IPL 2018, KXIP vs KKR: KXIP suffered their second straight defeat against KKR in Indore. (Source: IPL)
IPL 2018, KXIP vs KKR Highlights: In the end, the result will say KKR beat KXIP by 31 runs but the smaller margin is not telling the picture of the contest which was decided in the first half itself. Despite KL Rahul’s desperate attempts, the team’s fate, and second straight defeat, was sealed in the ninth over of the chase. Batting first, KKR scored the highest total this season to post 245/6 with Sunil Narine scoring 75 runs from 36 balls and further down, DK scoring 50 runs from 23 balls. In reply, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle provided a strong start but Andre Russell took two-in-two to arrest that momentum. Later, Narine dismissed Rahul to all but take the game in their grasp. R Ashwin played a battling captain’s knock but his attempt was far too little and too late to the massive target in front of them. KKR needed to do something to bring back the confidence following the 102 run mauling off Mumbai and they seem to have done so in glorious fashion.
IPL 2018 Live Score, KXIP vs KKR: Chris Gayle and KL Rahul are in excellent form for KXIP. (Source: BCCI)
Highlights
Please shift your focus to the second game of the day where DD are hosting RCB at the Feroz Shah Kotla. DD are batting first. FOLLOW LIVE!
What a dominant win and showing by Kolkata Knight Riders to win by 31 runs. The Purple and Gold bounce back in some fashion and KXIP lose their second straight game. KXIP finish on 214/8 at the end.
R Ashwin is dismissed for 45 runs from 21 balls and that's a painful way to go! Tried to play it down the leg but missed it completely and it hits him on the knee roll. Goes down in some discomfort. Helped up and Ashwin goes back. Umpire taking a while with the decision but the right one it seems.
Andrew Tye departs for 14 runs from 10 balls and DK takes a superb catch! Prasidh, the bowler, celebrates. Short delivery on middle and leg for Tye to deal with and he moved across to attempt the pull but only ends up gloving it behind to DK who moves quickly and full length to his length to take it. Neat catch!
R Ashwin wants to finish with a flourish! Balck of a length by Russell who is struggling after going down on the ground. Ash removes his foot and hammers it over cow corner. It has the distance and elevation to go for a six. Next ball, Ashwin ramps it over DK for a four. Almost went for another six.
Ashwin brings up his highest score in IPL history with a six! Reaches 34 unbeaten from 17 balls. Picked up the slow delivery from the back of the hand and steadied himself up for the big heave. Gave it the full go and cleared the long-on boundary with ease!
Ashwin with consecutive boundaries to Sunil Narine and KXIP still going after it. After a delicate touch to pick up for, Ashwin uses his power to add another boundary to his tally.
Aaron Finch departs for 34 runs from 20 balls and he's aboslutely livid with the dismissal. Searles comes round the wicket and sends it across the right-hander, Finch shuffled and gets under the ball to play the scoop, couldn't find the elevation and Kuldeep takes a good catch at short fine leg.
Aaron Finch with massive, massive blows to Kuldeep Yadav and chase looks tough but the Aussie is not giving up. First one is a half tracker and gives Finch all the time in the world to pick a spot and sends it for a six. Next one, fetches from outside the off stump and cues it for a six. EASY!
Axar Patel departs for 19 runs from 11 balls and KXIP go five down. Kuldeep Yadav strikes to remove fellow spinner. Full delivery outside off, Axar lofts it towards long-off where Searles is placed to jump and take it. Made to look absolutely easy.
KL Rahul departs for 66 runs from 29 balls. UNFORTUNATE! How unlucky is that! Tries to play a sweep shot to Sunil Narine but misses it completely. Hits the inside of the leg and goes between the two feet to disturb the stumps.
Karun Nair departs for 3 runs from 6 balls. That is one odd catch by Prasidh at the long-on boundary and Russell takes his third wicket. 3 wickets to have fallen and all of them for Russell.
KL Rahul brings up his fifty from 22 balls and does so in some style! Russell the bowler and the short one once again, Rahul creates space for himself and uses the pace of the ball to upper cut it over third man for a six. Thumbs up to Karun Nair at the other end is followed by raising the bat to acknowledge the crowd. Third in a row for him.
Andre Russell goes for it all to become the first to take a hat-trick this season. Full steam and the low full toss is played away by KL Rahul towards extra cover for a single. KXIP are 58/2 after the Powerplay overs but lose a much-needed Gayle
Mayank Agarwal departs for a golden duck! First ball and Russell repeats the bouncer tactic. Mayank goes for the pull on a delivery that is climbing on him and plays it off the front foot. Had no control over it and it is taken by Searles on the boundary.
Chris Gayle departs for 21 runs from 17 balls. Russell picks up the danger man with a well directed bouncer. Perfect line, super length and Gayle goes for the pull only to get a thin edge behind to DK. Was cramped for space with that bouncer and special celebrations for Russell!
Andre Russell comes darting down and Chris Gayle creams it for a six! The Universe Boss backs way and pummels his pull off the front foot. It goes soaring over deep mid-wicket. Little fuss!
Chris Gayle survives! A leading edge kinda top-edge as Gayle looked to run it down to the leg-side. Dinesh Karthik leaped to catch it but it deflects off the top of the glove. Tricky and high but would go down as a drop
SMACKED AWAY BY CHRIS GAYLE! That almost took Andre Russell and the umpire out. Full and Gayle is quicker to thrash it back than it came. Took the end of the bat and Russell and the umpire scamper for safety
Bit of width on offer for KL Rahul and he smacks it wide of backward points. Aball later, spliced away by Gayle on a delivery outside the off stump from Searles. After 3 overs, KXIP are 36/0 and still need 210 runs to win. Good god!
KL Rahul and Chris Gayle open for KXIP. They need the duo to score and score big if they are to chase down this mammoth score. Sunil Narine has the ball first up. SIX! SIX! Two consecutive sixes by KL Rahul and they need more of the same. Many more to be fair.
What a brilliant statistic this is!
With a six in the final ball of Barinder Sran, Javon Searles smacked a six as he takes KKR's total to 245/6 in 20 overs. Kings XI Punjab need 246 to chase and win the match. Possible? Chris Gayle can do it! This is the highest total in IPL 2018!
Skipper Dinesh Karthik is gone as he tries to hit a six in Barinder Sran's final over. But David Miller was up to the task and takes a clean catch. KKR 230/6. Still 4 balls remaining.
Dinesh Karthik completes his 15th IPL fifty in just 22 balls. This has been a sensational innings from him. The KKR skipper is on fire. Kolkata Knight Riders 229/5 in 19 overs.
KKR are 222/5 in the 19th over. It is the highest total in this season of IPL. Still 2 overs to go and Dinesh Karthik is still in the middle. It is also the highest total for KKR ever in IPL. How long will Karthik and Shubman Gill take the total?
Mohit Sharma strikes and Nitish Rana is gone after firing 11 runs in 3 balls. Bowled a wide delivery and Rana gets an edge and the ball flies in the air, with David Miller making no mistakes in the field. KKR 218/5
Andrew Tye gets his 4th wicket in the match as Andre Russell tries to go for a big one but the timing was not right, and the ball got a leading edge and went miles up in the air, only to drop down in the safe hands of wicketkeeper KL Rahul. BIG WICKET! KKR 205/4 after 17 overs.
Just three balls after the Strategic Time Out and KKR have gone past 200. A six and a four takes KKR to 201/3 in 1.3 overs. Just a reminder, the average total on this pitch is 163. KKR are way past that. It is also the highest total in this ground in IPL. Previous best for 199. And still 3 overs are remaining.
Mujeeb Zadran has been extremely economical for Kings XI Punjab this season. But Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have hammered 21 runs in his over. It takes KKR's total to 190/3 in 16 overs. What target will KXIP have to chase?
Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell continue to accelerate after the two quick dismissals and they have completed 50-runs in just 22 balls. What's next? ANOTHER SIX! Skipper is on fire!
Andre Russell smacks a six outside the park - his 3rd six in the match and 2nd in the 15th over. He is punishing the bowlers in the middle and now the pressure is back on Kings XI Punjab. KKR reach 169/3 in 15 overs.
Andre Russell and KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik have taken Kolkata Knight Riders to 150/3 in 14 overs. Still 6 overs to go. Kings XI Punjab could be starting at a massive chase.
Andre Russell has smacked that Mohit Sharma for a massive six and then went miles into the stands! What a powerful strike from the batsman and it releases the pressure that has built around KKR since two back-to-back wickets.
WICKET! Andrew Tye gets rid of both the set batsman in the match as Robin Uthappa departs on 24 in 17 balls. Another big blow to KKR as they would now be in the middle with both the new batsmen. KKR 129/3
Andrew Tye strikes again and it is the danger man Sunil Narine is gone. What an innings from the batsman as he hammered 75 runs in 36 balls and puts the match in total control of Kolkata. KKR 128/2
Sunil Narine is breathing fire with the bat at the moment as he reaches 75* in 35 balls. Can he get on to score his hundred?
Ravichandran Ashwin has given away plenty of runs this time over34 runs in 2.4 overs. Robin Uthappa hits a six and four in this over and takes KKR's total over 100 runs in under 10 overs. KKR could reach 200 here.
Sunil Narine scores a fifty in 26 balls in 192.3 strike rate. He has 6 sixes and 2 boundaries in this match and it is his 3rd IPL fifty. He follows it up with another boundary towards the leg side.