Hello and welcome to the highlights of Friday's IPL encounter between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals from the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
DC 180/3, after 18.5 overs: Wait, what? Colin Ingram doesn't provide Dhawan the opportunity to score a century as he goes the distance. But then again, Delhi wins and Dhawan lets out a big smile. 2/2 vs KKR it is and what makes it more special is that this is Delhi's first win at Eden Gardens since 2012.
DC 168/3, after 18 overs: An over which KKR would have wanted quite a few minutes back. Five coming from it but the damage has already been done.
DC 162/3, after 17.1 overs: Too late now we guess! Rishabh Pant just falls short of his half-century: 46 off 31 balls. Doesn't get enough wood on to that shot and it has been taken at the boundary quite comfortably by Kuldeep Yadav.
DC 162/2, after 17 overs: 102 off 67 balls. Woah! This is the first 100-run partnership for the Delhi Capitals this season. What a performance this has been from the duo. Dhawan, meanwhile, might bag an IPL ton as well. He is on 91 off 58 balls.
DC 148/2, after 16 overs: Kuldeep Yadav goes for runs as well in the 16th over. Although, Dhawan manages to hit just one boundary, 10 runs have come off it. Delhi should be happy with that, considering the required run rate.
DC 138/2, after 15 overs: There seems to be no stopping Delhi as it inches closer to the target, the run rate coming down appreciably with each over. The Dhawan-Pant partnership has done the damage for KKR.
DC 131/2, after 14 overs: Pant and Dhawan have moved on from going after selected bowlers. Chawla has been hit for two boundaries in that over.
DC 112/2, after 13 overs: 61 runs required from 42 balls now with eight wickets remaining. Delhi Capitals, especially Shikhar Dhawan, looks well settled. RR: 9.07, Req RR: 8.71
DC 105/2, after 12 overs: Karthik calls in Nitish Rana now: shows how KKR is desperately searching for a wicket. Pant and Dhawan go easy, just keep rotating the strike. No risks taken, seven runs off that over.
DC 98/2, after 11 overs: Delhi Capitals requires 81 runs with 8 wickets and 54 balls remaining. KKR, well, again needs a breakthrough to keep things going.
DC 88/2, after 10 overs: Shikhar Dhawan brings up his 34th IPL fifty off 32 balls with a fine boundary off Brathwaite. Doesn't stop there. Follows it up with another nudge towards the boundary.
DC 75/2 after 9 overs: Tight! Kuldeep Yadav gifts another nice over to the Kolkata outfit. Just three runs conceded from that.
DC 72/2 after 8 overs: Chawla concedes 10 runs. 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4 reads the over timeline. Pant slams the last boundary: a slog sweep to deep midwicket.
DC 62/2, after 7 overs: Another good over for KKR! Kuldeep Yadav is the man this time. Just five runs off it. The batsmen in the centre are looking to avoid the risky shots now as is evident.
DC 57/2, after 6 overs: Rishabh Pant is the new man in after Iyer falls, has plenty to do from here on now. Powerplay comes to an end with a wonderful over from Russell: Two runs + the skipper scalp.
DC 57/2, after 5.4 overs: And looks like we jinxed it for DC. The umpire looked hardly interested when Dinesh Karthik started appealing and celebrating, as Russell sent one short and wide of leg. But Iyer knows it. He decides to walk. Fairplay points to DC!
DC 55/1, after 5 overs: Lockie Ferguson tries to bring in variety as he switches to the slower delivery. Doesn't do much good as Dhawan dispatches him for two boundaries in that over. After five overs, KKR was at 40/1. KKR desperately needs a breakthrough now. Who will be the one?
DC 45/1, after 4 overs: Andre Russell gets punished by Dhawan as he hits him for three boundaries in that over. What is more important is that Rana has missed a chance of sending Dhawan back. Was difficult but as they say "catches win matches!"
DC 32/1, after 3 overs: Shikhar Dhawan joins the party now but oh wait! 6 and a 4 off the first two balls in that over and what do we have here? What looked like an inside edge was given as a 'not out' by the on-field umpire. Karthik goes for the review but Dhawan survives. Dhawan celebrates the reprieve with a maximum. A short and wide delivery has been dismissed for a six. Krishna strikes back! He gets Prithvi Shaw out caught behind, Karthik takes a brilliant catch. Delhi Capitals has lost its first wicket.
DC 15/0, after 2 overs: Prithvi Shaw already showing signs of a few sparks. Two sixes have been hammered off New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson.
Robin Uthappa on mic: "Bowling wicket to wicket is very vital on this track. We should be able to keep them (Delhi Capitals) under 179 if we keep doing that."
DC 1/0, after 1 over: Decent over from Prasidh Krishna. Just one run coming from it.
Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan have made their way onto the pitch. Prasidh Krishna to open the bowling for KKR.
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While we all wait for the chase, why don't you read what Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Jacques Kallis had to say about Dinesh Karthik's inclusion in the India squad for the Cricket World Cup 2019.(READ)
KKR 170/7, after 19.2 overs: Brathwaite has to leave the pitch now. Doesn't get much wood onto that shot and Tewatia at deep midwicket doesn't miss the sitter.
KKR 168/6, after 19 overs: Morris just leaks eight runs in the penultimate over. What is more important is that DC has saved itself from worrying about Russell going bonkers in the dying minutes of the first innings.
KKR 161/6, after 18.2 overs: Morris halts Russell's march; he holes out for 45 as KKR loses its sixth wicket. Russell slashes a full toss outside off to third man.
KKR 160/5, after 18 overs: Well Russell's unhappiness with the umpire's decision has found its way into this over as well. Two sixes, SMOKED, off Rabada. Interestingly, Dre Russ has also somehow managed to hurt himself by edging one on to his leg.
KKR 144/5, after 17 overs: Penultimate ball of the over and Russell activates the "hammer" mode as the ball disappears! It was a height ball and Russell was clearly not happy at the no ball not being called.
KKR 134/5, after 16 overs: As KKR loses Karthik, Carlos Brathwaite walks out to the middle: his debut in purple and gold. Would be interesting to watch the Jamaican-Barbadian duo take on the opposition.
KKR 122/5, after 15.1 overs: And another one bites the dust! This time it is the skipper who has to depart. Another flick sees Shikhar Dhawan at deep square leg pouch it comfortably. KKR losing its way a bit here as Rabada is comfortably increasing the gap at the top of the Purple Cap table.
KKR , after 15 overs: 11 runs and a wicket as Keemo Paul finds the big fish in the net. That is one good over for the Capitals.
KKR 115/4, after 14.4 overs: GONE! Shubman Gill flicks it to Axar Patel at short fine leg. That is a freebie.
KKR 111/3, after 14 overs: 16 runs come from that Axar Patel over. Gill and Russ both going after the spinner.
KKR 95/3, after 13 overs: Nine runs and a wicket from that Morris over. Andre Russell has come out to bat and how he tackles the extra movement on the ball would be interesting to the watch.
KKR 93/3, after 12.4 overs: BOWLED! Morris yorks Rana! The furniture rattles as Rana fails to bring his bat down in time.
KKR 86/2, after 12 overs: Gill breaks free, launches Axar soaring over the ground for six. Nine off it.
KKR 77/2, after 11 overs: Ishant concedes five off his last over, 13 dots from the experienced seamer. What an impressive spell that from the Delhi spearhead, 4-1-21-1!
KKR 72/2, after 10 overs: Keemo Paul goes for eight in his second over, Gill and Nitish Rana (the new man in) are happy to work the ones and twos at the moment.
KKR 64/2, after 9 overs: Just two runs coming off that Rabada over and the important wicket of Uthappa.
KKR 62/1, after 8 overs: Another tight over from Axar Patel, goes for just four. Just five off his two overs so far.
KKR 58/1, after 7 overs: Keemo Paul concedes 17 off his first over as Uthappa and Gill continue to be on the offensive. Both batsmen collected a six and a boundary each off the over.
KKR 41/1, after 6 overs: Axar Patel has been brought into the attack to contain some runs before the powerplay ends. And he does what was expected of him. Concedes just one run off the sixth over.
KKR 40/1, after 5 overs: And that is not the welcome Ishant Sharma would have wanted! Hammered to the deep midwicket fence by Shubman off the very first ball. And one ball later, beautiful use of the wrists by the youngster sees the ball sail towards the square leg boundary to add four more runs to the tally.
KKR 29/1, after 4 overs: But what is this? The KKR batsmen at the crease, Gill and Robbie decide to go after Rabada. Cross seam deliveries not doing the trick? 12 runs coming from the over.
And here is the man we were talking about! Will we see a wicket in this over?
KKR 17/1, after 3 overs: Ishant Sharma returns to bowl his second. Except the lone boundary off the last delivery, the over turns out to be another decent one from Ishant.
The kind of movement that the pacers are exacting, all eyes would be on the purple-cap holder Kagiso Rabada.
KKR 11/1, after 2 overs: After being hit for two boundaries by Uthappa and Gill, the only slip present has been done away with.
KKR 0/1, after 1 over: Ohh what an over we had there from Ishant Sharma! A wicket maiden, but what is more important is how the Delhi pacer is exacting swing from the Eden track. Green top it is! Perfect length, line and pace. There is nothing that could go wrong. Just letting everyone know... the Indian squad for the World Cup is to be announced on April 15 by the BCCI.
And WICKET! First ball of the match and we have Joe Denly taking the long walk back to the pavilion already. Ishant Sharma's length ball swung dangerously in and the Englishman misses it by miles. KKR 0/1
Well that's new! Chris Lynn's absence pushes Shubman Gill up top. He would be opening for KKr alongside Joe Denly.
Simon Katich, assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders rings the ceremonial bell at the Eden Gardens and we are officially seconds away from the action now.
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How interesting would it be to see the Jamaican-Barbadian duo of Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite stitch an effective partnership tonight? Well, not long before we find out!
Delhi Capitals has won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Sourav Ganguly's advisory role at Delhi had not gone well with some KKR supporters as we had seen recently. However, KKR CEO Venky Mysore has made it clear that Knight Riders has ‘no issues’ with Sourav Ganguly’s dual role. (READ)
Muscle Russell has been in some terrific form in this edition of the Indian Premier League. After Chennai Super Kings' spin troika managed to dampen things a bit at Chepauk, strangely Russell's KKR teammate Kuldeep Yadav has come up with techniques to curb 'Russell mania'. || READ: Kuldeep Yadav on Andre Russell's Achilles heel
While we all wait for the match to start at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, have a look at what Shyam Vasudevan has to say about the exciting fixture:
Rivals turned team-mates, Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly have been working together this season to help Delhi Capitals achieve an impressive finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL)| Sharing the dug out with Ganguly has been a lot of fun, says Ponting
FOLLOW: 2019 IPL FULL COVERAGE
With Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly sitting in the DC dugout, the touring team will be encouraged to beat KKR and its partisan crowd at the Eden.
Here's Y.B. Sarangi's preview of tonight's contest:
Russell-Rabada battle on the cards as KKR faces Delhi Capitals
Andre Russell’s extra-terrestrial effort with the bat may have propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to three out of its four wins in the Indian Premier League so far, but the two-time champion will be keen to use its untapped resources in its forthcoming matches.
The burly Caribbean has grown in stature because of his explosive batting. Russell has emerged as the highest run-getter for his side and has hit maximum sixes (25), most runs in an over (27) and is the only one to have a 200-plus strike rate (212.39).
READ: Delhi Capitals’ Harshal Patel ruled out
The 30–year-old's fiery performances have dwarfed efforts of other KKR batters such as Nitish Rana, Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa and Karthik. The team is yet to derive the best out of Shubman Gill though.
Showcasing his all-round abilities, Russell has picked up five wickets, the maximum by a KKR bowler.
As the second-placed KKR, which lost its last match to Chennai Super Kings due to batting failure, returns home to meet Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens here on Friday, it will hope that the West Indian, nursing an injury, remains available for the important tussle.
KKR’s biggest concern will be the below-par showing of its bowlers, who have taken only 21 wickets in six outings. The spin trio of Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine as well as the pacers have not made much of an impact.
Since the Super Over finish in Delhi between the two sides went in favour of DC, thanks to Kagiso Rabada's immaculate yorkers, the clash at the Eden will be a keenly watched affair.
Packed with fine batsmen like Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer, DC will look forward to post another tall total.
DC coach Ricky Ponting said in case the pitch wore a tinge of green, then the pace quartet of Rabada (the most successful bowler with 11 scalps), Chris Morris, Trent Boult and Ishant Sharma might get preference.
With Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly sitting in the DC dugout, the touring team will be encouraged to beat KKR and its partisan crowd at the Eden.
The match will be streamed live on Hotstar.
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