Highlights, IPL 2018, SRH vs KKR at Hyderabad, Full Cricket Score: Kolkata win by five wickets, seal playoffs berth

We have three teams who have qualified for this year’s playoffs – SRH, CSK and KKR and two teams have already disqualified – DD and RCB.

We have three teams competing for one spot and here are the scenarios. 

1. MI – They need to beat DD
2. RR – DD beat MI and KXIP does not beat CSK by 53 runs or 38 balls to spare
3. KXIP – DD beat MI and they need to beat CSK by 53 runs and 38 balls to spare

If KKR want to finish at the second spot then CSK need to lose against KXIP by 76 runs or 50 balls to spare.

Chris Lynn is the Man of the Match for his 55 off 43 balls! 

Chris Lynn: We’re building momentum nicely for the next few games. Finding my touch nicely and doing what’s needed for the team. (On adapting to Indian conditions) It’s tough. I find the hard way I suppose. The main thing as I said is partnerships. (On opening alongside Narine) It’s good fun, and I’ve got the best seat in the house. It’s pretty basic. He’s a pretty cool character. Keep it nice and simple, couple of key messages. We’ve got some form, couple of wins on the board. Whatever’s meant to be is meant to be.

Dinesh Karthik, KKR captain: We need to keep striving for more. Happy to be in playoffs. In 14 games if it (team combination) does not settle, there must be something wrong. Good to see we are pulling things back. We were pushed to a corner and now we have made a comeback this way.

We talk about the winning habit, but SRH have picked up a bit of a losing habit. Three losses after their six wins, but they still finish the league phase on top of the table and earn themselves two shots at the final. That will most likely come though, against CSK, a team that has beaten them twice.

Kane Williamson, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain: Credit to the way KKR played they pulled things back nicely. Lot of character showed on the field by the guys. (On three successive losses) Don’t think it really matters. You need to come out and play with freedom, stick to your plans. We would’ve loved to get across the line today, and it wasn’t to be. Lot of the games we’ve lost just a fraction of the mark, and we would want to build on that. We looked on target to get a few more runs. We just needed that one partnership. That wasn’t to be today. We’ve played on such a variety of surfaces, and adapting has been a challenge as well. There are a lot of positives, even though we’ve had a few losses. Not lot of bad stuff, just a couple of adjustments. We want to stay positive going into our next game.

On a not so ideal batting wicket, this has been a perfect run-chase by KKR against the best bowling side of the tournament. Everyone who have batted tonight, have done their part  Also, by doing this, they become the third team to qualify for the playoffs. Remember, Karthik’s boys have won their last three matches and most likely they will play their playoff game at their den, Eden. So, watch out for the Knights who now have some sort of momentum with them.

KKR retained their West Indies stars, bought Lynn and Starc at a big price, invested in India U-19 players and did not have a captain after the auction but they believed and showed everyone that cricket is a team game. Here, they are into the play-offs of IPL 11.

After 19.4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 173/5 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 26 , Shubman 0)

Karthik hits one to mid-on and runs, takes the single and KKR win by 5 wickets and more importantly make it to the playoffs.

Ball 3: Brathwaite tio Karthik, the batsman misses the slower one. No run. 1 needed of 3.

OUT! Nitish Rana tries to clear the fine-leg boundary but the ball does not have enough legs to cross the fine-leg fielder. 1 needed off 4.
Nitish Rana c Bhuvneshwar b Brathwaite 7(5)

FOUR! Fullish from Brathwaite and Rana opens the blade to guide it for a boundary to square of third man. 1 needed off 5.

Brathwaite to bowl the last over. Just 5 needed.

After 19 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 168/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 25 , Nitish Rana 3)

Bhuvi bowls the second last over and he started well with just 3 off the first three balls. Just 5 from the over and we go into the last over. Kolkata Knight Riders need 5 runs in 6 balls.

Fine display by Siddhart Kaul as he finishes with figures of 2/26 from four overs, dismissing power-hitters Lynn and Russell

Siddharth Kaul has had a rough time in the last few matches, so these wickets are important for his confidence, even though the KKR are in control of the chase. A lot more slower balls on this surface, but the runs that SRH bled with the new ball are hurting.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl the second last over of the match.

After 18 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 163/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 22 , Nitish Rana 1)

Kaul completed his 4 overs and what a spell it was for him. He has got rid of Russell in the over which means KKR will have to wait further for the win. They should not do anything silly here. Kolkata Knight Riders need 10 runs in 12 balls.

OUT! Russell tries to clear the long-on but hits really high up in the air. Manish Pandey at long-on holds on to a good catch. A Russell c Manish Pandey b S Kaul 4(4)

Uthappa has shown a tendency to get out to the shot ball, which and he is very strong when it comes to spin. Rashid Khan is bowled out. But its a little too late for SRH, whose bowling attack looks like it will once again concede close to 180.

FOUR! Kaul bowls a fast bouncer, Russell pulls it, the ball takes the leading edge flies to third man where Sandeep Sharma dives but makes a mess of the catch and the ball travels for a boundary.

Robin Uthappa might not have gone all the way to see #KKR through, but produced a fine display with the bat nevertheless

Kaul comes into bowl his last over.

Uthappa has once again wasted a start. This has been his problem throughout this season. He hasn’t been able to finish games after looking set at the crease. Meanwhile, KKR are cruising here. This should be over very soon.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 155/3 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 20 , Andre Russell 0)

Okay so Williamson turns to Brathwaite to bowl the 17th over. And he provides the breakthrough as Uthappa goes back. But KKR still have things in control. They are looking to end things as soon as possible. Kolkata Knight Riders need 18 runs in 18 balls.

FOUR! Short ball, slow in pace and Dinesh Karthik takes all the time in the world to pick his spot at deep mid-wicket and hit is for a boundary.

Andre Russell, right-handed batsman, is the next man in.

OUT! Robin Uthappa hooks a ball pitched outside the off stump and pays a price for it as the ball goes up in the air before it is grabbed by Goswami. Uthappa c Goswami b Brathwaite 45(34)

Interesting move as Carlos Brathwaite is brought to bowl th 17th over.

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 147/2 ( Robin Uthappa 45 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 14)

Uthappa tries to reverse-sweep Rashid again. He fails yet again but manages a single. He hits two strokes with straight bat and fetche 10 runs for his side. That is a self-lesson. This looks smooth for KKR now. Kolkata Knight Riders need 26 runs in 24 balls.

41 needed in last 30 balls – KKR have this covered. Also, the ‘Purple Brigade’ have already made sure that they will finish with a better NRR than Rajasthan. What a sigh of relief for the Knight fans.

SIX! Same delivery and this time Uthappa crunches it over deep mid-wicket.

FOUR! Rashid bowls a fast googly but Uthappa smashes it through the mid-off for a boundary.

Rashid into the attack to bowl the last over of his spell.

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 132/2 ( Robin Uthappa 33 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 11)

Bhuvneshwar is back too. And what an over it was, Yes he was hit  for a six but it was not the most convincing shot by Karthik in this tournament. He looked quite edge Karthik but is helped by good luck and mistakes by opposition. Kolkata Knight Riders need 41 runs in 30 balls.

SIX! Top-edge by Dinesh Karthik but ball travels over third man for a maximum.

The 2nd-wicket partnership between Lynn and Uthappa wasn’t as fiery as the opening stand, but was important in keeping KKR in the chase. Here’s a look at the scoring areas in the partnership

Dinesh Karthik in successful run-chases in this IPL: 41*, 45*, 23, 42*, 35*

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back on.

Lynn is showing that even batters who are not used to Indian conditions can adapt. Success in the Big Bash does not directly mean form in the IPL, where the conditions are slow and spin friendly. But he’s out now, giving SRH a sniff at a the middle order. We saw how this track can be difficult to start an innings.

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 121/2 ( Robin Uthappa 32 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 1)

So Kaul comes back and provides the much-needed breakthrough. Lynn has gone and it is Karthik who has come out to bat in place of Nitish Rana. Guess, this is done to win the match convincingly. Time will tell if that happens. Kolkata Knight Riders need 52 runs in 36 balls.

Dinesh Karthik is the next man in. No Nitish Rana at number 4.

OUT! Lynn goes big and he is caught by Manish Pandey at the boundary who catches it alright but then pushes the ball inside the ropes as he jumps outside to eventually grab it again. Decision goes up the stairs but it is declared out. KKR 119/2

Chris Lynn c Manish Pandey b S Kaul 55(43) 

Siddarth Kaul is back on.

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 119/1 ( Chris Lynn 55 , Robin Uthappa 31)

Rashid is back into the attack and it was much-needed. Uthappa tried reverse-sweeping him yet again. This attempts are not resulting in either wicket or runs

Lynn has been in sublime touch in his innings so far, bringing up his half-century off 36 balls. He’s shown particular affinity towards the midwicket region for scoring runs

Right so, Rashid Khan has been brought back.

Here’s a look at how KKR progressed in their first 10 overs, scoring at a rate of nine an over, helped primarily by Lynn and Narine’s big-hitting

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 113/1 ( Chris Lynn 51 , Robin Uthappa 29)

Uthappa is now finally middling the ball and if he gets going, the game could be over well before time. SRH are unable to find wickets and feel it is time to bring Rashid back.

FOUR! Just a little room and Uthappa cuts it deftly through the point for a boundary.

SIX! Right in Uthappa’s zone and he goes big over the sight screen for a six, brings up the fifty-run partnership.

Lynn has a serious issue to sort against spin. He doesn’t always read which way it will turn and try to play the ball from the crease. However, somehow he has survived tonight and that’s what counts the most. An important half-century for the Aussie opener.

Shakib continues.

After 11 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 100/1 ( Chris Lynn 50 , Robin Uthappa 17)

10 overs done and this is where SRH become dangerous. In the last 10 overs of the match, the bowlers raise their game dramatically. Meanwhile, KKR bring up their 100 and Lynn his another fifty

SIX! and this is also a fifty for Chris Lynn as he hits one over the deep mid-wicket boundary. That beautiful swing of the bat is back. The ball travels the second tier of the stand.

Sandeep Sharma, right arm medium, into the attack.

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 90/1 ( Chris Lynn 43 , Robin Uthappa 14)

Shakib Al Hasan is brought back, more so to tighten the screws on KKR than take wickets. Rashid has put some pressure on run-scoring from the other end and it is right time to try and make either of the batsmen make some mistake. Shakib gives just 5 off the over. Just what captain Kane wanted.

Shakib Al Hasan is brought back on.

KKR still running away with this in terms of both run rate and wicket . But we have seen  many matches this season, where the scoring rate slows down in the second half of the innings. That’s exactly what KKR did to SRH.

After 9 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 85/1 ( Chris Lynn 40 , Robin Uthappa 12)

Rashid Khan continues. Lynn sweeped him off the first ball, Uthappa went one level up to reverse-sweep him. Too much effot being put in to play Rashid. He almost got Uthappa as he played a no-shot to fetch a six.

DROPPED! Uthappa tries to go big over mid-wicket but the ball takes the botton edge and flies off, Rashid runs backwards to catch it but could not hold on to it.

Rashid Khan continues.

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 80/1 ( Chris Lynn 37 , Robin Uthappa 10)

Brathwaite comes in to bowl now. He is treated with a six on the second ball of the over. He made a good comeback after that. But it is going too easy for KKR for now.

SIX! Length ball and Lynn clears the front leg to go big over the deep mid-wicket.

Carlos Brathwaite, right arm medium, into the attack.

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 71/1 ( Chris Lynn 29 , Robin Uthappa 9)

Rashid Khan, the trump card rom SRH, into the attack now. As usual, the batsmen facing some issues facing him. Fifth delivery of the over, came back into Uthappas sharply, hit his thigh and as caught at first slip followed by a huge appeal which the umpire turned down but there was a big smile on Rashid’s face as he knew that he came inroads here.

Rashid Khan, right-arm leg spin, into the attack

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 66/1 ( Chris Lynn 27 , Robin Uthappa 6)

Kaul is back on to bowl the second over of his spell and there was a huge appeal from the keeper on the first ball as the ball brushed the pads to the keeper. Uthappa should take time to sette in as he is looking a little edge at the moment. Guided the second ball of the over to third man when the first slip was there. End of powerplay, a good one for KKR. 6 runs from the over.

FOUR! Short ball and reaches to Uthappa at a height he loves. He pulls it for a boundary to mid-wicket.

Kaul comes back on.

Ok, Narine has done his part. Thanks to his early assault the asking rate is below 8 now. I believe tonight Uthappa needs to take more responsibility in this run-chase. SRH will use its spinners in the middle overs and Uthappa has hit slow bowlers beautifully throughout this season.

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 60/1 ( Chris Lynn 26 , Robin Uthappa 1)

Lynn continues the carnage from one end despite Narine’s departure. The plan from KKR clearly is to not just win the match but win it by a huge margin so that the NRR factor is taken care of. 7 from the over.

Only Virat Kohli (485) has scored more runs against SRH than Robin Uthappa (390) in IPL.

First wicket to spin and this might just be a pattern. KKR had 10 overs of spin in their innings, SRH have only eight at their disposal though. So Williamson will have to use Shakib and Rashid very wisely. The more they can bowl at the back end, the better.

First wicket to spin and this might just be a pattern. KKR had 10 overs of spin in their innings, SRH have only eight at their disposal though. So Williamson will have to use Shakib and Rashid very wisely. The more they can bowl at the back end, the better.

FOUR! Fullish in length and Lynn hits is through the mid-on for a boundary.

Narine’s dismissed, but he and Lynn got KKR exactly the kind of start that they were looking for in the run chase. Here’s a detailed look at the opening stand

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back into the attack

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 53/1 ( Chris Lynn 21 , Robin Uthappa 0)

Narine hits a few lusty blows before he perishes. That’s what he knows and that’s what he does – as simple as that. He has got KKR to a fiery start as they reached fifty in under 4 overs.

Robin Uthappa, right-handed batsman, is the next man in.

OUT! Narine goes big again but does not connect, he is held by Pandey at long-on. Short but effective innings comes to an end. Narine c Manish Pandey b Shakib 29(10)

SIX and FIFTY for KKR! This time Narine goes big over long on for a maximum, to bring up fifty for KKR in just the third over

Sid Kaul has played three IPL matches since India call up and he has conceded 40-plus runs in each of those three matches.

FOUR! Shakib bowls a little short, Narine rocks back and pulls, the ball goes racing through the sqaure for four.

Shakib Al Hasan, left arm orthodox, into the attack.

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 41/0 ( Chris Lynn 19 , Sunil Narine 19)

KKR have begun beautifully here. Kaul has also been put into extreme pressure and just because of some beautiful T20 vatting. They have not bowled badly the SRH bowlers but Lynn and Narine have outsmarted them with some gutsy and lusty blows. SRH in search of the first wicket.

300-plus runs and 15-plus wickets in an IPL season:

Shane Watson, 2008
Dwayne Bravo, 2012
Jacques Kallis, 2012
Jacques Kallis, 2013
Sunil Narine, 2018*

SRH’s economy rate in IPL – 11:

April – 7.65
May – 8.96

FOUR! Again not a bad delivery but Lynn making it look like, pace off the ball, Lynn makes room and hits is over the mid-off fielder for a boundary.

SIX! Length delivery, Lynn clears the front leg, plays a short arm jab for a six over the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Siddarth Kaul, right arm medium, comes into the attack.

After 2 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 30/0 ( Chris Lynn 9 , Sunil Narine 19)

Not the best of starts from Sandeep Sharma as he leaks three back to back boundaries in the second over of the innings. Narine is doing what he has been sent to do. Get KKR off to a flier even if he loses his wicket in the process. What he has done is disturb Sandeep’s line as he bowled two successive wides before being hit for a straight six.

Sunil Narine’s SR in T20 cricket:

Career – 147.46
Opener – 165.21
Since 2017 – 158.61

He is already justifying his SRs by hitting three consecutive fours against in-form Sandeep Sharma.

SIX! Full in length and Narine easily walks into the shot and hits it straight over the umpire’s head for a maximum.

FOUR! Full in length this time from Sandeep and Narine goes over the covers for another boundary.

FOUR! Round the wicket and Narine pulls it, does not connect it well but the ball goes for four to square leg.

FOUR! Narine plays it in the air, the ball goes over the backward point for a boundary.

Did you know?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only bowler to take 20-plus wickets against KKR in IPL. He has taken 25 wickets at an average of 16.20.

Sandeep Sharma, right arm medium, into the attack.

After 1 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 10/0 ( Chris Lynn 9 , Sunil Narine 1)

Lynn faces the first ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and straightaway we see the ball swinging in drastically off the pitch. Lynn gets off the mark with a boundary but there was nothing wrong on that Bhuvi delivery. He was wayward however on the last ball and Lynn made sure he took full use of it. Good start by KKR. 10 off the first over.

FOUR! A little wide, swinging away and Lynn reaches out for it, connects and the ball races away for four through the covers.

FOUR! Room to open the arms and Lynn cuts it for through the point for a boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, right-arm medium, to bowl the first over.

We are back with the chase.
 

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn come out to chase the target of 173.

Points table alert

​KKR’s NRR will go below RR’s if they lose by more than 43 runs today against SRH.

80 runs in the last 10. I must admit, it has been an excellent comeback by KKR. But this is not a 175-180 pitch and as the ball gets old, it is hard to maintain pace as a batsman. And remember, SRH have the best bowling attack in the competition. So, I believe it will take some getting for KKR. Powerplay will be the key as the batsmen need to go hard in the first six overs when the field restriction will be on.

Here’s the Manhattan graph for the SRH innings,which couldn’t have had more contrasting halves

Prasidh Krishna finishes as the pick of the KKR bowlers today with figures of 4/30, three of those wickets coming off the final over of the innings. There were questions raised over his inclusion at the expensve of Shivam Mavi, and the medium-pacer certainly has cleared some of those doubts with a fine performance today. 

Bizarre last over, with just one ball scored off. How much of a difference will that make? No spinner used at the back end, but Krishna’s slower balls proving very effective. We will see a lot of those from the SRH bowlers very soon. A competitive score, but momentum with KKR at half-time.

SRH today:

First 13 overs – 128/2 (RR – 9.85)

Next seven overs – 44/7 (RR – 6.29)

After 20 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 172/9 ( Siddarth Kaul 0 , )

SRH finish with 172/9 on the scoreboard in 20 overs and you have to give some credit to KKR bowlers, especially Prasidh Krishna to pull things back for KKR after they gave away 92 runs in first 10 overs. This is not a bad score at all. But SRH would feel that they could have got more. Losing 5 wickets in under 3 overs did not help their cause. 

Is this a tricky wicket to chase? We will find out soon. KKR need 173 to win.

OUT! And three wickets on last three balls. This time the wicket does not go in account of the bowler as Karthik runs the batsman out. Bhuvneshwar run out (Karthik) 0(1)

OUT! Rashid Khan goes back on the first ball as he tries to play a big shot on the first ball he faces. Prasidh on a hat-trick. 
Rashid Khan c Karthik b Prasidh 0(1)

OUT! Round the wicket, back of the length, Shakib could not connect well and is caught at square leg. Shakib c Narine b Prasidh 10(7)

FOUR! That is genuine half-volley from Prasidh and Shakib smashes it through the covers for a four.

OUT! Brilliant catch from Rinku Singh as runs in from deep mid-wicket, dives in and catches the ball, sending Manish Pandey back who heaved the ball unsuccessfully. Manish Pandey c (sub)Rinku Singh b Prasidh 25(22)

After 19 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 168/5 ( Manish Pandey 25 , Shakib Al Hasan 6)

Bad start for SRH on the first ball as they lose Brathwaite on the very first ball. They were 127 for 1 in the 14th over and now find themselves at 168 for 5 at the end of the 19th.This is serious situation for SRH which they would need to take very seriously going into the playoffs. Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan have not been delivering the goods that well. Time to rethink strategy and push Shakib up maybe.

Taking pace off the ball is the need of the hour on this pitch. Finally, KKR bowlers seem to have learnt the lesson. But it is too little, too late. SRH already have a decent score here.

FOUR! Short ball from Russell, Shakib rocks on back foot and hits it backward square leg.

Decent day out for Sunil Narine with the ball as he gives away 23 runs off his four overs while getting rid of Yusuf Pathan. Here’s a detailed look at his bowling performance

OUT! Short ball and Brathwaite swings the bat hard but the ball takes the top edge and Karthik collects it behind the stumps. Brathwaite c Karthik b A Russell 3(4)

Russell back on.

After 18 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 161/4 ( Manish Pandey 24 , Carlos Brathwaite 3)

Prasidh back on and it seems SRH are losing the plot. Pandey hit a six but this came after a while. Carlos Brathwaite playing his first game in the season as an uphill task to score quickly. Just 2 overs left now.

Strong comeback from KKR. SRH have batting in the shed but we’re now in the stage of the innings where it’s hard to hit straight away. With two overs from Chawla to come in the last three, we’re now seeing the true nature of this pitch; it’s certainly not a 180 track.

SIX! Ball angling in and fullish in length, Pandey goes big over the long on boundary.

Prasidh continues.

After 17 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 151/4 ( Manish Pandey 16 , Carlos Brathwaite 1)

Narine comes into bowl the last over and does the magic on the first ball only. Gets Yusuf Pathan. Things not looking great for SRH

OUT! Spinner comes in and bowls a flighted trajectory, Yusuf’s eyes are lightened up, swings the bat and gets caught near the deep mid-wicket boundary. Y Pathan c Uthappa b Narine 2(4)

Sunil Narine back on.

After 16 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 146/3 ( Manish Pandey 14 , Yusuf Pathan 2)

A wicket on the very first ball of the over. Superb stuff from KKR to pull things back. These are two new batsmen on the crease and this is the time to put the foot on the pedastal. Important for KKR to keep the tight leash.

Yusuf Pathan’s SR in T20 cricket:

Career — 143.17
 

Since 2017 — 130.79 

Can he play a cameo for SRH against his former team tonight?

Dhawan’s fine innings comes to an end. He couldn’t make the most of the reprieve that he was bestowed upon by Narine on 45, scoring another five runs to bring up his half-century before succumbing to a successful lbw appeal by Krishna. Here’s the wagon wheel of his innings, indicating Dhawan’s preference of the midwicket region for boundaries. 

Yusuf Pathan, right-handed batsman, is the next man in.

OUT! Wicket on the first ball of the over, Prasidh bowls back of the length and the ball hits just above Dhawan’s knee roll, it looked plumb and the umpire raised the finger. Dhawan lbw b Prasidh 50(39)

Kuldeep’s spell has brought some sanity in the proceedings. Like the last game, he bowled it slow and invited the batsmen to make their moves. However, despite that, SRH are well placed and will reach close to 200, which will be very hard to chase down on this pitch.

Prasidh back into the attack.

After 15 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 141/2 ( Shikhar Dhawan 50 , Manish Pandey 12)

Russell is back into the attack. Last six overs to go, thinks DK to get one or two wickets. Russell mixes it up with bouncers and slower ones but two fullish deliveries leak two boundaries. SRH getting a move on as we appraoch the last 5 overs.

Manish Pandey at Hyderabad in this IPL:

5, 21, 54, 0, 11

FOUR! Top cover drive from Manish Pandey, Piyush Chawla makes an attempt at the ropes but to no avail.

It looks a tad slow but this fifty is well paced from Dhawan. This wicket isn’t easy to hit spin on. Lynn said earlier that 150 would be a par score here, and SRH are almost there. They will now need to pick their bowlers to go after, with Kuldeep bowled out and Narine having just one left.

FOUR! Russell angles in, fullish delivery and Manish Pandey plays a semi-helicopter to smash it for a grounded boundary.

Kane Williamson couldn’t get a half-century or a bigger score today, but did exude his class in the 36 runs that he scored off 17 balls. Here’s the wagon wheel for his knock

Andre Russell returns into the attack.

After 14 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 133/2 ( Shikhar Dhawan 50 , Manish Pandey 4)

Kuldeep back on. He looks better in this over, pitching it full to the batsmen. Meanwhile, a fitting fifty for Dhawan. He got a life in this innings but importantly, he is making most of it. 5 runs from the over.

FIFTY! Brilliant stuff from Shikhar Dhawan as he reached yet another fifty in just 38 balls, includes 5 fours and 1 six.

Kuldeep Yadav brought back into the attack.

After 13 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 128/2 ( Shikhar Dhawan 48 , Manish Pandey 1)

Searles back on. Poor cricket from KKR all around at the start. First a catch dropped on the very first ball of the over and then two sixes. Searles bowled another terrible short delivery but unluckily he was caught on deep cover. Good for KKR that they have got rid off Williamson but worries prevail.

OUT! Short ball, outside off stump and an even poor shot from Williamson as he tries to go over the deep cover for a six but holds on to the fielder. Williamson c A Russell b Searles 36(17)

Kane Williamson becomes

— Third captain to score 650-plus runs in a single season of IPL after Virat Kohli (2016) and David Warner (2016).

— Second SRH player to score 650-plus runs in a single season of IPL after David Warner (2016).

Williamson is the kind of player who has a high activity rate, which means he scores off a high proportion of balls. That’s perfect when you’ve just lost a wicket, the scoreboard keeps ticking.  And before you know it, he’s set and starts unfurling the big shots much earlier than he did last year. Williamson 2.0

SIX! Searles bowls at the pads again, Williamson gets underneath the ball and puts is for a six over the deep fine-leg boundary again.

SIX! Salt on the wounds of Searles ad Williamson moves across, disturbs his line and swings the bat to get a six over the deep fine-leg region.

DROPPED! Leading edge of Dhawan’s bat, goes high up in the air and Narine fielding at third man came under it to drop it eventually.

After 12 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 110/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 45 , Kane Williamson (C) 22)

Dinesh Karthik brings in Narine early into his second spell and it tells you that he needs wickets. Chawla and Yadav have been errie. His other go-to bowler Andre Russell has also leaked runs. Testing time for him as a captain right now.

SRH might have lost the wicket of Goswami, but they’re still in control at the halfway stage of their innings, and look set for a score in the range of 200 at the end of the innings

Sunil Narine is back on.

After 11 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 104/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 44 , Kane Williamson (C) 17)

Kuldeep too starts off with a short ball. KKR spinner are erring in length here. Kuldeep bowled a short one to Dhawan on the first ball and then a full-toss to Williamson. Got hit for a six as he pitched one right into Williamson’s zone. This is bad bowling from spinners.

SIX! Right into the block where it is easy to hit, Williamson swings his arm and goes over deep mid-wicket boundary to fetch 6 runs.

I am not liking the look of KKR this evening. Poor body language, misfielding, bowlers not hitting the right areas, unnecessary ego battles — this is not the right attitude in a virtual do or die game. However, the wicket of Goswami should lift their spirits. One more wicket here and we may see a different ball game altogether.

Kane Williamson have scored fifty-plus scores in each of his last four innings in IPL. He has a chance to become the first Kiwi player to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket.

Kuldeep continues.

Goswami playing just the kind of cameo SRH expected of him. Gives their lower order some cushion against wickets late in this game. Did SRH factor in that KKR don’t have a penetrative new ball attack while promoting Goswami? If so, best possible timing.

After 10 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 92/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 42 , Kane Williamson (C) 7)

Chawla is letting the batsmen play on the back foot easily. This is not you expect from a leg-spinner in the short format of the game. Need to pitch it full almost every delivery and hope the batsmen to make a mistake. he did that on last 3 balls and you saw something happen. Poor fielding tonight not helping KKR’s cause either.

End of what was a fine innings by Goswami, who put up an entertaining show with the bat after getting promoted to opener. Here’s the wagon wheel of his 26-ball innings

Piyush Chawla, right arm leg spin, back into the attack

After 9 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 84/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 36 , Kane Williamson (C) 5)

Kuldeep Yadav is back on. Bowls tight line and length and as a a result, gets a wicket for himself. Goswami played well for his 26-ball 35, giving a solid start to his side. Williamson has join Dhawan in the middle and is off to a good start straightaway with a boundary.

This is the highest opening stand (79) for SRH in this IPL, going past 76 runs stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Alex Hales at the same venue.

FOUR! Kane Williamson has been treated with a short ball and he pulls it for a boundary to backward square leg.

Kane Williamson, right handed batsman, is the next man in.

OUT! Flighted delivery, asking to be hit, Goswami falls into the trap, comes down the wicket, hits is straight into Andre Russell’s hands at long-on. Goswami c A Russell b Kuldeep Yadav 35(26)

Kuldeep Yadav is back on.

After 8 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 76/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 34 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 34)

Javon Searles into the attack now. There was a good chance for the bowler to run Goswami out on the fourth ball as the pair tried to take a difficult single. Pressure increasing on Dinesh Karthik. There is a long batting to follow and if this partnership continues, 200 is always on. Guess they would definitely mind chasing anything above 200.

Brilliant opening stand so far for SRH, with Dhawan and Goswami scoring at about 10 an over. Here’s how they progressed in the first five overs.

Javon Searles, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

After 7 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 70/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 32 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 30)

Kuldeep Yadav is in now and he was on target straightaway. Dhawan hit him for a boundary but he made him do that. The last-ball four however was hit on a bad ball. Need to pick that first wicket, KKR!

FOUR! A little short from Yadav, Dhawan rocks back and smashes it four boundary to deep extra cover.

Blistering start. With the pitch likely to turn later, the new ball becomes so important. And SRH have capitalised with an opening combo few would have expected. We talk about teams doing their homework, I wonder how many match ups for Goswami KKR would have thought about.

FOUR! Ball angling in and Dhawan chooses the reverse sweep option and guides the ball to third man for a boundary.

Kuldeep Yadav, left arm Chinaman, comes into the attack

Don’t think KKR have started well with the ball. There have been too many freebies. Also, Russell’s ego battle with Goswami has been costly too. As a captain, Karthik needs to take control here. SRH openers are off to a flyer here.

After 6 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 60/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 27 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 25)

Narine is back into the attack and he ha bowled well but that six will hurt him. 9 runs from the over.

SIX! Full from Narine, Dhawan gets a stride forward and drives it through the line to clear ropes at long-on.

After 5 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 51/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 20 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 24)

These two have really upped the ante in the powerplay itself. 11 come in the 5th over which was Chawla’s first. To be honest, the poor fielding didn’t help his figures but that’s not how we see numbers, do we?

FOUR! The 50-run stand is up between both the southpaws. Chawla bowls it down the leg side and Dhawan sweeps it past fine leg.

FOUR! Sloppy. Extremely poor from the cover fielder. Chawla is not impressed. He tosses it outside off, Goswami slams it through cover and the ball bounces awkwardly in front of the fielder and goes past him to the cover fence.

No spinner has taken 10-plus wickets against SRH in IPL. Sunil Narine has taken eight wickets against them in IPL which is the joint most by a spinner against them.

After 4 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 40/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 16 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 17)

Narine comes into the attack and both the SRH openers pay him the respect he demands. Try to read how the pitch his behaving off his bowling and collect four singles off it.

20 run third over giving SRH all the momentum. Initial success with Goswami at the top of the order, and even though Hales will walk back into that spot, Goswami gets valuable time in the middle ahead of the playoffs. He’s kept Saha out of the XI, no mean feat.

After 3 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 36/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 14 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 15)

Goswami has been caught at slip. Kolkata are celebrating but Goswami has opted for the review and replays suggest that there was no bat involved. The ball lobbed off his helmet. A successful review. And then Goswami immediately changes the gears. Slams a six, a boundary off a Free Hit and ends the with a boundary.

During the toss, both skippers admitted that this wicket would take turn. In fact, both Williamson and Karthik wanted to bat first, which is rare to see in T20 cricket these days. Henceforth, ideally, KKR do not want to chase anything above 160 here.

However, it is a perfect pitch to welcome Piyush Chawla back in the playing XI. A lot will on him and the other two spinners.

FOUR! And ends the over with another boundary. Opens the bat face and guides it behind square on the off side.

FOUR! Crunched. Full delivery, outside off, Goswami backs away and slaps it past the cover fielder.

SIX! Lovely shot. A ball after the successful review, Goswami slices this over cover.

Shreevats Goswami’s SR in T20 cricket:

Career – 108.47

Since 2017 – 138.42

After 2 overs,Sunrisers Hyderabad 16/0 ( Shikhar Dhawan 14 , Shreevats Goswami (W) 1)

Not a great first over from Krishna. He repeated the mistake twice and conceded two boundaries. 11 come off the over.

FOUR! Once again, Krishna goes short and outside off. Dhawan cuts it past the diving point fielder.

SRH have hit 62 sixes in this IPL so far — the least among all teams.

FOUR! Krishna angles one on a length and outside off. Dhawan sees the width and cuts it over point.

Prasidh Krishna to bowl from the other end.

Shikhar Dhawan’s batting average of 24.16 against KKR in IPL is the lowest for him against an opposition with a cut-off of five innings.