits fifty in 23 balls to help Punjab post a very good total. He hits Harry Gurney for three fours and a six off the last four balls. 22 runs from the last over. He remained unbeaten on 55 off 24, with seven fours and two sixes. Gurney:1/41. KXIP-183/6. 51 runs coming from the last four overs.

9:37 PM IST: Andre Russell on with his third over. R Ashwin plays on the first ball. FoW-151/6 (18.1 Over). Andrew Tye is the new man. And Sam Curran is doing the work for Punjab. He hits the third and fourth balls for fours. Ten runs from the over. KXIP-161/6 after 19 overs.

9:32 PM IST: Harry Gurney gets his first wicket. He had Mandeep Singh caught at long-off by Robin Uthappa off the third ball. FoW-149/5 (17.3 Over). Mandeep made 25 off 17. KXIP-151/5 after 18 overs. R Ashwin is the new man.

9:26 PM IST: Sunil Narine on with his last over. Diminutive Sam Curran hits the second ball for a six, over deep mid-wicket. Huge one. Rinku Singh drops the Zimbabwean-born off the fourth ball at long-on. Then Curran hits the last ball for a four, bisecting the two fielders at long-on. 15 runs from the over. Narine's figures: 0/29. KXIP-147/4 after 17 overs.

9:21 PM IST: Dre Russ returns for his second over. Seven runs from it, including a four off the fourth ball, hit by Sam Curran through extra cover. KXIP-132/4 after 16 overs.

9:17 PM IST: Ten runs from Piyush Chawla's last over, including a six off the fifth ball, hit by Mandeep Singh. His figures: 0/43. KXIP-125/4 after 15 overs.

9:10 PM IST: Mayank Agarwal run out while going for the second. He plays the third ball to deep midwicket, where Rinku Singh fields the ball and returns with a rocket throw at the bowler's end. Sunil Narine directs the ball to the wicket, and it beats a diving Agarwal. FoW-111/4 (13.3 Over). Six runs from Narine's third over. KXIP-115/4 after 14 overs. Sam Curran is the new man. Time out.

9:04 PM IST: Sandeep Warrier completes his spell. Nine runs from the last over, including a four off the fourth ball, hit by Mandeep Singh to third man. His figures: 2/31. KXIP-109/3 after 13 overs.

8:59 PM IST: Piyush Chawla on with his third over. Eight runs from it - four singles and two doubles. KXIP-100/3 after 12 overs. Mayank Agarwal, unbeaten on 32 off 21, holds the key their fortunes.

8:56 PM IST: Nitish Rana, part-time spinner, gets the breakthrough for KKR. He breaks the 69-run stand by removing dangerous Nicholas Pooran. Caught at deep midwicket by Sandeep Warrier. FoW-91/3 (10.5 Over). Pooran made 48 off 27. Mandeep Singh is the new man. KXIP-92/3 after 11 overs.

8:51 PM IST: Nicholas Pooran continues to play his attacking game. The left-handed batsman hits Piyush Chawla for a six, off the fifth ball, over deep square. Earlier, Mayank Agarwal creams the second ball for a straight four, which leaves Chawla ducking for cover. 11 runs from the over. KXIP-84/2 after 10 overs.

8:47 PM IST: Sunil Narine returns for his second over. Tidy over. Five runs -- three singles and a double. KXIP-73/2 after nine overs.

8:41 PM IST: Piyush Chawla on with the eighth over. Nicholas Pooran hits the first ball for a six over long-off. High and mighty. He hits the fourth ball for a four, behind point. 14 runs from the over. KXIP-68/2. Pooran is unbeaten on 39 off 18. Time out.

8:37 PM IST Andre Russell gets his first over. 13 runs from it with Nicholas Pooran hitting the second and fourth balls for a six and a four respectively. KXIP-54/2 after seven overs.

8:31 PM IST: Harry Gurney on with the sixth over of the match, and he's leaked 13 runs from it. Nicholas Pooran hits the fifth ball for a six, over cow corner. There were three doubles, a single and a dot too. KXIP-28/2 after five overs.

8:27 PM IST: New man Nicholas Pooran hits the fifth ball for a four, into cow corner. Six runs from the over. KXIP-28/2 after five overs.

8:23 PM IST: Sandeep Warrier gets another biggie. Chris Gayle picks the first ball but ends up offering a catch to Shubman Gill at deep backward square leg. FoW-22/2 (4.1 Over). Gayle made 14 off 14. Nicholas Pooran is the new man.

8:20 PM IST: Sunil Narine on with the fourth over of the match. Just three singles. KXIP-22/1 after four overs.

8:16 PM IST: Sandeep Warrier gets his first wicket in IPL, courtesy a fine catch from talking and running Chris Lynn. The Aussie was busy talking with the commentators but somehow managed to focus on the action in the field and took a running catch at midwicket. Uncharacteristic from KL Rahul to get out soft. FoW-13/1 (2.3 Over). He made two off seven. New man Mayank Agarwal gets off with a four, to third man. Six runs from the over. KXIP-19/1 after three over.

8:10 PM IST: Brilliant start from Harry Gurney. A single and a double, for three runs. KXIP-13/0 after two overs.

8:05 PM IST: Sandeep Warrier starts the proceedings in Mohali. Good start to concede two singles from the first four balls, then Chris Gayle hits the remaining two balls for fours. 10 runs from it.

7:31 PM IST: KKR captain Dinesh Karthik wins the toss and opts to bowl first. KKR are unchanged, but two changes for KXIP. Sam Curran and Andrew Tye are back, for David Miller and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

5:10 PM IST: Likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Murugan Ashwin, Ankit Rajpoot, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Nitish Rana, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Harry Gurney, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna

4:47 PM IST: With four half-centuries in 11 innings, veteran Gayle has done his bit for the team. But, tonight is the night. Up against Russell, the Universe Boss will be eager for some hittings.

Then what about Russell. 351 of his 486 runs have come in the last four overs, between 16 to 20. Now, batting at the top of the order, he will dictate. Remember, what he did last time these two teams met. 48 off 17 balls.

4: 41 PM IST: It will be Chris Gayle vs Andre Russell!

Both the Jamaicans are six-hitting machines and are the only two players who have hit 50+ maximums in an IPL edition with Russell emulating Gayle's feat in the ongoing tournament.

4:30 PM IST: Meanwhile, injured Delhi Capitals bowler Kagiso Rabada was earlier today ruled of the rest of the IPL after South Africa decided to call the pacer back as a precautionary measure ahead of the World Cup. He's the leading wicket-taker this season with 25 wickets from 12 matches.

4:00 PM IST: Here's your compulsory read on various qualification scenarios.

2:30 PM IST: It's battleground Mohali for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019. After Mumbai Indians' (MI) victory over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 51st match, there is only one playoff spot left, and all four teams - KXIP, KKR, SRH and Rajasthan Royals (RR) -- still in the hunt, it's blink and miss time.

KXIP and KKR are languishing at the bottom half of the table. Both the teams have 10 points from 12 matches but the KKR are placed a rung above KXIP at sixth in the eight-team competition by virtue of a better net run-rate.

Although KKR returned to winning ways against MI in their last game, the Dinesh Karthik-led side needs to register victories in their final two games to have an outside chance of qualifying for the play-off.

KXIP are on a three-match losing streak, and their situation is worse than KKR as R Ashwin-led side has a negative net run rate.

Squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Nikhil Naik, Joe Denly, Shrikant Mundhe, Nitish Rana, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Ferguson, Harry Gurney, Matt Kelly, KC Cariappa and Yarra Prithviraj

Kings XI Punjab: Ravichandran Ashwin, KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Andrew Tye, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Karun Nair, Moises Henriques, Varun Chakravarthi, Harpreet Brar, Simran Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Hardus Viljoen, Ankit Rajpoot, Arshdeep Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Agnivesh Ayachi.