KKR vs CSK, as it happened: Gill, Karthik steer Kolkata to six-wicket win over Chennai

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“Credit to the management to have taken so many U-19 players. We were a little harsh on Gill earlier, but he’s hit first-ball boundaries in the past too, so he’s been good. Don’t want to hype him up so he doesn’t feel the added pressure, but he’s special. Our bowlers were confident today, and they wanted to bowl, so I was happy to put their batsmen under pressure,” said KKR captain Dinesh Karthik.

“I am very pleased to have batted at No. 4. The fielder had dropped a catch, so I had to finish the game. I was talking with DK about how to deal with the death overs especially with the spinners bowling. Plan was about making sure that runs are flowing, and if the ball is bad, we’ll hit,” says KKR’s Shubman Gill.

“We have to look at what our strength with the bowlers was. It was important to hit the seam, but the pitch was better in the second innings. Overall disappointed with the loss, especially with the bowling department. The fielding, I knew how we’d field, but what was bad was the way the fielders reacted. You need to give extra when you are slow. No one was bowling well, so I shuffled the bowlers towards the end. They have to maneuver their pace and line a bit. They need to be aware of the batsman’s strength, or if they’re under pressure,” says Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

After 17.4 overs, KKR 180/4
KOLKATA WIN! What a knock by captain Dinesh Karthik who made 45 runs of 18 balls. But the man of the moment is clearly Shubman Gill. He played a terrific of 57 runs innings. They stitched a partnership of 83 in 39 balls only. A terrific and easy win in the end by Kolkata.
Gill 57 (36b)
Karthik 45 (18b)

After 17 overs, KKR 165/4
This has been a masterclass by Shubman Gill tonight on his home turf at Eden Gardens. Nigdi goes for 10 runs as Kolkata now need 13 runs from 18 balls.

After 16 overs, KKR 155/4
It seems all but over for Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens as 14 runs come off Jadeja’s over. Kolkata now need 23 runs from 24 balls. It is KKR’s game to lose now clearly. Karthik once again has showed his class with a quick-fire 10-ball 24. Gill has been a revelation. He has made a match-winning 55.
Gill 55 (34b)
Karthik 24 (10b)

After 15 overs, KKR 141/4
Gill showing his class tonight at Eden Gardens. He smashes Asif for two towering sixes. The required run-rate is under 8.5 as Gill closes in on a well-made 50. Karthik joins in with a six as well. 21 runs come off the over.

After 13 overs, KKR 108/4
Bravo goes for only 7 runs in his first over. Anyone can win this game at the moment. Kolkata bat deep with Andre Russell still to come out. Gill and Dinesh Karthik are capable of chasing this target down. Kolkata need 69 runs from 42 balls.

After 11.3 overs, KKR 97/4
WICKET! Harbhajan Singh strikes. He bowls Rinku Singh for 16. Just what the doctor ordered for Chennai Super Kings.
Rinku b Harbhajan 16 (18b)

After 11 overs, KKR 96/3
A tidy over by Jadeja there as five runs come off it. Cautious batting this by Gill and Rinku. They are playing themselves in and will look to smash the big shots towards the end. But will this strategy work?

After 9 overs, KKR 80/3
Gill and Rinku are trying to steady the ship after the early blows. Kolkata need 98 runs in 66 balls. But they have only seven wickets in hand now. They haven’t let the run-rate slip though. Game on at the Eden Gardens folks.
Gill 13 (8b)
Rinku 10 (12b)

After 6.4 overs, KKR 64/3
WICKET! Jadeja strikes to dismiss the dangerous Narine. He clearly has made up for the dropped catches. Bravo takes another clean catch.
Narine b Jadeja c Bravo 32 (20b)

After 6 overs, KKR 56/2
Gill is off to a good start as he smashes Watson for three boundaries in the last power play over. Superb batting this by the 19-year-old youngster. He has been promoted up the order today. He will be under pressure to perform.

After 5 overs, KKR 44/2
A neat second over by Asif as four runs come off it including a wicket. In his first over Narine was dropped by twice.

After 4.2 overs, KKR 40/2
WICKET! Asif strikes in his second over. Gets the wicket of dangerous Robin Uthappa. Easy catch for Dwayne Bravo who has a safe pair of hands. Kolkata will be hurting. Not the way they planned this chase.
Uthappa b Asif c Bravo 6 (8b)

After 3 overs, KKR 32/1
Expensive over by Ngidi as 14 runs come off it. Narine doing the damage by smashing two boundaries with Uthappa chipping in with one. Jadeja will be kicking himself now.

After 2 overs, KKR 18/1
Narine has been dropped by Jadeja not once but twice in consecutive deliveries. Dhoni isn’t a happy man clearly. Kolkata have scored all their runs in sixes mind you.

After 1 over, KKR 12/1
WICKET! Ngidi strikes in his first over after being struck for back-to-back sixes by Lynn. He dismisses the Australian for 12. The ball had to reviewed though. Clear edge with Watson taking an easy catch at slip. Not the start Kolkata were looking for.

Lynn b Ngidi c Watson 12 (6b)

After 20 overs, KKR 177/5
Dhoni smashes the last ball for a four as Chennai reach 178/5. They were looking good to score around 200. However, Kolkata pulled things back in the middle. But Dhoni’s 25-ball 43 guides Chennai once again. How good has he been for Chennai.

After 19.5 overs, CSK 173/5
WICKET! Jadeja falls as Chawla strikes. Easy catch for Dinesh Karthik as Jadeja goes for 12 runs.
Jadeja b Chawla c Karthik 12 (12b)

After 19 overs, CSK 162/4
Narine finishes his quota of four overs. He has taken two wickets for 21 runs. He bagged the wickets of Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu. Good bowling this by the West Indies player.

After 18 overs, CSK 158/4
Dhoni dropped by Gill as the ball goes over the boundary rope for a six. How costly will that drop be in the end for Kolkata? Time will tell. 12 runs come off Kuldeep Yadav’s last over.

After 17 overs, CSK 146/4
Dhoni smashes Johnson for two towering sixes as Chennai eye big total. Jadeja at the other end has to just rotate the strike now. 15 runs come off that over.

After 16 overs, CSK 130/4
Dhoni smashes his first six of the match as 10 runs come off Mavi’s third over. Kolkata will look to restrict Chennai under the 170-run mark at Eden Gardens. However, with Dhoni in the mix, 200 is still on for Chennai Super Kings.

Check out the charts to see the fine run Dhoni has stitched up this season. Read the complete story here.

After 14.4 overs, CSK 119/4
WICKET! Sunil Narine strikes as he get the wicket of Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu loses his stumps as he walks away after scoring 21 runs. Advantage Kolkata folks. What a turnaround this has been.
Rayudu b Narine 21 (17b)

After 13 overs, CSK 110/3
Dhoni and Rayudu are out there in the middle for Chennai. They have been in good form for Chennai this season. Kolkata need to get one of them if they are to win the game. Dhoni is the man to get because he is the best finisher in the game today.

After 11.4 overs, CSK 101/3
WICKET! Kuldeep Yadav strikes to dismiss Suresh Raina. Mitchell Johnson takes an easy catch in the deep. Out comes the dangerous MS Dhoni.
Raina b Yadav c Johnson 31 (26b)

After 10.2 overs, CSK 92/1
WICKET! Narine strikes to dismiss Shane Watson who was looking dangerous out there. An easy catch by Shiva Mavi. As we said earlier, Narine has Watson’s number folks.
Watson b Narine c Mavi 36 (25b)

After 10 overs, CSK 90/1
At the halfway mark Kolkata seem to have missed a trick on their home turf. The last five overs have seen them concede 42 runs as Chennai look set to cross the 200-run mark one more time.
Watson 36 (24b)
Raina 26 (21b)

After 8 overs, CSK 76/1
Raina and Watson are hitting the ball in the gaps as the runs continue to flow for Chennai Super Kings. The partnership has reached 28 of 18 balls. Kuldeep Yadav goes for 7 runs in his first over.
Watson 27 (19b)
Raina 21 (14b)

After 6 overs, CSK 57/1
End of the powerplay as 57 runs come off it including a wicket. Advantage Chennai at the moment. Kolkata need to dismiss Watson. He has been in fine form and has scored a century already this season for Chennai.

After 5.1 overs, CSK 48/1
Chawla strikes in his second over as he cleans up South Africa captain Faf du Plessis. The middle stump falls as he bowled for 27 in 15 balls.
Du Plessis b Chawala 27 (15b)

After 5 overs, CSK 48/0
An expensive over by Australia’s Mitchell Johson as 19 runs come off it including two towering sixes by both batsmen. Watson and Plessis are looking deadly out there. Have Kolkata missed a trick tonight by fielding three spinners looking at the pitch?

After 4 overs, CSK 29/0
Sunil Narine comes into the attack. Four different bowlers in the first four overs itself. Narine gives away five runs including a boundary struck by Watson. Kolkata are yet to get their first wicket on the night.

After 3 overs, CSK 24/0
Shivam Mavi into the attack. Du Plessis is looking dangerous as he smashes the 19-year-old youngster for a boundary as well. Only six runs of the over though. Impressive by Mavi.
Plessis 18 (10b)
Watson 6 (8b)

After 2 overs, CSK 18/0
Spin introduced at the other end by captain Dinesh Karthik. A tidy over by Piyush Chawla as 8 runs come off it, which includes two boundaries smashed by Du Plessis.

After 1 over, CSK 10/0
Johnson gives away 10 runs in the first over as Watson and Du Plessis smashes him for two boundaries. Game on folks at the Eden Gardens. Kolkata need to strike early before these two take the game away from them.

CSK have three batsmen in the top-10 run-scorers so far in the tournament
Ambati Rayudu
MS Dhoni
Shane Watson

Sunil Narine has got the number of Shane Watson. In 13 T20 innings he has bowled against the Australian, Narine has got the wicket of Watson six times. This is an intense rivalry so keep an eye out for the fireworks.

Kolkata’s playing XI: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik (w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav

Chennai’s playing XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

Toss: Kolkata have won the toss and have opted to bowl first. “Way we have been playing, we are chasing well,” says KKR captain Dinesh Karthik. Dhoni would have bowled first as well.
Chennai are an unchanged side tonight.
Nitish Rana is out with a back injury for Kolkata as Rinku Singh replaces him.

07:20 pm: The pitch report says that it is going to a run-fest at Eden Gardens tonight. Chennai have the best batting run-rate in the tournament which is 9.7.

Trivia:
Chennai Super Kings are the only team to have not bowled a No Ball so far in the IPL.

• In their last four matches, KKR’s opponents have posted opening partnerships of 54, 116, 59 & 67.
  

07:00 pm: Head-to-head record
Matches – 17

Kolkata Knight Riders won – 6

Chennai Super Kings won – 11

At Eden Gardens:
Matches – 7

Kolkata Knight Riders won – 3

Chennai Super Kings won – 4

06:50 pm: Chennai are favourites to win tonight at the Eden Gardens given their run in the tournament. Kolkata on the other hand will look to register their second win on the trot after beating Bangalore on Sunday.

06:40 pm: According to reports, no rain as of now in Kolkata. It is warm and humid. The match is on folks.

06:30 pm: Hello all and welcome to the live blog of the match between table toppers Chennai Super Kings and fourth placed Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.