Hello and welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of IPL 2021 Qualifier 2 between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders from Sharjah.
We were hoping for a straight forward finish, but this is the IPL, folks! KKR commanded the game from start until the 37th over of the game and absolutely threw the game away for 16 balls before jumping back from the brink. Credit to Nortje, Rabada and even Ashwin to have nearly pulled this back for Delhi. Perhaps, their dejected appearance in the first-half of the chase cost them. More pressure up-front against Iyer and Gill and who knows, DC might have just pulled this off.
KKR 136/7 in 19.5 overs: Ashwin begins with a short delivery that Tripathi pulls to deep mid-wicket for a single. 6 off 5. Shakib on strike. Dot, dot! Ashwin fires it into the legs and Shakib misses it completely. 6 off 4. Ashwin to Shakib, OUT! That's plumb in front. Shakib misses the slog as Ashwin flights it into pads. No doubts and what a finish are we having here. 6 off 3. Narine on strike. Ashwin wafts the ball and STRAIGHT UP! NARINE HOLES OUT TO LONG-OFF! Cool as a cucumber from Axar at the deep and this the tables have taken a massive tumble here! 6 NEEDED OFF 2, folks! Can you believe this? Tripathi is on strike. Ashwin tosses it up and BANG! Tripathi smokes it over long-off for six and KKR have pulled it off by the skin of their teeth!
Ashwin to bowl the final over!
KKR 129/5 in 19 overs: Nortje to Morgan. OUT! There goes another! A cracking over from Nortje and he finishes with the big wicket. Pushes it in the line outside off as Morgan aims for the slog. Inside edge, chopped on and all of a sudden KKR needs 7 off the last over.
10 off 12 balls. Nortje to Tripathi.
KKR 126/3 in 18 overs: Rabada to Karthik. OUT! Bowled him, what an over from Rabada! He beats the edge of Tripathi thrice to start off before he gets a single to release the pressure. Rabada then brings in the ball sharply with a fiery nip-backer to clip Karthik's inside-edge. The ball deflects and smashes the stumps and boy it's got pretty tight to the wire here. KKR needs 10 runs in 2 overs.
11 off 18 needed. Rabada with the ball.
KKR 125/3 in 17 overs: Avesh to Gill. OUT! Edged and gone. Gill fails to see through the chase. Avesh keeps it off length outside the off-stump. The ball jumps up to take Gill's outside-edge and fly to Karthik behind the stumps. Avesh keeps it tight to sneak in a few dots to finish. Shubman Gill c †Pant b Avesh Khan 46 (46b 1x4 1x6)
KKR needs 13 off 24. Avesh continues.
KKR 123/2 in 16 overs: Rana falls to Rabada off the last ball. Short and angled at the shoulders and Rana launches a half-hearted pull to the deep. The ball sails up and straight to fine leg. Nitish Rana c Hetmyer b Nortje 13 (12b 1x6)
KKR 113/1 in 15 overs: Ashwin drops a dolly at third! Rana aims for an expansive slog over long-on against Iyer but finds the outside-edge. The ball races straight to Ashwin who makes an absolute mess off it.
Avesh is back
KKR 108/1 in 14 overs: Rana off the blocks in style! Axar offers him a loosener as he goes full outside off. Rana aces a slog straight over the bowler for six and KKR is motoring in the chase.
KKR 98/1 in 13 overs: Rabada to Iyer. OUT! Holes out to the deep. Steve Smith, the sub fielder, makes no mistake behind that. Iyer gets frantic for a moment as he heaves Rabada off length to the deep and misses the fence. Venkatesh Iyer c sub (SPD Smith) b Rabada 55 (41b 4x4 3x6)
KKR 92/0 in 12 overs: FIFTY FOR VENKATESH IYER! His third of the season and it's come across all three venues in the UAE. More importantly, Kolkata has nearly bagged one of the most crucial chases of the season on a tacky wicket with ease with this knock.
KKR 88/0 in 11 overs: KKR cruising at the moment. Nortje fires the ball in line to the middle-stump and Iyer lands a rash hoick over it. The ball clips the outside-edge and races over point for four. Ashwin asks Nortje to pepper him with a bouncer but he goes off line down leg. Pant's desperate dive isn't enough to stop the ball from racing to the boundary.
Nortje replaces Ashwin
KKR 75/0 in 10 overs: Iyer continues to impress one and all! Axar fends short and Iyer smokes him over mid-wicket for a stunning maximum. All too easy at the moment for KKR. Pant's verve is being put to a big test here.
Axar's back
KKR 67/0 in 9 overs: Ashwin experiments with length as Gill and Iyer nonchalantly go about their work. Six runs come off the over with risk-free batting.
KKR 61/0 in 8 overs: Rabada finds his radar as he attacks the stumps throughout the over. Gill and Iyer are batting freely at the moment and they continue to extract singles with ease through the gaps. Five runs come off it.
KKR 56/0 in 7 overs: Ashwin continues to fiddle with his action and release points to both batters. Gill puts him off with a deft push to mid-wicket to sneak in quick two.
Ashwin is back
KKR 51/0 in 6 overs: Fifty up in the Powerplay for KKR! A measured start from the openers and Delhi will surely be feeling the heat now. Pant has used up all of his front-line options at least once with no breakthroughs.
KKR 42/0 in 5 overs: The misery continues for Rabada! He starts with an excellent off-cutter that hits the length and pushes away, but Iyer waltzes it from his presence with a gorgeous slog over long-on for six! The Proteas paceman is having a torrid season altogether. He offers a similar ball on length and Iyer lobs it straight back to him and Rabada fumbles and drops it.
Rabada into the attack
KKR 30/0 in 4 overs: Axar wafts the ball into Iyer and he whacks it over mid-wicket for a huge six. This is sensible batting from the batters in the Powerplay.
Axar into the attack
KKR 21/0 in 3 overs: Avesh bowls short to Gill onto his ribs and he works the ball to the deep on the on-side to fetch three runs. Avesh keeps the ball around the stumps but the batters play him out sensibly by rotating strike.
Avesh replaces Nortje
KKR 14/0 in 2 overs: Ashwin continues to attempt his unconventional actions in an attempt to unsettle the batters. Iyer launches a fine sweep over mid-wicket and gets four runs. The batters rotate strike freely as Ashwin keeps the ball short off a good length besides offering decent room outside the stump.
Ashwin from the opposite end
KKR 6/0 in 1 over: Gill's away in style! A juicy half-volley from Nortje to start and Gill slams it through cover for a majestic four first ball. He gets off strike with a single. Nortje constricts Iyer with some extra pace onto the blade.
Anrich Nortje into the attack. Gill on strike.
Back for the chase. Pant's Delhi brigade takes the field and is followed by the KKR openers - Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer.
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Given the sluggish nature of the track, especially the way its panned out in the first-half tonight, we cannot rule Delhi out of this one just yet. It also takes a lot of character from skipper Pant and his boys to fight and defend this total. A fine start in the Powerplay and KKR is all but sure of marking its third IPL final appearance.
Shivam Mavi: There's dew now, It started to set in late - after the 14th over. So it is chaseable. We have played a couple of games here and hence we have an idea about what lengths to bowl. Bowling the right lengths is the key here. The ground is a bit soft, it's humid as well, so it's difficult to play here
DC 135/5 in 20 overs: A cracking six from Iyer to finish. Mavi's two deliveries in the slot finally offers some leeway for Iyer to swing through the arc. And Delhi just about goes past 130 and there it is - Kolkata needs 136 to enter the IPL 2021 final!
Mavi to bowl the last over
DC 120/5 in 19 overs: Narine to Iyer. OUT! Hetmyer is miles short at the striker's end. A bizarre call from the batters to even attempt a single there. Narine darts a ball outside off and Iyer slaps it straight to point. Hetmyer attempts to sneak over to the other end but Venkatesh Iyer's fine throw was all that was enough for DK to smash the stumps. Shimron Hetmyer run out (Iyer/†Karthik) 17 (10b 2x6)
Narine up for his final over.
DC 114/4 in 18 overs: 100 up for Delhi. Ferguson comes around the wicket and hits the length to Hetmyer who fires it over backward point for six. A similar line to end the over and Hetmyer ensures it finds a similar result. A cracking slog over mid-wicket sails into the stands.
DC 99/4 in 17 overs: Chakravarthy to Hetmyer. Shubman Gill holds onto a stunner in the deep! Oh well, hold on. The umpires are looking for a no-ball from Chakravarthy! And after a long look at the replays, it's indeed judged a no ball! Hetmyer was nearly back through to the dug-out with Axar Patel replacing him. They swap roles quickly and here we are.
DC 92/4 in 16 overs: Ferguson to Pant. OUT! Straight up in the air and Pant holes out to long-off! The pressure of the scoreboard is the whole idea behind the stroke. Pant takes on Ferguson and steps out to tonk the ball over the fielders. He flaws the timing on the ball that rises quickly to him and it's an easy catch for Tripathi in the deep. Shimron Hetmyer comes in. Ferguson bowls short outside off and he gets off strike with a poke down to short third. Rishabh Pant c Tripathi b Ferguson 6 (6b 1x4)
Ferguson replaces Mavi
DC 89/3 in 15 overs: Chakravarthy to Dhawan. OUT! Taken by Shakib at backward point! Dhawan steps down the track and the bat twirls in his hand against the spin. Varun's ball clips the leading edge and flies straight to Shakib who completes a sharp catch behind point. Pant's the new man. Chakravarthy continues to attack the stumps, no room whatsover for Pant and Iyer. It's an absolute struggle for the batters to find the boundary out there tonight. Shikhar Dhawan c Shakib Al Hasan b Varun 36 (39b 1x4 2x6)
DC 82/2 in 14 overs: Terrific stuff from Mavi! He maintains his nagging length against Dhawan and Iyer. They resort to singles once again and push hard towards clearing the fence.
DC 77/2 in 13 overs: The pitch continues to deteriorate rapidly. Shakib flights a ball into Iyer and the ball nearly rolls onto the leg-stump. Delhi continues to struggle in finding the boundaries and tread in singles.
Shakib to bowl out.
DC 73/2 in 12 overs: Mavi to Stoinis. OUT! Cleans him up! The hard, nagging length proves the undoing of Stoinis. He attempts to create room by moving to the on-side but Mavi follows him with a sharp delivery that skids through off length. The ball clips the toe-edge and sends the leg-stump cartwheeling. Iyer comes in at 4 for Delhi. Marcus Stoinis b Shivam Mavi 18 (23b 1x4)
Mavi is back. Morgan continues to shuffle his bowlers.
DC 70/1 in 11 overs: Stoinis survives! Narine pushes in a fuller ball that keeps low and Stoinis misses his slog. Karthik collects it quickly and aims to flick the bails as Stonis goes off-balance for a jiffy. He gets his backfoot in the crease just back in time!
DC 65/1 in 10 overs: A sense of urgency from Dhawan and Stoinis. Dhawan connects on a wide delivery outside the off-stump and slams it to deep mid-wicket for four. They churn in the singles quickly and makes it a 10-run over.
Chakravarthy replaces Mavi
DC 55/1 in 9 overs: Narine attacks the stumps and the batters fail to rotate freely. Another tight over for KKR, as Dhawan and Stoinis only manage to find three singles.
DC 52/1 in 8 overs: Top start for Mavi! His skiddy deliveries give Stoinis a tough time in the crease. In the mid-140s and on the stumps and just three runs come off it. Timeout.
Mavi into the attack
DC 49/1 in 7 overs: Dhawan escapes as Karthik misses a stumping! Shakib sees Dhawan stepping out of the crease and instantly pushes the ball down leg. Karthik has a rough take low to his right and fails to hold onto the ball.
Shakib is back
DC 38/1 in 6 overs: Dhawan continues to struggle against Ferguson's probing lengths. He pushes the ball continuously through the channel outside the off-stump, offering minimal room. Dhawan continues to play and miss as he attempts to cut off a sharp line.
Lockie returns
DC 34/1 in 5 overs: Chakravarthy to Shaw. OUT! Loud appeal and given! Chakravarthy foxes Shaw with an excellent delivery first ball! A sharp googly from Varun and Shaw completely misreads the line. The ball hits the pads and Shaw has a long thought before deciding against a review. Stoinis, in at 3. He gets off the mark with a single to the on-side. Prithvi Shaw lbw b Varun 18 (12b 2x4 1x6)
Chakravarthy replaces Shakib
DC 32/0 in 4 overs: Dhawan on the charge! Narine shortens his length to Dhawan and instantly pays the price. He sweeps Narine off length for two exquisite sixes over mid-wicket.
Narine replaces Lockie
DC 18/0 in 3 overs: Shaw goes bang, bang! Shaw dances down and thwacks Shakib's wafted delivery over long-on for a massive six. Goodness me, the sound on that one was fantastic. Shaw waits for the shorter delivery and Shakib offers one right on cue. He rocks back and cuts it fiercely behind point for another four.
DC 6/0 in 2 overs: Ferguson errs with a overpitched delivery to start. Shaw drills it through covers for a cracking four. He sneaks in a quick single before Ferguson puts Dhawan in a spot. Lockie hits the deck short of length and Dhawan fails to execute the cut. He is cramped for room and fails to open his account once again.
Ferguson from the opposite end
DC 1/0 in 1 over: Top start for Shakib and KKR. Shakib pins Shaw deep into the crease before he finds a single off the second ball. Tight lines follow to Dhawan as well who fails to break through the inner-circle.
Shakib with the new ball. Shaw on strike.
Qualifier 2 is here! Morgan's Knights storm to the field. In walk Delhi's openers - Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw.
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Kolkata continue with their formidable winning combination sans Russell. But Pant's Delhi are walking in with a big boost with the return of Marcus Stoinis. He's backed to perform in a crunch game here. Will Morgan's men maintain their fine run in Sharjah or can Delhi topple its poor form to make a second successive final?
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan(c), Dinesh Karthik(w), Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy
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MATCH PREVIEW
Kolkata Knight Riders takes the field against Delhi Capitals in the IPL Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on Wednesday buoyed by winning momentum.
Confidence in the KKR camp will be sky-high, after the side pulled off an impressive four-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator on Monday.
In West Indian Sunil Narine, who shone with bat and ball against RCB, KKR possesses a true match-winner.
KKR captain Eoin Morgan, who stated that Narine is “consistently exceptional every time he takes the field”, will be doubly pleased to have Varun Chakravarthy as the second spinner. The duo is a handful in the middle overs, choking the opposition batsmen with tight lines.
The batting is in safe hands as well, with the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill in good form. The unit has peaked at the right time after a stuttering start to its campaign.
The team is yet to take a call on the availability of all-rounder Andre Russell, who suffered an injury earlier in the tournament. “Andre has a Grade 2 hamstring tear. He has worked incredibly hard along with our medical team with intensive rehabilitation to try and get himself back in the park. We'll take a decision on whether he is fit to play,” Morgan stated on Monday.
Eyeing maiden title
While KKR is on a three-match winning streak, DC has lost its last two outings. The Qualifier 1 outing on Sunday, against Chennai Super Kings, did not end well for DC. England pacer Tom Curran, given the ball in the final over, succumbed to a marauding M.S. Dhoni. That DC captain Rishabh Pant trusted Curran over experienced speedster Kagiso Rabada shows that the side has yet to define clear roles for players.
A few days earlier, DC suffered a last-ball defeat to RCB in the league stage. The team management could consider replacing Curran with Marcus Stoinis in the playing eleven.
DC, which topped the league stage, will pull out all the stops to stay in the hunt for a maiden IPL title.
Predicted 11
Delhi Capitals XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Shreyas Iyer, Shimron Hetmyer, Tom Curran/Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje
Kolkata Knight Riders XI: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Dinesh Karthik(w), Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakaravarthy
WHERE TO WATCH IPL 2021 -
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals Live?
IPL 2021 will be aired Live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD. It will be streamed live on
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