Highlights, IPL 2018, KKR vs RR at Eden Gardens, Full Cricket Score: Kolkata Knight Riders win by six wickets

After KKR’s crucial win tonight, they have jumped to number 3 but winning the last game is as important.

Dinesh Karthik, KKR captain: They started off brilliantly. Buttler and Tripathi batted really well. Shows our character. (On winning and losing alternately) That’s part of IPL. Try and have a lot of bonding sessions and keep the team spirit up. (On Kuldeep Yadav’s match-winning haul of 4/20) He’s an international quality bowler, and to be fair, he’s one of the best chinamen bowler in the world. He puts unbelievable effort in practice, and hats off to him.

Kuldeep Yadav is the Man of the Match for his 4 for 20 in 4 overs.  

Kuldeep Yadav: There was a fair bit of pressure. Jos Buttler has been playing tremendously in IPL 2018. You have to motivate yourself as per your strength and basics. In T20 format, you have to change your plans. in T20, you have to plan as per the batsmen.

Job done for KKR. Important two points for them at this business end of the league stage. However, there is no significant improvement in the net run rate. So, they have to win their final game against SRH on Saturday to be assured of a place in the playoffs.

Ajinkya Rahane, RR captain: Think intent was positive. The way Tripathi and Buttler batted, I went in and wanted to carry on the momentum. The batsmen should take responsibility. We got runs on the board. It was important to pick wickets. 170-180 would have been very good. We still have chance. We need to learn and move on. We will miss Jos and Stokes. As a player, happy for Jos that he got picked in Test squad. At the same time, we will miss him.

This is KKR’s fifth consecutive win against RR at Kolkata in IPL. RR’s only win against them at Eden came in 2008.

After 18 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 145/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 41 , Andre Russell 11)

Archer returns to the attack. Russell smokes the ball through extra-cover for a boundary off the second delivery, before Dinesh Karthik, who remains unbeaten on 41 off 31 balls, seals it for the Knight Riders with a four and a six to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to their seventh win of the tournament.

SIX! DK SEALS IT IN STYLE FOR KKR! Pulls the ball over the long on fence to get Kolkata Knight Riders home with two overs and six wickets to spare! KKR 145/4

FOUR! Outside edge off Karthik’s bat, and the ball runs away to the third man fence for a four. Gowtham dives near the boundary rope while running to his left, but is unable to prevent the boundary. KKR 139/4

Must credit the Royals competitive nature throughout the tournament and again tonight. Ben Stokes has really put in as had Archer. A bit of luck and we could have had a closer game. Another 15-20 runs could have been the difference. The brittle middle order once again the issue.

FOUR! Smoked through extra-cover by Russell! KKR 134/4

Jofra Archer returns to the attack.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 129/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 30 , Andre Russell 6)

Russell slashes the ball over point off the first delivery of the 17th over as Unadkat returns to the attack, with the ball dropping just short of the padded cushion. DK opens the face of his bat, and guides a back-of-length ball towards the third man fence to collect his fourth four. Single off the last ball of the over, with the KKR skipper keeping the strike. 

KKR need 14 runs to win off 18 balls.

FOUR! DK opens the face of his bat, and guides a back-of-length delivery towards the third man fence! KKR 128/4

FOUR! Slashed behind square on the off-side by Russell! KKR 123/4

Jaydev Unadkat brought back into the attack.

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 119/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 25 , Andre Russell 1)

Stokes returns to the attack, and once again highlights his value as an all-rounder, getting rid of Lynn off the second delivery, getting the ball to rise while taking some pace off it. Lynn hits off the toe-end, and finds Anureet at deep point. Stokes appeals for lbw off the third delivery, with RR going for the review after the umpire turns it down, only for it to end in ‘umpire’s call’. Three off the over, with new batsman Russell getting off the mark with a single.

KKR need 24 runs to win off 24 balls.

Andre Russell’s dismissals in IPL – 11:

Against pace – 9
Against spin – 0

Lynn gone with KKR still needing 26 off 28. In terms of strike-rate (107.14), it has been an uncharacteristic knock for the Aussie. Russell has to come out now. Can they finish the game with two overs to spare? Well, they need to.

OUT! Rajasthan finally get a breakthrough, as Lynn slices the ball towards the off side, only to get caught by Anureet at deep point. The partnership’s snapped at the 48-run mark, with the umpire calling for the second timeout of the innings right after the dismissal. KKR 117/4

Lynn c Anureet b Stokes 45(42)

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 116/3 ( Chris Lynn 45 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 24)

Karthik brings out the reverse sweep off the first delivery as Sodhi returns for his final over, with the KKR skipper collecting his third boundary. Lynn looks to sweep, but isn’t quite able to adjust to full length delivery, top-edges the ball towards short fine and comes back for a second run. Seven off the over, and KKR are coasting towards the target at the moment.

KKR need 27 to win off 30 balls.

FOUR! Karthik decides to bring out the reverse-paddle against Sodhi, guiding the ball towards the third man fence! KKR 113/3

Sodhi brought back into the attack in the 15th over.

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 109/3 ( Chris Lynn 43 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 19)

Archer returns to the attack, and Lynn brings out the square-cut right away, finding the backward point fence on the occasion. Two singles collected off the next four deliveries, before Lynn ends the over with a top-edge that sends the ball flying wide of the keeper and away to the third man fence for a four. 10 off the over. The equation’s less than run-a-ball for the hosts now with seven wickets in hand. 

KKR need 34 to win off 36 balls.

FOUR! Lynn gets a thick top-edge off a short ball from Archer, with the ball sailing over the keeper’s gloves and away to the third man fence for a four! KKR 109/3

Jofra Archer brought back into the attack.

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 99/3 ( Chris Lynn 34 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 18)

Anureet is handed the ball by Rahane for the 13th over, with 10 coming off it. Karthik and Lynn deal in ones and twos for the first five deliveries, before Karthik carves the ball through extra-cover for a boundary off the last ball. 

KKR need 44 to win off 42 balls.

FOUR! Karthik collects another boundary for himself, carving the ball through the off side for a four! KKR 99/3

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 89/3 ( Chris Lynn 32 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 10)

Just when KKR were starting to get into the rut of a lack of boundaries, Lynn pulls a back-of-length delivery towards the backward square-leg fence for a four. Six off the over. 

KKR need 54 to win off 48 balls.

FOUR! Lynn pulls a back-of-length ball from Unadkat towards the backward square-leg fence for a boundary! KKR 87/3

After 11 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 83/3 ( Chris Lynn 27 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 9)
 

Sodhi into his third over, and concedes just three singles off it, including one to Lynn off the last delivery, in which he whips the ball down the ground where the it lands just short of the fielder at long on. 

KKR need 60 to win off 54 balls.

KKR have lost wickets at regular interval but thanks to the blistering start, they are never running of the game. 

Though three wickets have gone down, but KKR are well placed here. Asking rate is below 7. However, the home side needs to improve their NRR, just getting two points won’t serve the purpose I believe.

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 80/3 ( Chris Lynn 25 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 8)

Unadkat brought into the attack in the 10th over, and concedes seven off it, including a boundary to Karthik off the penultimate delivery. 

At the halfway stage in their innings, KKR need 63 to win off 60 balls.

FOUR! Punched through the off-side by Karthik off Unadkat, as the KKR skipper collects his first boundary. KKR 80/3

Jaydev Unadkat brought into the attack for the first time in the innings.

After 9 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 73/3 ( Chris Lynn 23 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 3)

Sodhi continues from the other end. Appeals for lbw against Rana off the second ball, with Rajasthan successfully overturning the umpire’s original ‘Not Out’ decision by going for the DRS. Captain DK walks out to bat next, and gets off the mark with a single off the first delivery. Five runs and a wicket off the over.

Whenever Karthik has scored 20-plus runs against RR in an IPL match, his team has won seven out of nine matches.

OUT! Sodhi gets the breakthrough, getting rid of Rana by trapping him lbw, although the umpire initially rules it not out. The Kiwi spinner urges Rahane to go for the review, and it turns out to be a successful one for the fielding side as they get three reds on Hawkeye. KKR 69/3

Rana lbw Sodhi 21(17)

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 68/2 ( Chris Lynn 21 , Nitish Rana 21)

Gowtham returns to the attack in the eighth over, with Rana shuffling down the pitch and lofting the ball over long off for a six. 11 off the over, with the two batters collecting a single off every other delivery.

SIX! Rana shuffles down the pitch, and lofts the ball over the long off fence for a six! KKR 66/2

Krishnappa Gowtham brought back into the attack after the first timeout.

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 57/2 ( Chris Lynn 18 , Nitish Rana 13)

Sodhi’s introduced into the attack in the seventh over, and concedes six off it, with Rana slashing it towards the backward point fence for a four. The umpire signals for the strategic timeout.

FOUR! Slashed away behind point by Rana, collecting his second boundary in the process! KKR 57/2

Ish Sodhi brought into the attack in the seventh over.

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 51/2 ( Chris Lynn 17 , Nitish Rana 8)

Stokes bowls out the final over of the KKR Powerplay, continuing to bowl along tight lines to concede five off his third over. Thanks primarily to Narine’s big hitting in the first over, KKR cross the 50-run mark in the Powerplay.

Ok, two down Kolkata and Rana has been sent to steady the ship. Lynn is there but he is looking a bit shaky. RR bowlers are extracting good pace and bounce from the deck. KKR need to be careful here.

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 46/2 ( Chris Lynn 15 , Nitish Rana 6)

Archer continues from the other end, and collects a dot off each of the first four deliveries. Rana slashes the ball wide of Samson at cover, and finds the fence to collect his first boundary, before collecting a double off the last delivery. Six off the over.

FOUR! Slashed through the cover region, just wide of a diving Samson! First boundary for Rana! KKR 44/2

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 40/2 ( Chris Lynn 15 , Nitish Rana 0)

Stokes continues from the other end, and collects his second wicket in as many overs, as Uthappa holes out to Tripathi at deep square-leg. The English all-rounder though, concedes his first boundary off the last delivery, as Lynn smacks the ball through the covers for a four. Eight runs and a wicket off the over.

FOUR! Lynn ends the fourth over with a powerful drive through the cover region for a four! KKR 40/2

Robin Uthappa in his last five innings against RR in IPL: 54, 0, 65, 14, 48

OUT! Stokes does it again! Looks like this won’t be an easy win for KKR after all! Uthappa goes for the pull, but doesn’t get the distance, taking a safe catch at deep square-leg. KKR 36/2

Uthappa c Tripathi b Stokes 4(6)

RR have taken 61 wickets in this IPL so far – the least among all the teams.

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 32/1 ( Chris Lynn 10 , Robin Uthappa 1)

Rahane decides to replace Gowtham with Archer at one end. Lynn finally gets off the mark with a six, hooking a short ball over long-leg, before guiding the ball towards third man for a four off the next ball. 11 off the over.

FOUR! Lynn’s suddenly in full flow! Uppercuts a short ball from Archer towards the third man boundary, where the ball lands just short of the padded cushion. KKR 32/1

SIX! Hooked over the long leg fence by Lynn! What a way for the Aussie opener to get off the mark. KKR 28/1

Jofra Archer bowls the third over, replacing Gowtham.

After 2 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 21/1 ( Chris Lynn 0 , Robin Uthappa 0)

Stokes bowls from the other end, and suddenly turns the tide, removing Narine off the second delivery of the over and walking away with a wicket maiden! Lynn and Uthappa are yet to get off the mark.

OUT! Stokes gets the early breakthrough, and gets rid of the in-form Narine, who gets a thick leading edge that lobs the ball high up in the air. Gowtham, who got smacked for 21 runs by Narine in the first over, takes the catch at cover, and throws the ball in a mix of frustration and triumph as KKR lose their first wicket. KKR 21/1

Narine c Gowtham b Stokes 21(7)

Ben Stokes bowls from the other end.

After 1 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 21/0 ( Sunil Narine 21 , Chris Lynn 0)

Narine’s on strike at the start of the innings, and he gets KKR off to a quickfire start, collecting a six and a four alternatively off the first four deliveries, before collecting a single off the fifth ball. 21 off the first over.

FOUR! Narine seems to have carried on from where he left off against KXIP! Lofts this one over extra-cover! KKR 20/0

SIX! Narine’s in a real hurry right now, and is probably looking to chase the target down real quick. Smokes this one over long on! KKR 16/0

FOUR! Swivelled away towards the backward square-leg fence by Narine for a four! KKR 10/0

SIX! What a start by Narine, smacking the ball over midwicket for a six! KKR 6/0

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn walk out to open the KKR innings, and it’s Krishnappa Gowtham who will bowl the first over.

You can see the big buildings at the start and then suddenly Kuldeep Yadav inspired KKR to make a great comeback. RR batted poorly as well. 

There is turn in the pitch and the Royals have Ish Sodhi at their disposal tonight, but it will need to be extraordinary effort to defend this total. They need a repeat of the performance against Kings XI where they took three early wickets. Rahane’s captaincy will be crucial tonight, he has nothing to lose and should be all about taking wickets. Archer needs a minimum of two wickets with the new ball.

KKR have lost only two out of 14 matches while chasing at Eden Gardens in IPL since 2013.

RR today:

First six overs – 68/1 (RR – 11.33)
Next eight overs – 39/6 (RR – 4.88)
Last five overs – 35/3 (RR – 7.00)

RR lost the plot in the middle overs after having a solid start.

​Good night out so far for the Knights. 143 is a below-par target on this pitch. What a comeback this has been following that blistering start by the Royals. Nevertheless, KKR need to be smart in their run-chase. This is a golden opportunity for them to improve the net run rate so they should aim to get there by the 15th or 16th over.

After 19 overs,Rajasthan Royals 142/10 ( Anureet Singh 3 , )

Krishna bowls the penultimate over. Unadkat and new batsman Anureet deal in singles in the over, before Unadkat is castled off the last ball of the over. Five runs and a wicket off it, as Rajasthan are bowled out for 142, a disappointing finish especially after the lighting quick opening partnership between Buttler and Tripathi.

BOWLED EM! Slower ball from Krishna, and this one knocks the middle-stump over after Unadkat scythes across the line and misses. Rajasthan Royals are bowled out for 142!

Unadkat b Krishna 26(18)

After 18 overs,Rajasthan Royals 137/9 ( Jaydev Unadkat 24 , Anureet Singh 1)

Russell’s brought back into the attack in the 18th over of the innings. Unadkat collects a single off the first ball of the over. Archer’s dismissed two balls later, miscuing off a back-of-length slower ball, with Gill latching on to the ball near the boundary at deep square-leg. Unadkat gets a leading edge towardds mid off, with Krishna running to his right but failing to collect the tough chance. Just three runs and a wicket off the over.

OUT! Archer doesn’t last long, as he miscues off a slower ball from Russell, with Gill taking the catch at deep square-leg. RR 135/9

Archer c Gill b Russell 6(5)

Andre Russell brought back into the attack, with another three overs left in the Rajasthan Royals innings.

After 17 overs,Rajasthan Royals 134/8 ( Jaydev Unadkat 22 , Jofra Archer 6)

Krishna returns to the attack. Sodhi departs after getting caught behind, getting an inside-edge which is then followed by a deflection off his backfoot. Archer walks out to bat, and gets off the mark with a boundary. Archer collects a double off the last ball after guiding the ball down the ground. Six runs and a wicket off the over.

FOUR! Archer gets off the mark with a boundary! Length delivery along leg, and Archer swivels this one behind square towards the leg side! RR 132/8

OUT! Appeal for a catch against Sodhi after an inside-edge followed by a deflection off his foot, with the ball eventually lobbing over to Karthik. The umpire goes upstairs for confirmation, and the big screen eventually flashes the letters ‘OUT’. Krishna finally gets a wicket. RR 128/8

Sodhi c Karthik b Krishna 1(6)

After 16 overs,Rajasthan Royals 128/7 ( Jaydev Unadkat 22 , Ish Sodhi 1)

Narine is brought back to bowl his final over out. Unadkat continues to attack, cutting the ball through the off side for a boundary off the second delivery of the over. Two singles collected off the next three deliveries, with Unadkat slashing the ball over backward point off the last delivery of the over. 10 off the over, and Narine signs off with figures of 1/29 from four overs. The umpire signals for the second timeout of the innings.

FOUR! Slashed away by Unadkat, with the ball going just above the outstretched right arm of the backward point fielder. Second boundary of the over for the Saurashtra pacer. RR 128/7

Best ever IPL performance for Kuldeep Yadav and what a time to produce this effort. Before this game, Kuldeep’s form was quite concerning for the Indian cricket fans, especially with the tour of England coming up. However, following the four-for tonight, things are already looking much more positive for him.

FOUR! Cut away through the off side by Unadkat, finding the backward point fence! Quite a handy cameo this is turning out to be from Unadkat’s bat. RR 122/7

Sunil Narine brought back to bowl his final over.

After 15 overs,Rajasthan Royals 118/7 ( Jaydev Unadkat 13 , Ish Sodhi 0)

Mavi into his final over. Unadkat decides to attack him in this over in order to boost Rajasthan’s morale, punching the ball through extra-cover for a four, before hooking a short ball towards the square-leg fence for a six. Unadkat collects a single off the last ball to keep the strike. Mavi finishes with figures of 1/44.

Left-arm spinners with a four-wicket haul in IPL:

Ravindra Jadeja (4)
Yuvraj Singh (2)
KP Appanna
S Jakati (2)
Axar Patel
Pawan Negi
Brad Hogg
KULDEEP YADAV*

SIX! This time hooked over the square-leg fence by Unadkat! Mavi once again under pressure. Karthik walks over to the bowler for a quick chat. RR 117/7

Ben Stokes will win all the unwarranted awards in the IPL. It has been a horror show for the England all-rounder, wonder if franchises will bid heavily for him again in the next IPL auction. Royals have now lost 7-44 through the middle overs. Apart from Butler in the last five games and Archer, all other members have been well below par.

FOUR! Punched through extra-cover by Unadkat! RR 111/7

After 14 overs,Rajasthan Royals 107/7 ( Jaydev Unadkat 2 , Ish Sodhi 0)

Kuldeep into his final over. Unadkat walks out to bat, and gets off the mark with a single off the first ball of the over. The chinaman bowler gets rid of Stokes off the penultimate delivery of the over, with Stokes offering him a return catch to depart for 11. Four runs and a wicket off the over. Rajasthan in deep trouble. Kuldeep signs off with figures of 4/20.

OUT! And now Stokes is gone too! What a collapse this has turned out to be for Rajasthan! Nothing shot from Stokes, as he pokes a full delivery back to the bowler, with Kuldeep collecting the return catch with a safe pair of hands. RR 107/7

Stokes c and b Kuldeep 11(13)

After 13 overs,Rajasthan Royals 103/6 ( Ben Stokes 9 , )

Mavi returns to the attack, with the situation vastly different from when he got hammered for 28 runs by Buttler. Bowls a much more economical over on this occasion, giving away just three singles before getting Gowtham dismissed off the last delivery of the over.

OUT! Mavi surprises Gowtham with a short ball, with the batsman lobbing it over to the keeper off the gloves while trying to fend it. Rajasthan are six down now! RR 103/6

K Gowtham c Karthik b Mavi 3(5)

So, as predicted, spin is doing the trick for KKR on this dry surface. 26 for 4 in last 5 overs. How well has Kuldeep bowled here! He has bowled it slow and given the ball air. That has done the trick. With RR five down, KKR should take the initiative here and try and restrict them to a modest score. For RR, Stokes is the key.

Shivam Mavi brought back into the attack in the 13th over. He’s had a mixed runs so far, conceding just two off his first over, before getting hammered for 28 off his second.

RR today:

First six overs – 68/1 (RR – 11.33)
Next six overs – 32/4 (RR – 8.00) 

KKR are back into this big time now. The onus will be on RR to put a respectable total.

As mentioned earlier in the blog the Samson and Butler partnership was pivotal. The Royals middle order is brittle and has no confidence. Immense pressure on Stokes, this is his last game for the Royals, wouldn’t he love to shine with the bat in what has been a horrible IPL for him. Good news for Stokes is that, he still has seven overs in the innings.

After 12 overs,Rajasthan Royals 100/5 ( Ben Stokes 7 , Krishnappa Gowtham 2)

Kuldeep uses the googly to deadly effect, getting Binny stumped off the first delivery of the over to leave Rajasthan with half their side dismissed. Gowtham walks out to bat, and gets off the mark with a single off a misfield off the first delivery that he faces. Four runs and a wicket off the over, with the 100 coming up for Rajasthan at the end of the over.

Only Mitchell McClenaghan (4)  has dismissed Samson more times than Narine (3) in IPL.

OUT! What a comeback by KKR, with Rajasthan suddenly five down! Wrong ‘un from Kuldeep, with the ball moving away from the batsman by a long way, and Binny’s foot is outside the crease by the time Karthik destroys the stumps. RR 96/5

Binny st Karthik b Kuldeep 1(4)

After 11 overs,Rajasthan Royals 96/4 ( Ben Stokes 5 , Stuart Binny 1)

Narine returns to the attack. Stokes collects a double off the first delivery, before bringing Samson back on strike with a single off the second. Narine appeals for an lbw unsuccessfully off the third delivery, with Samson the batter in question. Karthik decides to follow his instinct, and goes for the review, with three reds overturning the umpire’s original decision. Four runs and a wicket off the over.

The ‘Strategic Timeout’ produces a wicket once more. Kuldeep gets the big man, Buttler. However, Stokes is the new man in and remember, he is due for a big score in this IPL. I feel Karthik should bowl Narine at this point.

OUT! Outstanding review by KKR, as Narine ends up removing the dangerous Samson for 12. Narine’s appeal is turned down initially after Samson is hit on the thigh while trying to scythe the ball towards leg side. Karthik, though, decides to review it, and the ball is shown to be HITTING the stumps, making it three reds that forces the umpire to overturn his initial decision of ’not out’. RR 95/4

Samson lbw Narine 12(10)

Only Ajinkya Rahane (560 in 2012) amassed more runs than Jos Buttler (548 in 2018) in a season for RR in IPL.

Jos Buttler missed out on becoming the first player to score six consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket.

Good first five overs from RR as Jos Buttler yet again took the team to a blistering start but they have lost the momentum with the fall of wickets now. KKR back in this and how.  

Sunil Narine brought back into the attack in the 11th over.

After 10 overs,Rajasthan Royals 92/3 ( Sanju Samson 12 , Ben Stokes 2)

Kuldeep continues from the other end, and gets rid of the dangerous Buttler off the second delivery of the over, with the Englishman reverse-sweeping a full delivery straight to backward point, getting dismissed for 39 (his first sub-50 score in seven innings). Samson sweeps the ball towards the square-leg fence off the last ball of the over. Seven runs and a wicket off the 10th over, with KKR making a comeback with the wickets.

FOUR! Swept away behind square by Samson off Kuldeep! RR 92/3

OUT! Another Rajasthan batsman perishes to the reverse-sweep off Kuldeep’s bowling, though Buttler actually connects on this occasion, although he ends up guiding it into the hands of Searles at backward point. RR 85/3

Buttler c Searles b Kuldeep 39(22)

After 9 overs,Rajasthan Royals 85/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 39 , Sanju Samson 7)

Krishna returns to the attack in the ninth over, and puts up a much better display compared to his 19-run first over, giving six off his second. Samson collects his first boundary off the fourth delivery of the over, opening the face of his bat and guiding the ball towards the third man fence for a boundary.

Couple of wickets should bring back some sanity in the proceedings. Though Buttler is still going strong. Good to see Kuldeep taking a wicket in his first over. The team management wants him to take more responsibility with the ball tonight. However, I have no idea why the third man is so wide when a pacer is bowling.

FOUR! Samson opens the face of his bat, and runs the ball down to the third man fence for a four, collecting his first boundary in the process. RR 85/2

Important partnership for the Royals. Butler and Samson have been the most in-form players during the the tournament and the Royals need them to bat together until the 15 the over. Both also complement each other well, Butler is unorthodox while Samson is generally text book. They can afford scored 50 odd in next seven over and then look to get 50-60 in last five to post a score around 200.

Krishna returns to the attack in the ninth over.

After 8 overs,Rajasthan Royals 79/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 38 , Sanju Samson 2)

Kuldeep’s introduced into the attack in the eighth over, and he gets rid of Rahane with an arm ball, with the RR skipper getting his middle-stump rattled while trying to play a reverse sweep. Sanju Samson walks out to bat, and gets off the mark with a single off the second delivery that he faces. Five runs and a wicket off the over.

Sanju Samson at Kolkata in IPL: 40, 0, 15, 60

BOWLED EM! Rahane tries going for a reverse-sweep off a loopy delivery from Kuldeep, but doesn’t quite get close to the pitch of the delivery. The ball doesn’t deviate much, and crashes onto the middle stump. RR 76/2

Rahane b Kuldeep 11(12)

Kuldeep Yadav introduced into the attack in the eighth over.

After 7 overs,Rajasthan Royals 74/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 37 , Ajinkya Rahane (C) 9)

Another fine over from Russell, with six runs coming off it, including a couple of doubles to Rahane.

After 6 overs,Rajasthan Royals 68/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 36 , Ajinkya Rahane (C) 4)

Buttler collects a single off the first delivery of Narine’s second over. Four dots later, Rahane finally gets off the mark with a boundary, guiding a back-of-length delivery towards the backward square-leg fence for a four. Five off the over, with Rajasthan getting off to a superb start at the end of the Powerplay.

FOUR! Rahane collects his first boundary off the last delivery of Powerplay, and ruins what would’ve been a perfect over for Narine. RR 68/1

Sunil Narine v Ajinkya Rahane in IPL:

Runs – 59
Balls – 44
Dismissals – 3
Average – 19.67
S/R – 134.09

Ajinkya Rahane at Eden Gardens in IPL:

4, 6, 19, 6, 21, 2, 11 

Time for the skipper to join the party today!

OUT! Russell finally brings a smile on the faces off KKR fans! Tripathi is the first to fall from the Rajasthan batting lineup, nicking the ball to the keeper while going for a hook off a short ball. RR 63/1

Tripathi c Karthik b Russell 27(15)

Andre Russell brought into the attack in the fifth over.

After 4 overs,Rajasthan Royals 59/0 ( Rahul Tripathi 24 , Jos Buttler (W) 34)

Narine is brought into the attack in the fourth over, and Tripathi hammers the ball towards the cow-corner fence for a boundary, bringing up the fifty stand. Buttler guides the ball down the ground for a boundary. 10 off the over.

Sunil Narine v Jos Buttler in IPL before today:

Runs – 21
Balls – 17
Dismissals – 1
Average – 21.00
S/R – 123.53

Most runs conceded in an over in IPL 11:

29 – Shivam Mavi v DD, Delhi
28 – SHIVAM MAVI v RR, Kolkata
27 – Umesh Yadav v RR, Bengaluru
27 – Rashid Khan v KXIP, Mohali
27 – Avesh Khan v SRH, Hyderabad

Most runs scored by a batsman in an over in IPL 2018:

28 – JOS BUTTLER v KKR, Kolkata
28 – Shreyas Iyer v KKR, Delhi

On both the occasions, the bowler was Shivam Mavi.

It has taken the Royals 12 matches to work out their best opening combination, but better late than never. In T20 cricket, even a 30 from 15 ball on a consistent basis from Tripathi is extremely valuable. Remember he had crossed 30 on six occasions last year as an opener. Fantastic to see him Tripathi gain in confidence and this knock will only help Butler.

FOUR! Smacked down the ground by Buttler! RR 59/0

FOUR! FIFTY-STAND up between Tripathi and Buttler already, with the former heaving the ball towards the cow-corner fence! RR 53/0

Sunil Narine brought into the attack in the fourth over!

After 3 overs,Rajasthan Royals 49/0 ( Rahul Tripathi 19 , Jos Buttler (W) 30)

Mavi looked lethal in the first over. In the second over though, he was made to look pedestrian, as Buttler smacks him all over the park, collecting four fours and two sixes — both of which are collected off ramp shots. 28 runs off the over! RR just one short of fifty in just three overs.

FOUR! Cuts through the off-side, beats backward point and finds the boundary! 28 runs off the third over! RR 49/0

SIX! It’s the ramp shot again, and RR could very well end up with the highest powerplay score in this innings! Clears the fine-leg fence once again. RR 45/0

FOUR! It’s raining fours and sixes for Rajasthan already! Buttler smacks a length ball outside off towards the long on fence! RR 39/0

FOUR! Well, well, well! Buttler didn’t really take long to go berserk! Slashes the ball square through the off side for a four! RR 35/0

SIX! Buttler brings out his famed ramp shot out, collecting his first six off the second delivery of the over! RR 31/0

FOUR! Buttler stretches his arms, and slices the ball towards the third man fence for a four! RR 25/0

After 2 overs,Rajasthan Royals 21/0 ( Rahul Tripathi 19 , Jos Buttler (W) 2)

Krishna bowls from the other end, and his over couldn’t have been any more contrasting from that of Mavi, as Tripathi decides to target him, and ends up collecting three fours and a six off it, with 19 coming off the over.

Rahul Tripathi’s SR in T20 cricket:

Opening – 133.83
All other positions combined – 124.05

RR have made a right decision by sending him as an opener today.

FOUR! Beautiful straight drive by Tripathi, with no one to cut it off down the ground. RR 21/0

Royals have only won one match batting first this season. A big test for them tonight to set a total and then defend it. Positive side is that Butler and Tripathi are arguably, their best opening combination. On the negative side, Jos Butler has been picked in the England Test team, so this will be his final match.

Jos Buttler has scored 48.38% of the total runs RR made in the five matches in May.

FOUR! Lucky boundary for Tripathi, who gets a thick outside edge that sends the ball flying towards the third man fence! RR 17/0

FOUR! Krishna drags his length back a little, and guides the ball wide of backward point for a four! RR 13/0

SIX! Tripathi makes room, and heaves a full delivery over the cover fence for the first big hit of the innings! RR 9/0

Prasidh Krishna bowls from the other end.

After 1 overs,Rajasthan Royals 2/0 ( Rahul Tripathi 1 , Jos Buttler (W) 1)

Mavi bowls the first over, and extracts bounce straightaway, getting a top-edge off Tripathi’s bat that flies wide of the slip fielder, with the batter getting off the mark with a single. Buttler gets off the mark with a single three balls later, guiding the ball towards the leg side. Fiery over from Mavi, who nearly touches the 150 kmph mark in the second delivery.

A must-win fixture for both KKR and RR as both teams are aiming for a playoff birth. Karthik has won a crucial toss and he has no hesitation to field first. The looks a bit dry. Thus, I expect spin to play a part here. For the home team, Chawla missed out due to a side strain and Mavi comes in the XI. An interesting selection I must say. 

It has been a humid a day in Kolkata. So, there will be dew later on. KKR bowlers need to start well here, especially against the in-form Buttler.

Jos Buttler is one of the four players to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket. Can he maintain the streak?

Right then. Shane Warne it is who rings the bell at the Eden Gardens, after which the players walk out to the ground. Shivam Mavi, who replaces the injured Piyush Chawla for this game, is set to bowl the first over, while Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi walk out to open.

At Eden Gardens in IPL – 11 so far:

Spinners – 36 wickets (ER – 8.00)
Pacers – 32 wickets (ER – 9.20)

Piyush Chawla took 15 wickets against RR in IPL – the second most by any player against them. Will KKR miss PC today?

KKR have a 4-1 record against RR at Kolkata in IPL. KKR’s only defeat against them at home came in 2008.

KKR v RR in IPL:

Matches played – 16
KKR won – 7
RR won – 9

“We’ve chased a lot. Would like to stick to that,” says KKR captain Dinesh Karthik.

Kolkata Knight Riders XI: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (c, wk), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

“Really happy to bat first. Do or die game for both teams,” says Rajasthan captain Ajinkya Rahane. 

Rajasthan Royals XI: Jos Buttler(wk), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh

Three changes for Rajasthan Royals: Ish Sodhi’s back, as are Anureet Singh and Rahul Tripathi. 

Just one change for KKR: Piyush Chawla’s out with a side strain, and Shivam Mavi comes in his place.

TOSS: Kolkata Knight Riders win the toss, and skipper Dinesh Karthik opts to bowl first.

Toss coming up in less than 5 minutes. Stay tuned with us.

Meanwhile, Ireland and Pakistan are battling it out on the final day of the one-off Test at Malahide. Among the standout moments in the match so far was Kevin O’Brien completing a historic century, becoming the first Irishman to score a Test hundred. Charles Reynolds takes a look at the knock in greater detail in his article here .

Rohit Sankar lists some of the most memorable moments from Monday’s encounter between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Indore, which the latter won comfortably by a margin of 10 wickets. Read the full piece here .

Kings XI Punjab suddenly find themselves in a shaky position, having lost five of their last six matches, getting a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore at Indore in their last outing. Chetan Narula takes a look at what has gone wrong for the Ravichandran Ashwin-led side after getting off to a strong start, as well as the path towards recovery, in his article here .

What RCB did last night (14 May) to Kings XI Punjab can never be forgotten by Ravichandran Ashwin-led side for a long time. Vedam Jaishankar, here , explains what RCB bowlers did right after.

KKR and RR’s journey in IPL 2018 has been very same with many ups and downs but quite clearly, when it comes to winning the race as the better batsman in this season thus far among the two captains, Karthik is leading by some distance. 

A buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns with a charged up Rajasthan Royals in a battle for survival in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday. Read the full preview here .

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of 49th IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.