KXIP vs KKR, LIVE SCORE Highlights and Match Recap, IPL 2019, Full cricket score: Gill, Karthik guide KKR to 7-wicket win

Shubman Gill is Man of the Match for 65 made off 49 balls. 

Gill: Feels great to get first award at home ground. I think it was important to build partnership. I decided to go till the end when the required run-rate went high. Some relatives came from village to support me. Feels great to play in front of them.

Dinesh Karthik, KKR captain: We live another day. That’s very important. I wasn’t too happy with the bowlers and fielders. I’m not a person who’s too much into the result. I am very much into the process. Wasn’t happy with what was happening out there. At the end of the day, it’s important I stay true to myself. We went for 10 runs too many, and you’ve got to give credit to Sam Curran. We were there till the end, but the batting made up for it. We did the small things right. Good execution by the batsmen. I think he’s (Shubman Gill) a terrific player, and it’s only fair we gave him an opportunity at the top of the order.

R Ashwin: It was a par score here. We have defended the score pretty well, I thought they batted really well. We bowled really well in the first three overs and Lynn played well from thereon. Massive positive the way Pooran played and the way Sam played.

FOUR! KKR WIN by 7 wickets. They stay alive. Another short ball by Curran, targeted at the hips of DK, who hit it to fine leg boundary to hit the winning runs. They collect two more points and breath a little more. 

Kings XI Punjab have been shown the door, well almost. Technically, they are still in it but it would take a miracle for them to surge ahead.

SIX! Short ball to Karthik and he smacks it over the deep backward square leg boundary for maximum.

FOUR! Not a bad ball from Curran, angling in to DK, who opens the blade at the last moment and beats the keeper. Ball runs away for four behind the wickets.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 166/3 ( Shubman Gill 64 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 4)

Had the boundary not come in the over, Punjab would have inched closer to the possibility of taking it to the last over. Gill has shown today, that KKR were wrong in not putting him right up at the batting order early on in the tournament. Kolkata need 18 runs in 18 balls

FOUR! Pure timing, pure class from Shubman Gill, short ball and he used short arm jab to hit it to deep on the leg side.

Finally, the short ball strategy has worked for KXIP. Have to say, both Tye and Shami were right on the marks, when it came to implement the gameplan. Nevertheless, the match is still in KKR’s court. The asking rate is less than 7. In the context of a qualification scenario, KKR have to consider the net run rate factor. They should look to finish the job as soon as possible.

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 157/3 ( Shubman Gill 58 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 1)

Curran comes into the attack and has bowled well here. Just the quiet over Punjab was looking for and Russell’s wicket has helped. Is there a twist left in the match? Phew! Who knows? Don’t go anyway, we tell you. Kolkata need 27 runs in 24 balls

Can Gill make up for Russell’s absence in the death overs?

Andre Russell just got dismissed.  His record in the death overs (16-20) this IPL: 351 runs, 249.00 SR

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 151/3 ( Shubman Gill 53 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 0)

Shami returns to the attack. And after a poor start to the over, delivers for Punjab. Punjab see the back of Russell but they need more wickets here to pull the match back completely. KKR have gone past 150 now. DK joins Gill in the middle. Kolkata need 33 runs in 30 balls

OUT! Short ball from Shami, angling in to Russell, but the batsman still went after it, pulled and the ball went high up in the air, came down to Tye at deep mid-wicket, who held his nerve and took a good catch, pumped the fist looking at the crowd behind. They knew this is a big wicket. A Russell c Tye b Shami 24(14)

FOUR! Cakewalk for Russell, lack of pace on the ball, short in length, Russell rocks back and blasts it for a boundary to deep extra cover.

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 145/2 ( Shubman Gill 52 , Andre Russell 20)

Two wides from Tye. Tells you why he did not feature in the Punjab XI consistently in the tournament this year. On the last ball, he has the chance to get Russell out but Mayank put it down. Dew on the ground playing its role here? Maybe. KKR don’t mind. Kolkata need 39 runs in 36 balls

Strategy against Russell? Bowl short, right on his body. Cramp him for room. Looks like the KXIP pacers have adopted this gameplan. However, with all the attention on Russell, Gill is striking at close to 140. This youngster hasn’t disappointed, whenever he has been sent to open the innings this season. Unfortunately, for the major part of this edition of IPL, KKR wasted him at No.7.

SIX! Russell gives it his all, low full-toss, slow in pace and Russell smashes it straight to long-off, where Mayank puts the catch down. Russell meanwhile is down on ground after hitting the ball and is getting medical attention.

SIX! Low full-toss on the leg stump, Russell smashes this over the deep square boundary for a maximum. 85 metre that boundary. Massive hit.

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! 

Shubman Gill is the first player to score four fifties before the age of 20 in IPL.

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 128/2 ( Shubman Gill 51 , Andre Russell 6)

What a knock this is turning out to be Gill. Has hit fifty and is quickly taking his team to the victory mark. Kolkata need 56 runs in 42 balls. Should be very easy with Russell still there and Rana, DK still to come.

FOUR! Brilliant from Gill, little room and scope to cut the ball, Gill pounces on the chance and collects boundary at deep backward point. Reaches his fifty.

SIX! Class and power at the same time, flatter trajectory from Ashwin and Gill quickly sits on one knee and sweeps him for a maximum.

SIX! Gill comes down the track to Ashwin who bowls a carrom ball, Gill spotted it well before and hit it straight down the ground.

Andre Russell’s batting SR against KXIP in IPL is 211.42. (222 runs, six innings, 37.00 average)

MILESTONE ALERT!

Andre Russell is playing his 300th T20 match. He is 58 runs away from completing 5,000 T20 runs.

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 110/2 ( Shubman Gill 34 , Andre Russell 6)

Good contest between Russell and Curran in the last over. Russell smashes him for a boundary in the offside and then the England younster banged it short with pace to outdo him on back-to-back deliveries. Kolkata need 74 runs in 48 balls

FOUR! Russell Power at work in Mohali, short ball from Curran and Russell goes deep in the crease and clubs to cover boundary to collect a boundary.

Can’t blame Uthappa for playing that shot. He was sent there to dominate the spinners. Perhaps, KKR want to finish this as early as possible to improve their net run rate. And that’s why Russell has been out there No. 4.

After 11 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 102/2 ( Shubman Gill 32 , Andre Russell 1)

Captain brings it upon himself to get the next breakthrough. Uthappa is back to the hut. Like DK, in the first innings, Ashwin too is animated in the middle. Two points at stake. But Gill is very, very calm and is playing as if there is no worry in the world. By the way, Russell has joined him now. 100 has come up for KKR. Kolkata need 82 runs in 54 balls

OUT! R Ashwin provides the second breakthrough for Punjab as he flights the ball, lures Uthappa to play the big shot, he plays but does not connect well, the ball goes directly into the hands of Mayank at long-off. Uthappa c Agarwal b Ashwin 22(14)

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 98/1 ( Shubman Gill 30 , Robin Uthappa 21)

First sight of Curran with the ball in hand. Had a great outing with the bat and now he needs to do the job for the side with the ball. But making all heads turn to him is Shubman Gill, who is displaying his class on his homeground. Not to forget, his mother is in the stands tonight and a match-winning knock is what will make it a great homecoming from him.

FOUR! Lovely, Gill comes on top of the ball and creams it through the covers for a beautiful boundary. Exquisite strokemaking from the young man.

After 9 overs,Kings XI Punjab 73/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 14 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 42)

Just when it appeared that KKR are losing the steam and running out of gas, Uthappa provides the impetus. 17 came in the over. Umpires call it time-out. Kolkata need 94 runs in 66 balls

Robin Uthappa has had six 20-plus scores out of his last seven T20 innings against KXIP, including three fifties.

FOUR! Beautiful cut shot from Uthappa almost hit it in off the off stump and it raced away for four to third man.

SIX! Over-pitched by M Ashwin, Uthappa goes big over the straight boundary and it goes for a maximum

FOUR! Poor fielding from KL Rahul in the deep, Uthappa flicked it to long-on and Rahul covered the ground well to reach the ball but completely missed the ball and it went through his two legs.

Ok, Lynn has provided the start KKR were looking for. The asking rate is less than 9 now. From here, they have to bat sensibly. Uthappa has been sent at No.3 to deal with Ashwins of KXIP. Later, for the pacers, they have Russell. Good strategy this by the KKR think-tank.

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 73/1 ( Shubman Gill 21 , Robin Uthappa 5)

R Ashwin returns to the attack. A better over from him. Just 4 off the over and 11 off the last two. KKR need to make sure the start provided by Lynn is not wasted and they keep the runs coming.

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 69/1 ( Shubman Gill 19 , Robin Uthappa 3)

The other Ashwin, Murugan, into the attack. Lynn’s fall in the previous over has brought some slowness suddenly and Punjab captain won’t mind that. M Ashwin does a good job. 7 came in the over.

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 62/1 ( Shubman Gill 15 , )

Exciting over really. Lynn was after Tye, who bowled his first over. Lynn hit him for six and then four. But Tye had the last laugh coming back to get rid of Lynn. However, Lynn is gone after bringing up fifty for KKR. They have the start and other batsmen need to continue the momentum.

OUT! Wicket and Lynn is gone. He was trying to hit everyball out of the park and while he succeeded on all previous occasions, the fall was around the corner. Another top edge and it flew into the orbit, came down to Tye who took a safe catch. Chris Lynn c and b Tye 46(22)

FOUR! Another heave by Lynn, inside edge and the ball runs away for fine leg boundary

SIX! Lynnsainity is on display right now, short ball from Tye, Lynn heaves, ball takes the top edge but has the legs to disappear into the crowd.

FOUR! Tye into the attack, short ball, and Gill heaves it to fine leg for a boundary. As easy as that really from the home boy Gill.

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 47/0 ( Shubman Gill 10 , Chris Lynn 36)

Captain Ashwin brings himself into the attack. He has bowled with a decent economy rate in the league this far. But Lynn cares for no such feat as he collects boundary on the first ball. Six two balls later. 12 came off it.

SIX! R Ashwin pitched it short, way too short actually, enough time for Lynn to go back, aim his target area and smack it for a maximum.

FOUR! R Ashwin into the attack and he goes for four on the first ball, ball coming in to Lynn, he makes room, heaves, the ball takes the edge and runs away for four to third man.

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 35/0 ( Shubman Gill 10 , Chris Lynn 24)

Brave move by Ashwin as he gives another go for Arshdeep at the openers. Lynn had hit him for a massive six in the first over. He went after him again, smashing three boundaries in a row. Looked a little lost the young bowler as he had no answer to Lynn’s strokemaking. 15 off the over.

FOUR! Three back-to-back boundaries for Lynn off Arshdeep, short ball, at the shoulder height and Lynn hooks it, the bottom edge takes the ball to the fine leg  boundary.

FOUR! Half-volley provided to Lynn, who clears the front leg and smack pasts the umpire to fetch four runs straight down the ground.

FOUR! Little short in length from Arshdeep, Lynn stays put and smashes it through mid-off and covers to fetch four runs.

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 20/0 ( Shubman Gill 8 , Chris Lynn 12)

Gill played one of the glorious strokes of the night. Lovely use of the wrist, flicking it between the mid-wicket and mid-on area. Shami had some issue with neck before the last ball but continued to complete the over. Seven came in the over.

To chase this total down, the Knight Riders need a solid beginning from Gill and Lynn, like they did against Mumbai on the last occasion. On this pitch someone like Lynn will enjoy the bounce and pace, he can play those cross-batted shots. At the other end, Gill is a local boy who plays for Punjab in domestic cricket. So, he has the in depth knowledge about these conditions.

FOUR! Shot of the night, classic flick in the leg side, placed between the fielder at mid-wicket and mid-on, the ball races away for a boundary. Gill, the man. Lovely stroke.

Two of Gill’s three fifties in this season of IPL have come while opening.

After 2 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 13/0 ( Shubman Gill 3 , Chris Lynn 10)

Arshdeep Singh into the attack from the other end. Right-arm, left-arm  combination from Punjab to unsettle the two openers. It was turning out to be a quiet over from Arshdeep before Lynn showed why he is a danger player at the top order. 10 runs off the over.

SIX! Typical Lynn, comes down the track and smashes it over the deep mid-wicket. That went like a tracer bullet into the crowd.

After 1 over, Kolkata Knight Riders 3/0 ( Shubman Gill 2 , Chris Lynn 1)

Shami begins for Punjab. Hits the right length on the first ball and Gill pushes it to off side. Collects one on the second ball. Lynn off the mark too on the first ball he faces. Shami has been pretty good with the line he has bowled. Good start from him, Just 3 runs off it.

Alright, Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill walk out to the middle to begin the chase of 184 runs. Mohammed Shami to bowl the first over for Punjab.

Well, well well, 58 runs in the last five overs and 22 from the last six balls. Looks like KKR have lost a bit of momentum towards the back-end of this KXIP innings. Sam Curran, with his clean hitting, just took the game away from Karthik and company. At the end of this game, these 15-20 extra runs can be the difference between the two sides. Even with the dew around 184 is going to be a stiff chase for KKR tonight.

KXIP today:

First 10 overs : 84/2 (RR : 8.40)
Last 10 overs : 99/4 (RR : 9.90)

They scored 51 runs in the last four overs today.

55 not-out is now Sam Curran’s highest score in T20 cricket. His previous highest score was 50 while playing for Auckland against Wellington at Auckland in 2017.

After 20 overs,Kings XI Punjab 183/6 ( Sam Curran 55 , Andrew Tye 0)

Curran’s on strike at the start of the final over, bowled by Gurney, and collects a brace off the first delivery and follows suit off the next ball as well, guiding the ball towards deep square leg on both occasions. Curran then goes berserk in the next four deliveries, smashing three fours and a six as 22 runs are leaked by Gurney in the last over. Kings XI Punjab finish on a very competitive 183/6 at the end of their innings.

FOUR! Huge final over for KXIP, as Curran flicks a full toss from Gurney towards backward square leg for a boundary!

Kings XI Punjab finish on 183/6 at the end of their innings, with 22 coming in the last over!

FOUR! What an innings this is turning out to be for Sam Curran, ramping the full delivery from Gurney towards fine leg! Also brings up the half-century for the young English all-rounder off just 23 deliveries! KXIP 179/6

SIX! Brilliant! Slower one from Gurney bowled well outside leg. Curran shuffles to his left, and times his slog to perfection to clear long on. KXIP 175/6

FOUR! Half volley from Gurney outside off, and Curran loft-drives this over extra cover for a boundary! KXIP 169/6

After 19 overs,Kings XI Punjab 161/6 ( Sam Curran 33 , Andrew Tye 0)

Russell gets rid of Ashwin for a three-ball duck at the start of the over, but Curran keeps KXIP going by collecting back-to-back fours later in the over. 10 runs and a wicket off Russell’s third. Punjab will hope to finish on a score in the 170-180 range, one that will be real competitive at this venue.

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Curran, this time going for the slog down the ground! KXIP 160/6

Sam Curran is playing a good hand here. He has hit the ball crisply so far. Meanwhile, for KKR the last few overs have been quite economical. Someone like Harry Gurney, with all his variations, is once again having a fruitful outing.

FOUR! Curran shuffles to his left, exposing his stumps, and flicks a back-of-length ball from Russell towards fine leg. KXIP 156/6

OUT! Ashwin’s promotion up the order doesn’t quite work, as he drags the slower one from Russell onto the leg stump to depart for a three-ball duck. KXIP 151/6

R Ashwin b Russell 0(3)

After 18 overs,Kings XI Punjab 151/5 ( Sam Curran 24 , Ravichandran Ashwin (C) 0)

Gurney is brought back into the attack, and he breaks the dangerous-looking stand between Curran and Mandeep, getting the latter caught for 25. Four runs and a wicket off his third over. KXIP, in the meantime, have crossed the 150-run mark with another two overs to go in their innings. They’ll be banking on Curran and Ashwin, who can be handy with the bat himself, for the final flourish.

OUT! Mandeep perishes, as gets a thick leading edge, with Uthappa taking the catch at extra cover. KXIP 149/5

Mandeep c Uthappa b Gurney 25(17)

After 17 overs,Kings XI Punjab 147/4 ( Mandeep Singh 24 , Sam Curran 22)

Curran smashes the ball over deep midwicket for a maximum off the second delivery, and earns a lucky reprieve on 17 two deliveries later as Rinku drops a sitter at long on. Curran then collects a boundary off the last ball to make matters worse for Narine and KKR. 15 off the over. The Trinidadian signs off wicketless, having conceded 29 from his four overs.

FOUR! Curran hits the ball flat towards cow corner, where it passes through between the two converging fielders. KXIP 147/4

SIX! Clean strike over deep midwicket, right off the screws! Narine shortens the length after watching Curran step out of his crease, but the English all-rounder ends up hitting it from the centre. That’s the first boundary Narine has conceded this evening. KXIP 139/4

After 16 overs,Kings XI Punjab 132/4 ( Mandeep Singh 22 , Sam Curran 9)

Russell returns to the attack. Mandeep collects a single off the first ball, before Curran guides the ball towards the leg side for a brace off the second. Two deliveries later, Curran picks the gap between extra cover and mid off perfectly to collect his first boundary. Seven off the over.

FOUR! Driven through the gap between extra cover and mid off by Curran! KXIP 132/4

In this IPL 2019, Mayank Agarwal has got these starts but unfortunately on most occasions he has failed to convert those into big scores. Though tonight, it was not exactly his fault. In fact, he just responded to Mandeep’s call. 

KXIP do not have much batting left. So Mandeep’s wicket at this stage is a priced scalp for KKR. Presently, the Knights are on a driver’s seat for me and they should aim to restrict the home team to a score around 160-165.

After 14 overs,Kings XI Punjab 115/4 ( Mandeep Singh 13 , Sam Curran 1)

Chawla bowls out his final over, with a single coming off each delivery barring the penultimate one, in which Mandeep pulls the ball straight down the ground for a biggie. The leggie signs off with figures of 0/43.

SIX! Mandeep exhibits his power in this one! Gets on the backfoot and pulls the ball straight down the ground! KXIP 124/4

Most matches for KKR in IPL:

109 – Sunil Narine*
108 – Gautam Gambhir
106 – Yusuf Pathan

After 14 overs,Kings XI Punjab 115/4 ( Mandeep Singh 13 , Sam Curran 1)

Six runs conceded by Narine in his third over, with Mandeep departing for 36 off 26 balls after falling short of the non-striker’s crease while helping Mandeep go for a second run. Punjab lose both their set batsmen, and Kolkata once again have the chance to dictate the terms.

OUT! Now Mayank has to walk back to the dugout, falling short of the non-striker’s end after responding to Mandeep’s call for a second run. The ball slips out of Narine’s hand while he is in the process of breaking the stumps, but the ball touches the timber as the bails come off. The on-field umpires go upstairs, and it is ruled out. KXIP 111/4

Mayank run out (Rinku/Narine) 36(26)

After 13 overs,Kings XI Punjab 109/3 ( Mayank Agarwal 35 , Mandeep Singh 9)

Warrier returns to the attack for his final over. Single collected off each of the first three deliveries, before Mandeep collects his first boundary by guiding the ball towards third man for his first boundary. Single collected off each of the last two deliveries. Nine off the over, with Warrier signing off with figures of 2/31 from four overs.

FOUR! Deftly guided towards third man by Mandeep off Warrier! KXIP 107/3

And there you go, Nitish Rana’s golden arm does the trick for KKR. Pooran was taking the game away from them. But now, with him not being there at the crease, Karthik will have some control back in the proceedings.

After 12 overs,Kings XI Punjab 100/3 ( Mayank Agarwal 32 , Mandeep Singh 3)

Chawla continues from the other end, and with his tormentor-in-chief back in the dressing room now, the leg-spinner produces a much better over, conceding eight off it without a single boundary. Agarwal, meanwhile is batting on 32 and will have to anchor the remainder of the innings, with eight more overs to go.

After 11 overs,Kings XI Punjab 92/3 ( Mayank Agarwal 26 , Mandeep Singh 1)

Rana brought into the attack. Agarwal collects his first six by smashing the ball over the bowler’s head in the second delivery. However, Rana strikes three balls later as Pooran gets caught at cow corner to fall two short of his fifty. Eight runs and a wicket off the over.

OUT! Nicholas Pooran’s entertaining stay at the crease comes to an end, as he holes out to the man stationed at wide long on! Wasn’t quite from the middle of the bat, as a result of which Pooran didn’t get the distance and elevation. Rana strikes in his first over. KXIP 91/3

Pooran c Warrier b Rana 48(27)

SIX! Smashed straight down the ground for a maximum, as Agarwal extends a rough welcome to new bowler Rana. KXIP 90/2

After 10 overs,Kings XI Punjab 84/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 19 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 48)

Another big over for KXIP, with 11 coming off it including a four and a six to Agarwal and Pooran respectively. Chawla’s been expensive so far in the evening. KXIP have made a decent recovery, and are well on their way towards a sizeable total at the halfway stage in their innings.

SIX! Pooran heaves the ball over the midwicket fence for another maximum! KXIP 84/2

FOUR! Smashed straight down the ground by Agarwal, with both Chawla and umpire Oxenford ducking out of the ball’s flight path. KXIP 78/2

After 9 overs,Kings XI Punjab 73/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 14 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 42)

Five runs collected off the over as Narine returns to the attack, with Pooran and Agarwal dealing in the ones and twos against the offie. Meanwhile, the fifty stand is up between the current pair.

Fifty partnership up between Pooran and Agarwal for the third wicket off just 29 deliveries, with the West Indian leading the way with some aggressive strokeplay! Just what KXIP needed after a couple of early jolts. KXIP 72/2

Coming in the squad as a replacement of injured Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrior has been exceptional so far in his short outing for KKR in the IPL 2019. With the new ball, he has hit the fullish length and bowled stump to stump. In the last game he gave away only 29 in his four overs when the opposition was chasing a massive score. And tonight he has claimed the two crucial wickets for his team. Perhaps, the think-tank has missed a trick by not playing him earlier in the tournament. But as they say, late is better than never.

After 8 overs,Kings XI Punjab 68/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 12 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 39)

Piyush Chawla brought into the attack from the other end, and he concedes a six off his first delivery, as Pooran bludgeons the ball over long off, moving into the 30s in no time. Single collected off each of the next two balls, before Pooran cuts hard and guides the ball towards sweeper cover for a boundary off the fourth. Single collected off the last two deliveries. First strategic timeout of the innings signalled at the end of the over. Nice partnership building between Pooran and Agarwal, the former having collected 39 runs of the 46 all by himself.

FOUR! Cut hard by Pooran, and the ball races away to the deep point boundary! KXIP 66/2

Only Umesh Yadav (29) has taken more wickets against KXIP in IPL than Sunil Narine (26).

SIX! Pooran welcomes Piyush Chawla to the crease with a mighty hit over long off for his third maximum! Picked the googly from the spinner perfectly on this occasion. KXIP 60/2

After 7 overs,Kings XI Punjab 54/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 10 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 27)

Russell brought into the attack after the powerplay. Agarwal collects a single at the start of the over, before Pooran continues to exert pressure on the fielding side by collecting a six and a four off the next three deliveries. An under-pressure Russell then bowls well outside off after the four, one that is called a wide. Pooran keeps the strike with a single off the last delivery. 13 off the over, as KXIP cross the 50-run mark in this over.

FOUR! Streaky boundary for Pooran, as he gets an under-edge while looking to pull a short ball from Russell, with the ball travelling wide of keeper DK. KXIP 52/2

SIX! Another biggie off Pooran’s bat, this time hit straight down the ground over long off in Russell’s first over! KXIP 48/2

After 6 overs,Kings XI Punjab 41/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 9 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 16)

Gurney brought into the attack. Pooran and Agarwal deal in the ones and twos in the first four deliveries of the over, before the former pulls a slower one from the English medium-pacer over long on for a maximum — the first one of the innings. 13 off the over, as Punjab reach 41/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

SIX! The first big hit of the innings, as Pooran goes for the short-arm pull over long on! Gurney took the pace off the ball yet again, and the Guyanese batsman waited for the ball to climb, before hitting it from the sweet spot. KXIP 41/2

After 5 overs,Kings XI Punjab 28/2 ( Mayank Agarwal 6 , Nicholas Pooran (W) 6)

Warrier continues to shine with the ball, getting rid of Gayle off the first ball of his third over on the trot. Gayle’s departure for an uncharacteristic run-a-ball 14 brings to the crease fellow member of the West Indies World Cup squad Nicholas Pooran, who gets off the mark with a boundary towards cow corner, and follows it up with a brace. Six runs and a wicket off the over.

FOUR! Pulled away towards the cow corner fence by new batsman Pooran, who gets off the mark in style! KXIP 26/2

OUT! Two down now, and KXIP lose both openers! Gayle goes for the short-arm pull, straight to Shubman Gill stationed at deep midwicket! Wicket number two for Warrier, both in this game as well as in IPL. KXIP 22/2

Gayle c Gill b Warrier 14(14)

After 4 overs,Kings XI Punjab 22/1 ( Chris Gayle 14 , Mayank Agarwal 6)

Sunil Narine brought into the attack in the fourth over. Gayle collects a single off the first ball. Mayank chips the ball towards mid off two deliveries later, getting a single. Gayle keeps the strike with a single off the last delivery. Three off the over. KKR have kept a check on the run flow so far in the Powerplay.

Massive breakthrough this for the visiting team. KXIP are a top-heavy batting line-up. They depend a lot on their explosive Rahul-Gayle opening partnership. So, getting rid of Rahul early will certainly peg them back. 

Well, Karthik has to be proactive now. He needs to attack Gayle with his wicket-taking options, like Narine and Russell. If they can remove him now, KKR can dictate terms in this game.

KKR pacers have taken 23 wickets in this IPL so far – the least among all the teams.

After 3 overs,Kings XI Punjab 19/1 ( Chris Gayle 12 , Mayank Agarwal 5)

Couple of dots at the start of the over, before Rahul gets dismissed off the third delivery, chipping a slower one from Warrier towards mid on, where Lynn holds on to the ball safely. Agarwal then walks out to the crease next, and gets going right away, collecting a boundary off his first delivery and then following it up with a single. Gayle keeps the strike with a single off the last delivery. Six runs and a wicket off the over.

FOUR! What a way for Mayank Agarwal to get off the mark right away, guiding the ball through the gap between backward point and short third man. KXIP 13/1

OUT! Chris Lynn, who is mic’d up and is chatting with the on-air commentators, manages to collect a catch at mid on after Rahul chips a slower one from Warrier down the ground. Early jolt for the hosts. KXIP 13/1

Rahul c Lynn b Warrier 2(7)

After 2 overs,Kings XI Punjab 13/0 ( Chris Gayle 11 , Lokesh Rahul 2)

Gurney bowls from the other end, and he starts off with a slower one that Rahul edges short of the keeper. Tidy first over from the Englishman, with just three coming off it.

Andre Russell is playing his 300th T20 match.

After 1 over,Kings XI Punjab 10/0 ( Chris Gayle 9 , Lokesh Rahul 1)

Both Gayle and Rahul getting off their marks with a single, before the Jamaican collects back-to-back boundaries to give the fielding side an early warning.

Chris Gayle has amassed 531 runs from 10 innings at an average of 66.37 in T20 cricket at Mohali.

Chris Gayle against KKR in IPL: 16 innings, 635 runs, 48.84 average

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Gayle, this time driven between the fielders at mid off and extra cover! KXIP 10/0

FOUR! First boundary of the innings, as Gayle square-drives a half volley outside off from Warrier. KXIP 6/0

And we have Chris Gayle and KL Rahul walking out to open the KXIP innings, with Sandeep Warrier bowling the first over. And we are underway with the do-or-die contest at Mohali

Interestingly, Punjab are a pace heavy bowling unit tonight. Sam Curran and Andrew Tye have come in the XI in place of Mujeeb and David Miller to join Mohammed Shami and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. So, basically they have four front-line pacers to counter the KKR batting firepower, especially Andre Russell. Ideally, batting first, they should aim something around 180 here at Mohali.

KXIP have won eight of their last nine IPL matches at Mohali.

KXIP vs KKR head to head

KXIP have a 8-16 record against KKR in IPL. 
Since May 2014, KKR have a 10-2 record against them in IPL.

As people in Kolkata gearing up to fight against the cyclone Fani, the IPL team from the city is also preparing for yet another do-or-die battle. They have to beat KXIP tonight in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Thankfully for the Knights, Dinesh Karthik has won the toss and they will chase on this evenly paced batting surface at Mohali. Considering the dew factor batting second is a huge advantage at this venue and KKR are playing an unchanged XI, which beat Mumbai in its previous encounter. So far so good for the Men in Purple'.

Kolkata Knight Riders playing 11 today: 

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

Kings XI Punjab playing 11 today:

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

“I’d rather take batting as well. Not such a bad thing. If I could get players from the hospital, I would do that. One good game will turn it around for us. Curran and AJ, Mujeeeb out and so is Miller,” says KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin.

“Long time since I last won the toss, so got confused as to what to call. I think you’ve got to control what you can control. We are going with the same team,” says KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik.

Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders toss result today

KKR win the toss, and skipper Dinesh Karthik opts to bowl first.

“200 is difficult purely because of the big boundaries. 200 grounds are very small. You’ve really got to get it good. It’s not a 200 wicket,” says Kevin Pietersen in the pitch report.

While the KXIP-KKR encounter is a must-win encounter for both teams, teams such as SRH and RR are also in the fray, with RCB the only team so far to have bowed out of the playoffs race. Umang Pabari throws light on the playoffs qualification scenario for the teams still in the race in his piece here .

Mumbai Indians became the third entrant into the IPL 2019 playoffs after pulling off a tense win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match that went ino the Super Over. Snehal Pradhan, in her latest piece , writes on how the balance in the Mumbai Indians squad, whether between the domestic and foreign recruits as well as in the roles assigned to the players, has contributed to a consistent runs for the three time champions. Do give it a read while we wait for the toss.

Kagiso Rabada has bowed out of IPL 2019, having been recalled to South Africa ahead for their World Cup preparation. The pacer, though, continues to remain on top of the wicket-takers’ charts, having collected 25 wickets from 12 games at an average and economy of 14.72 and 7.82 respectively. Check out the full Purple Cap list here .

Kagiso Rabada will miss remainder of tournament as Cricket South Africa has decided to call him back as precautionary measure. He had missed Delhi Capitals’ last match against Chennai Super Kings due to stiff back and his unavailability is a severe blow to Delhi Capitals, who are striving to win their maiden IPL title. Read the full article here .

While David Warner (692 runs) enjoys the dominance in the Orange Cap list. But KL Rahul has jumped to the second place in the list with 520 runs and will look to add more to his total in the match tonight. Click here to check out the full list here .

Chennai and Mumbai have been the top two teams in IPL 2019. CSK sits at the top with 9 wins in 13 games and at second, Mumbai are closing in the gap well. Check out the full points table here .

Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders at loggerheads in a must-win game

KKR and Kings XI have 10 points from 12 matches but the Kolkata outfit is placed a rung above Punjab at sixth in the eight-team competition by virtue of a better net run-rate.

Read the full match preview here .

Today’s IPL match live blog between KXIP vs KKR 

Hello and welcome to the 52nd match of the IPL 2019. Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata Knight Riders will be at loggerheads with R Ashwin’s Kings XI Punjab in a contest that will eliminate either of the sides from the tournament. Both the teams are languishing at the bottom half of the table and need to win today to keep alive their remote Playoff chances.