IPL as it happened: KKR beat Pune by 46 runs

Click here for the live scorecard. KKR beat Pune by 46 runs. 2320: Wicket! Parvez Rasool c & b Balaji 1 (4b, 0x4, 0x6): What a finish this is. Rasool hammers it straight towards Balaji, who reaches out a bit and the ball has stuck to his palms. That’s it, KKR have finally won away from home, and by 46 runs. 2317: Wicket! Bhuvneshwar b Balaji 1 (3b, 0x4, 0x6): Cartwheels! Balaji’s delivery stays low and the crowd see the stumps do somersaults. It’s 105-9 after 19.1 overs. 2314: Wickets! Rawat c Bisla b Kallis 5 (11b, 0x4, 0x6) Parnell c Tiwary b Narine 5 (7b, 0x4, 0x6 Pune are vanishing without a trace. Rawat tries to pull Kallis’ short ball, but just manages an edge before Parnell slaps it straight to long-off. Ah well, this is over. Pune are 103-8 after 18.1 overs. 2307: Wicket! Mathews c Tiwary b Narine 40 (28b, 0x4, 4x6): And he’s gone, and that was certainly a commentator’s curse. Mathews, confident after the previous over and two sixes, goes for another one. However, he’s been taken in the deep. Pune 95-6 after 16.1 overs. 2305: Well, former skipper Mathews isn’t giving up tonight! He’s just whipped Kallis for back-to-back sixes. Pune are 95-5 after 16 overs. 2255: Wicket! Marsh c Tiwary b Bhatia 5 (8b, 0x4, 0x6): Is this over already? Marsh digs out a shot straight to long-on and KKR will get that win on the road, it seems. Pune 78-5 after 14 overs 2250: SIX! And after a long time! Angelo Mathews smokes it over long-on, and Pune need more of those if they’re to win. It’s 69-4 after 13 overs. 2240: Uthappa c Gambhir b Iqbal Abdulla 31 (35b, 2x4, 0x6): Uthappa doesn’t quite know what to do - sweep or cut? He chooses the latter and is taken at point. Pune are 53-4 after 10.5 overs. 2235: Rajat Bhatia, expert at killing of partnerships, has been introduced. There have been no boundaries in the last four overs and Pune are struggling towards their target. It’s 49-3 at the halfway stage. 2220: Wicket! Birla b Iqbal Abdulla 7 (14b, 1x4, 0x6): Crack! And that’s the sound of Birla’s stumps going down. Failed sweep-shot attempt from Birla and he’s gone. Pune are 39=3 after 7.1 overs 2215: Miserable start for Pune at home. Sunil Narine has been introduced into the attack and gives away five runs in his first over as Birla cuts him away on the last ball for four. It’s 34-2 after six overs. 2205: Wicket! Yuvraj c Bisla b Balaji 1 (2b, 0x4, 0x6): Big wicket! Balaji, who had a fantastic outing last time out, has grabbed the wicket of Pune’s most dangerous batsman. That was more like a Test wicket, the slight seam movement deceiving Yuvraj, and the nick is taken by the keeper. It’s 23-2 after 3.3 overs. 2200: Wicket! Finch b Kallis 5 (5b, 1x4, 0x6): Wohoho! Kallis says Uthappa’s straight drive struck him on the foot before hitting the non-striker’s stumps (Finch was way out of the crease), but the umpire says it’s not out. Kallis responds with “Am I a cheat?” before sending Finch’s stumps tumbling after just two deliveries. And then, he looks straight at the umpire with steely eyes. My word! It’s 20-1 after 2.4 overs. 2150: Uthappa thwacks a four off the first ball and ends the over with three quick runs. Pune are 9-0 after an over. Pune Warriors need 153 runs to beat KKR. 2130: KKR have pulled themselves out of that mid-innings slump to score 56 runs in the last five overs and end with 152-6 after 20 overs. The last over went for 15 runs as Rajat Bhatia slammed a four and a six. 2125: Wicket! Doeschate c Upadhyay b Kumar 31 (21b, 3x4, 1x6): Pull-shot, top-edge and gone. But fine innings from the man — saving KKR the blushes when it seemed they would crash and burn. 2120: 18 overs gone, and KKR are trying to dig out as many runs as possible now. A loss against Pune will go down as really bad. Doeschate however, is on fire. He’s smacked Mathews all over the park for two fours and a six in the space of five deliveries. It’s 126-5. Breaking! David Moyes has been appointed new Manchester United manager. Click here to read more. 2110: Wicket! Pathan c Rawat b Kumar 3 (6b, 0x4, 0x6): Dear dear. Yusuf’s failed with the bat yet again and one must wonder how long patience with him will last. His cut-shot takes and edge and is taken by the keeper. KKR are 97-5 after 15.4 overs. 2102: Wicket! Gambhir c Mathews b Marsh 50 (44b, 6x4, 0x6): And just when we write something nice about the guy, he’s gone. He mishits a heave, and is caught at mid-wicket. KKR are 90-4 after 14 overs. 2100: Gautam Gambhir reaches his 20th IPL half-century with a single through third-man. He’s had a fine campaign with the bat this year, but the wins have eluded KKR. 2050: Wicket! Morgan c Uthappa b Marsh 15 (15b, 1x4, 0x6): Morgan tried to be cheeky, aiming a shot over fine-leg, but there’s a fielder in there and the big-hitter is back in the dugout. KKR 75-3 after 11.4 overs. 2040: Angelo Mathews shackles Gambhir in the 8th over, and Parvez manages to do the same until conceding a four on the last ball of the 9th — Morgan brilliantly placing the ball. It’s 60-2 after nine overs. 2032: Wicket! Kallis c Mathews b Rasool 2 (6b, 0x4, 0x6): So the new man gets his first wicket! Kallis with an uppish drive and Mathews blocks the ball first before taking it on the second attempt. It’s 52-2 after seven overs. 2025: Wicket! Bisla st Rawat b Kumar 12 (13b, 2x4, 0x6): Oh so close, but Bisla will have to walk. He goes for the slog, misses and Rawat cleverly clips of the bails. Half-an-inch in that one. KKR are 45-1 after 5.2 overs. 2020: Good, quality shots from Gambhir. He’s added two more fours to his innings, both through a packed offside. Parvez Rasool’s first over in the IPL has gone for nine runs. KKR are 44-0 after five overs. 2013: It’s been a fine start for KKR. They haven’t lost any wickets and Gambhir has torn apart the attack. He’s already reached 19 runs off 11 balls, with three fours. Bisla has scored a four too. It’s 28-0 after three overs. KKR XI: M Bisla, G Gambhir, J Kallis, Y Pathan, M Tiwary, E Morgan, R ten Doeschate, R Bhatia, I Abdulla, S Narine, L Balaji Pune XI: R Uthappa, A Finch, U Birla, Y Singh, M Marsh, A Mathews, M Rawat, P Rasool, W Parnell, B Kumar, K Upadhyay Kolkata Knight Riders win the toss and will bat first. Preview: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders would be looking to restore lost pride when they take on the struggling Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match tonight. Both the teams are in the bottom half of the points table with the Knight Riders at eight points from just four wins in 12 games. Pune, on the other hand, are currently positioned last with four points, having lost 10 out of 12 matches. [caption id=“attachment_768313” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  It will a great chance for the title-holders, who are virtually out of contention for a berth in the four-team play-offs, to redeem themselves. BCCI[/caption] It will a great chance for the title-holders, who are virtually out of contention for a berth in the four-team play-offs, to redeem themselves against a side enduring a nightmarish campaign this season. However, it would certainly not be an easy task for KKR, especially after the thrashing they received at the hands of Mumbai Indians last night. Preview via PTI