IPL 2018: KKR beat KXIP by 31 runs, claim 4th spot on points table

Kolkata Knight Riders scored 245-6 in 20 Overs, IPL 2018 highest score, and Kings XI Punjab never looked to get the total.

Chasing the mammoth target of 246 in the 44th match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 31 runs and moved to the 4th position on the VIVO IPL points table. Except for K L Rahul, no other KXIP could handle the pressure of chasing the huge total. Rahul made 66 runs. However, all the other batsmen including Gayle, Nair and Mayank fell cheaply. Ashiwn played a cameo in the end but it was too little and too late. Earlier, powered by fifties from Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik, KKR made 245 runs. Russell took 3 wickets for KKR. 

KKR vs KXIP SCOREBOARD

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab (KKR vs KXIP) SCOREBOARD: KXIP innings
BATSMEN	DISMISSAL	RUNS	BALLS	FOURS	SIXES	STRIKE RATE
Chris Lynn	b Tye	27	17	2	2	158.82
Suni Narine	c Rahul b Tye	75	36	9	4	208.33
Robin Uthappa	c Sharma b Tye	24	17	2	1	141.17
Andre Russell	c Rahul b Tye	31	14	2	3	221.42
Dinesh Karthik	c sub (David Miller) b Sran	50	23	5	3	217.39
Nitish Rana	c sub (David Miller) b Sharma	11	4	1	1	275
Shubman Gill	not out	16	8	3	0	200
Javson Searles	not out	6	1	0	1	600
Total: 245/6 in 20 Overs
BOWLING	OVERS	MAIDEN	RUNS	WICKETS	ECON
Mohit Sharma	4	0	40	1	10
Mujeeb Ur Rahman	2.2	0	28	0	12
R Ashwin	2.4	0	36	0	13.5
Barinder Sran	3	0	48	1	16
Andre Tye	4	0	41	4	10.25
Axar Patel	4	0	52	0	13

Kings XI Punjab innings update: Over by over

Kings XI Punjab playing XI for today's match: Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Over 1: Sunil Narine to K L Rahul, punched for a single to long-on. Chris Gayle took a single off the 2nd ball. Rahul hit a classic extended drive for six, muscled the 4th ball for six over cover. Inside edge down to deep square leg for single. Gayle played a DOT ball to end the over. KXIP: 15/0, KL Rahul: 14(4), Chris Gayle: 1(2b)

Over 2: Prasidh Krishna to Rahul, edge gone past flying slip for four, punched the 2nd ball to point for no run. Rahul took single off the 3rd ball. Gayle took a single off the 4th ball. Another single taken by Rahul. Gayle took a single to end the over. KXIP: 23/0, KL Rahul: 20(8), Chris Gayle: 3(4b)

Over 3: Javon Searles to Gayle, one run taken from the long-on region. WIDE ball. Rahul cut the 2nd ball for four in the point region followed by inside edge onto the pad for a single. Gayle cut the 4th ball for four over point for four. Single off the next ball. Rahul took a single to end the over. KXIP: 36/0, KL Rahul: 26(11b), Chris Gayle: 9(7b)

Over 4: Andre Russell to Rahul, one run taken. Gayle muscled the 2nd ball for four straight down the ground. Karthik dropped Gayle, one run taken. Another single taken by Rahul. Gayle played 2 DOT balls to end the over. KXIP: 43/0, KL Rahul: 28 (13b), Chris Gayle: 14 (11b)

Over 5: Prasidh Krishna to Rahul, hit the first ball over third-man for 6. DOT ball, Another DOT ball of the over. Rahul took single off the 4th ball. Loud appeal for caught behind wicket, umpire declined and Karthik took a DRS and he lost the review, No run. Gayle took a single to end the over. KXIP: 51/0, KL Rahul: 35 (17b), Chris Gayle: 15 (13b)

Over 6: Russell to Gayle, SIX runs, clobbered over deep midwicket, two consecutive dot balls brings Gayle wicket of the short ball. Another short ball and Mayank Aggrawal OUT for a Golden DUCK. Rahul took a single to end the over: KXIP: 58/2, Mayank Agarwal c Searles b Russell 0 (1b 0x4 0x6), Chris Gayle c Karthik b Russell 21 (17b 2x4 1x6)

Over 7: Searles to Rahul, one run taken. Nair edged the 2nd ball, fell just short of Lynn at gully. Nair took a single off the 3rd ball. WIDE ball. Rahul classic drive this time brings a six straight down the ground. Single taken. Nair took a single to end the over. KXIP: 69/2, KL Rahul: 44(21b), Karun Nair: 2(3b)

Over 8: Russell to Nair, one run taken. Rahul played uppercut for six to bring his fifty. Yorker squeezed for a double. Another single taken by Rahul. Short ball, no run. Nair out as Prasidh completes the catch. KXIP: 79/3, Karun Nair c Prasidh Krishna b Russell 3 (6b 0x4 0x6)

Over 9: Narine to Rahul, hit a six straight down the ground. DOT ball. Short ball muscled for a six in deep square leg region. Outside miss timed shot went for one run. Finch took a single off the 5th ball. Rahul bowled between his legs. KXIP: 93/4, KL Rahul b Narine 66 (29b 2x4 7x6)

Over 10: Searles to Finch, one run taken. DOT ball, single taken. Finch took a single off the 4th ball. Axar slapped the 5th ball for four and took a single to end the over. KXIP: 101/4

Over 11: Narine to Axar Patel, one run taken. DOT ball. Finch cut the 3rd ball for a single. DOT ball. One run taken. Finch took a single to end the over: KXIP: 105/4

Over 12: Kuldeep Yadav to Finch, single taken. Patel took a single off the 2nd ball. Another single taken by Finch. Patel hit a four and a six of two consecutive deliveries before he holed the last ball to long-off. KXIP: 119/5, AR Patel c Searles b Kuldeep Yadav 19 (11b 2x4 1x6) 

Over 13: Piyush Chawla to Aaron Finch, double taken followed by a single. four single taken off the last four balls. KXIP: 126/5

Over 14: Kuldeep Yadav to Finch, muscled pulled two consecutive sixes off first two balls followed by a single. DOT ball. Ashwin took a single off the 5th ball. Finch took a single to end the over. KXIP: 141/5

Over 15: Piyush Chawla to Finch, top edge falls at no man land as long-off and long-on failed to reach, one run taken. Ashwin cut the 3rd ball for 4. Ashwin took a double off the 4th ball. Single taken. Finch took a single to end the over. KXIP: 150/5

Over 16: Searles to Finch, muscled the first ball for six but got OUT while trying to hit the ball over the fine leg fielder.

Over 16: Searles to Finch, muscled the first ball for six but got OUT while trying to hit the ball over the fine leg fielder. Andrew Tye hit a six off the first ball he faced followed by a single. DOT ball. WIDE. Ashwin hit a six to end the over. KXIP: 170/6

Over 17: Narine to Tye, 1 run. Ashwin took a single. Another single taken by Tye. DOT ball. Ashwin hit two consecutive fourto end the over: KXIP: 181/6

Over 18: Prasidh Krishna to Tye, DOT ball, one run taken by Tye. WIDE ball. Ashwin took a double. Another single taken by Ashwin. DOT ball. Tye hit a four to end the over. KXIP: 190/6

Over 19: Russell to Ashwin, SIX runs straight down the ground. Yorker squeezed for a single. DOT ball. Ashwin hit a six over long-on followed by a four-over keepers head. DOT ball to end the over. KXIP: 2018/6

Over 20: Prasidh Krishna to Tye, WIDE ball. Karthik took a brilliant catch to end Tye's innings. Sran took a single off the first ball he faced. Ashwin trapped in front of wicket OUT. Mohit hit a four off the 4th ball. Two consecutive dot balls to end the over. KKR won the match by 31 runs

Kings XI Punjab: innings analysis after 16 overs

Gayle and K L Rahul started the chase while facing Sunil Narine in the first over. KXIP needed an extraordinary start to embark on a successful run chase. Gayle played it safe but Rahul straight away went after the bowler, hitting 2 consecutive sixes. Prasidh started the second over, and Rahul hit a first ball boundary. Prasidh made a comeback with quicker deliveries and offered just 4 more runs in the rest of the over. Javon Searles was brought into the attack in the third over. Gayle was taking his time and Rahul kept a check on the asking rate, going for boundaries at regular intervals. After warming up a bit, Gayle joined sliced the ball for a fine-leg boundary. KXIP were up to a decent start and stood at 36/0 after the first three overs. 

Karthik made the fourth bowling change in the fourth over and brought Russell into the attack. Russell was struggling with a hamstring injury and didn't have pace on the ball. Gayle smashed him for a straight-drive boundary. Russell created a chance behind the wickets on the next ball but Karthik was unable to complete the catch. Russell improved his line, batsmen became more cautious and survived the over. Prasidh returned with the 5th over and Rahul cleared the fence over third man. Prasidh again made a come back a total of 8 runs came off the over. Russell began the 6th over and Gayle was on strike. Russell bowled a short delivery and the ball landed in the pavilion towards on-side without touching the ground. Other than this one instance, Gayle was struggling with the shorter deliveries. Russell created another chance and Karthik didn't make any mistakes this time. Gayle was back into the dugout. Mayank Agarwal was the next man on the crease and Russell surprised him with a bouncer. Mayank misfired and a simple catch towards on-side boundary caused his dismissal. KXIP were suddenly on the backfoot and KKR looked to be in the driving seat. KXIP finished their powerplay with 58 runs and losing 2 wickets in the process.

Karun Nair was the new man in. Searles was back into the attack. Rahul was towing the score board on his own, batting at a strike rate of over 200. He reached his fifty in the 8th over in just 22 balls. Russell, bowling the 8th over, was full of confidence after his 2 wickets and bowled some quick deliveries despite the hamstring injury. He efforts paid off and he struck again, dismissing Karun Nair, who got out while attempting a maximum straight down the ground. Aaron Finch was the next batsman to come to bat. Narine returned with the 9th over, and Rahul continued with the assault and went for 2 massive sixes. Rahul attempted another hit and the ball took an inside edge off the bat and creeped through to just dismantle the wickets. KXIP were struggling at 93/4 after 9 overs.

Axar Patel was the new batsman in. The middle-order of the KXIP was exposed and they needed some miracle to stay alive in the match. The asking rate was nearing 16.00 rpo. Kuldeep Yadav bowled the 12th over and Patel looked to accelerate and threw his wicket away. Ashwin came next to bat. Karthik continued with the spin attack and brought in Piyush Chawla into the attack. No big runs came in the over and the asking rate climbed up to 17.14 rpo. Kuldeep Yadav returned and Finch hit him for two consecutive sixes. KXIP was scoring at a decent rate of 10 runs per over, but it way below the required rate. Searles started the last over of his spell and just when Finch looked to change gears, he was dismissed while attempting a scoop shot.

Andrew Tye was the new man on the crease. KXIP were striking the ball well and were looking to hit every other ball. But the target was way out of sight by now for KXIP batsmen as the asking rate was 19 rpo at the start of the 17 over. The only thing that was left in the match for KXIP were to go as deep as possible and narrow down the margin of victory. Prasidh Krishna bowled the 18th over and didn't allow the bowlers to go for too many big shots. Russell returned to bowl the 19th over, he was halfway through his over when he started to have fresh problems with his hamstring but continued with the over. 200 came up for KXIP. Ashwin was striking the ball well and KXIP were getting close to the target but all hopes of winning the match were lost. Prasidh dismissed Tye in the last over, and Sran was next man in. Prasidh struck again and Ashwin had to depart. Mohit Sharma came in to bat and opened his account with a boundary towards off-side. Prasidh Krishna ended the match with two classic bouncers and KKR sealed the match. KKR won the match by 31 runs and got those 2 crucial points that they needed to stay alive in the tournament.

KKR vs KXIP SCOREBOARD

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab (KKR vs KXIP) SCOREBOARD: KKR innings
BATSMEN	DISMISSAL	RUNS	BALLS	FOURS	SIXES	STRIKE RATE
KL Rahul	b Narine	66	29	2	7	227.58
Chris Gayle	c Karthik b Russell	21	17	2	1	123.52
Mayank Agarwal	c Searles b Russell	0	1	0	0	0
Karun Nair	c Prasidh Krishna b Russell	3	6	0	0	50
Aaron Finch	c Kuldeep Yadav b Searles	34	20	0	3	170
Axar Patel	c Searles b Kuldeep Yadav	19	11	2	1	172.72
R Ashwin	lbw b Prasidh Krishna	45	22	4	3	204.54
Andrew Tye	c Karthik b Prasidh Krishna	14	10	1	1	140
Barinder Sran	not out	1	1	0	0	100
Mohit Sharma	not out	4	3	1	0	133.33
Total: 214/8 in 20 Overs
BOWLING	OVERS	MAIDEN	RUNS	WICKETS	ECON
Suni Narine	4	0	44	1	11
Prasidh Krishna	4	0	31	2	7.75
Searles	4	0	52	1	13
Andre Russell	4	0	41	3	10.25
Kuldeep Yadav	2	0	29	1	14.5
Piyush Chawla	2	0	16	0	8

Kolkata Knight Riders innings update: Over by over

Kolkata Knight Riders playing XI for today's match: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Over 1: Mohit Sharma to Chris Lynn, outside off, DOT ball. Inside edge gone for four. Another inside edge, a french cut by Lynn, went for four. Lynn played a defensive shot for no run. DOT ball. A single taken to end the over. KKR: 9/0, Chris Lynn: 9(6b), Sunil Narine: 0(0b)

Over 2: Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Chris Lynn, defensive shot for no run. A quick single taken by Lynn off the second ball. Sunil Narine beaten outside off for no run, dabs the 4th ball in the cover region for one run. Another single taken by Lynn. Narine hit the last ball over the point fielder for 3 runs. KKR: 15/0, Chris Lynn: 11(9b), Sunil Narine: 4(3b)

Over 3: Mohit Sharma to Sunil Narine, one run taken. DOT ball. Lynn punched the 3rd ball straight to mid-on fielder for a quick single. Short ball, Narine played it to third man fielder, Gayle. DOT ball. Narine took two runs to end the over. KKR: 19/0, Chris Lynn: 12(11b), Sunil Narine: 7(7b)

Over 4: Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Chris Lynn, swept for a single thanks to brilliant fielding by Chris Gayle. Sunil Narine hit the 2nd ball straight to bowler dropped, Mujjeb getting some medical assistance. Ashwin to complete the remaining over and Narine hit the first ball for six followed by a four over the mid-on fielder. A single taken off the 5th ball. Chris Lynn took quick run, direct hit, third umpire says NOT OUT. KKR: 32/0, Chris Lynn: 14(13b), Sunil Narine: 18(11b)

Over 5: Barinder Sran to Chris Lynn, deposited the ball out of the stadium for six followed by a cut shot for a single. Slower short ball to Narine, no run. Top edge over the short third man fielder for four. Another short ball, Narine tried to get a connection but failed to do so for no run. Narine hit the last ball over the mid-on fielder for four runs to end the over. KKR: 47/0, Chris Lynn: 21(15b), Sunil Narine: 26(15b)

Over 6: Andrew Tye to Chris Lynn, muscled the ball over the bowler's head for six. Lynn swirl to hit the ball in the square leg region but got bowled as he dragged the ball onto the stumps. Uthappa took single off the 3rd ball. Ball onto the pad for, Narine flicked it for four followed by no run. Narine heaved the last ball for a single to end the powerplay. KKR: 59/1, Chris Lynn b Tye 27 (17b 2x4 2x6)

Over 7: Axar Patel to Narine, one run taken. Uthappa took a single off the 2nd ball, Another single taken by Narine. One run taken by Uthappa. Narine dismissed the ball from presence for six. WIDE ball. Narine took a single to end the over. KKR: 71/1, Sunil Narine: 40(22b), Robin Uthappa: 3(3b)

Over 8: Ashwin to Narine, came down the ground to hit the ball over cover fielder followed by a four in the long-on region thanks Finch miss field. Narine took a single off the 3rd ball. DOT ball. WIDE. Uthappa took a single off the last ball to end the over. KKR: 82/1, Sunil Narine: 49(25b), Robin Uthappa: 4(6b)

Over 9: Axar Patel to Uthappa, hit the ball over the bowler for four followed by a single. Narine took a single to complete his 2nd fifty of IPL 2018. A single taken by Uthappa. Narine swirls to get past the ball for four in the deep fine region. Yorker to end the over, no run. KKR: 93/1, Sunil Narine: 54(28b), Robin Uthappa: 10(9b)

Over 10: Ashwin to Robin Uthappa, swept it in the fine leg region for four. DOT ball. Uthappa wacked the 3rd ball for six over deep mid-wicket fielder followed by a single. A single taken by Narine. Uthappa took a single to end the over. KKR: 106/1, Sunil Narine: 55(29b), Robin Uthappa: 22(14b)

Over 11: Barinder Sran to Uthappa, one run taken. Narine lofted a slower ball for six just over mid-wicket fielder, 66 metres six, followed by a four. DOT ball. Another short ball went for six, Narine on fire. DOT ball to end the over. KKR: 123/1, Sunil Narine: 71(34b), Robin Uthappa: 23(15b)

Over 12: Andrew Tye to Uthappa, slower ball went for a single. Narine walloped the 2nd ball over cover for 4. Short ball, Narine tried to whack it but got an edge, OUT. Andre Russell dabbed the 4th ball for a single. Uthappa played half-hearted shot straight to backward point region, OUT. Dinesh Karthik took a single to end the over. KKR: 130/3, Suni Narine c Rahul b Tye 75 (36b 9x4 4x6), Robin Uthappa c Sharma b Tye 24 (17b 2x4 1x6)

Over 13: Axar Patel to Dinesh Karthik, four between point and short third-man fielder followed by a single. DOT ball. A single taken off the 4th ball by Russell. DOT ball. Outside edge went for four to end the over. KKR: 140/3, Dinesh Karthik: 10 (5b), Andre Russell: 2 (3b)

Over 14: Mohit Sharma to Andre Russell, one run taken. Karthik took a single off the 2nd ball. Russell muscled the 3rd ball for six in the mid-wicket region followed by an inside edge for no run. Russell took a single off the 5th ball. Another single taken by Karthik to end the over. KKR: 150/3, Dinesh Karthik: 12 (7b), Andre Russell: 10(7b)

Over 15: Axar Patel to Dinesh Karthik, cut for 2 runs followed by a sweep shot for four thanks to Tye miss field. Another single taken. Russell slog-swept the 4th ball for six in deep square leg region, DOT ball. Russell walloped the last ball for six out of the ground. KKr: 169/3, Dinesh Karthik: 19(10b), Andre Russell: 22(10b)

Over 16: Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Dinesh Karthik, dragged down hit for a six followed by DOT ball. Top edge went for four. Dinesh hit the second six of the over off the 4th ball. One run taken. Another shot ball went for four to end the over. KKR: 190/3, Dinesh Karthik: 36(15b), Andre Russell: 26(11b)

Over 17: Andrew Tye to Dinesh Karthik, knuckleball pulled over short fine leg fielder for six followed by a single. Russell squeezed the 3rd ball for four over the short third man fielder to bring 200 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders. One run taken. WIDE ball. Karthik took a single while trying to play reverse pull shot. Short ball over batsmen head, WIDE ball. Topedge went high into the sky easily taken by keeper Rahul to end Russell's cameo. KKR: 205/4, Andre Russell c Rahul b Tye 31 (14b 2x4 3x6)

Over 18: Mohit Sharma to Nitish Rana, muscled for six in mid-wicket region followed by a run. Karthik hit the 3rd ball in the air falls short of sweeper cover fielder for one run. Rana whacked the 4th ball straight down the ground for a four. WIDE ball. Rana miss timed shot went in air, David Miller took a skier to end Rana innings. Karthik played the last ball between short third-man and point fielder for four to end the over. KKR: 218/4, Nitish Rana c sub (DA Miller) b Sharma 11 (4b 1x4 1x6)

Over 19: Andrew Tye to Shubman Gill, outside edge went past Gayle, standing at short third-man region. DOT ball. A single taken by Gill. Yorker outside off missed by Dinesh Karthik, DOT ball. Another yorker outside off Karthik took single to complete his 1st IPL 2018 fifty. Shubman Gill took a single to keep the strike. KKR: 229/5, Dinesh Karthik: 50(22b), Shubman Gill: 6(4b)

Over 20: Barinder Sran to Shubman Gill, dabbed to long-off for one run. A miss-timed shot by Karthik, Miller took a catch to end Karthik super innings. Gill hit the 3rd ball in the gap between square leg and mid-wicket for four followed by wide yorker dispatched for four. Gill took a single off the 5th ball. Searless hit the last ball for six as KKR scored 245 runs, highest of IPL 2018. Dinesh Karthik c sub (Miller) b Sran 50 (23b 5x4 3x6) 

Kolkata Knight Riders innings analysis after 20 overs

KXIP  won the toss and opted to bowl first. Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine opened the innings for KKR while Mohit Sharma started the bowling attack on a dry Indore wicket. The pitch was offering dual pace and Lynn was finding it hard to read the deliveries and got lucky twice in the same over when he hit consecutive inside edges off the ball, which resulted in consecutive boundaries. Mujeeb ur Rahman, who has been one of the most successful bowlers for KXIP this season, was called into the attack in the second over. He was able to create initial troubles for the batsmen who found it sensible to play him safe.  Mohit sharma returned to bowl the third over. The strategy looked to force the batsmen to play down to the off side which was packed with fielders and Mohit continued bowling outside-off. Narine tried to make room for himself but Sharma followed. KKR were up to a slow start at 19/0 after 3 overs.

Rahman returned with his second over, but was sent back to the dugout due to an injury, when he came in the way of a powerful shot straight down the ground, while attempting a catch. Ashwin came in to bowl the rest of the over, and was welcomed with a maximum over covers and a boundary towards mid-on. Barinder Sran was brought into the attack, and the batsmen looked to go after him, in a bid to take advantage of the remaining overs of the powerplay. Sran ended an expensive over, conceding 15 runs. Another bowling change and Ashwin brought in Andrew Tye to bowl the last over of the powerplay. Chris Lynn hit another six off the first ball of the over to put the bowler under pressure. The very next ball caused an unlucky departure of Chris Lynn. KKR lost their first wicket and Robin Uthappa was the next man in. Narine kept the scoreboard moving and KKR managed to put up a decent total of 59/1 in the first six overs.

Axar Patel started his first over of the match. Bowled a tidy over apart from a maximum off the bat of Narine. Narine looked in good touch and smacked Ashwin for consecutive boundaries who bowled the 8th over. Ashwin made a comeback and the rest of the over just added 3 runs to the scoreboard. Narine reached his fifty in the 9th over, requiring just 26 balls to achieve the feat. KKR was slowly building the momentum and stood at 93/1 after 9 overs.

The pitch was inconsistent with the pace wasn't offering much of a turn. Ashwin started the 10th over and soon felt the heat when Robin Uthappa hit him for a boundary towards deep fine-leg and a six over long-on. Ashwin was proving to be expensive and leaked 13 runs in his over. Barinder Sran returned to bowl the 11th over. Bowled a slower ball and Narine failed to read it properly and lofted it towards on side. It still landed in the stands, thanks to shorter boundaries. Narine continued the assault and hit Sran for another boundary and maximum in the same over, this time he was more in control of the shot. Sran conceded 17 runs. Andrew Tye was back into the attack. Narine wasn't sparing anyone and went past his best score with a boundary, only to get caught behind the wickets on the next ball. Narine scored 75(36) allowing KKR to build on the foundation. Andre Russell was next man in. Tye struck again, this time dismissing Robin Uthappa providing an easy catch at point. The skipper Dinesh Karthik came in to bat next. KKR stood at 130/3 after 12 overs with two new batsmen at the crease. 

Axar Patel and Mohit Sharma bowled the 13th and the 14th over. Batsmen looked to stabilise the KKR innings without compromising the scoring rate. Singles coupled with regular boundaries kept the scoreboard moving at just over 10.5 rpo. Axar Patel returned to bowl the last over of his spell. Shorter boundaries proved to be an advantage for KKR, with mis-hits clearing the boundary. Russell hit two maximum in the over. KKR were quickly approaching a 200+ total. Mujeeb ur Rahman was back and Karthik welcomed him with a huge six. The injury seemed to have affected the accuracy of the young bowler and both the batsmen took full advantage of it. Rahman went for 21 runs. KKR were cruising at 190/3 after 16 overs.

Both the batsmen had settled on the crease and were scoring some quick runs. Some more power-hitting and KKR brought their 200 in the 17th over. Tye struck on the last ball of the over and Russell was sent back to the dugout. Nitish Rana came in to bat and started his innings with a maximum over long-on. KKR were clear with their strategy, score as many runs as possible on a wicket where teams chasing the target usually win the match. Only a massive total could have increased their chances at winning the match, who desperately needed a win to stay alive in the tournament. Nitish Rana went too aggressive, and threw his wicket away after playing just 4 deliveries. U-19 World Cup hero, Shubhman Gill was the next batsmen to come into bat. KKR looked to maximise and Karthik kept the scoreboard moving quickly, playing some unconventional reverse hits. He played a captain's knock and reached his fifty in the 19th over facing just 22 balls. Sran bowled the last over. He took the pace off the ball and Karthik had to depart. Javon Searles was next man on the crease. But Shubhman Gill stuck to his wicket and finished the job for KKR, hitting consecutive boundaries. Searles also made his IPL debut memorable and hit the only ball he faced for a maximum. KKR posted gigantic total of 245/6 at the end of 20 overs. Some special effort was required on the part of KXIP to chase this total.

Match Preview

 
It is not easy to recover quickly if the margin of defeat is as huge as 102 runs, but Kolkata Knight Riders do not have the luxury of slipping further against KXIP, which have one of the most formidable batting line-ups in IPL 2018.             
 
For Kings XI Punjab, the game against Rajasthan Royals turned out to be a proverbial banana peel as they lost by 15 runs while chasing a modest target of 159. The defeat led to unverified reports of a rift between franchise co-owner Preity Zinta and Director Virender Sehwag, something that the franchise denied in an official statement. With 12 points from 10 games, KXIP are in a tricky situation. A win will take them closer to play-offs but a defeat will mean that Mumbai Indians will be breathing down their neck.

For KXIP, K L Rahul, with 471 runs from 10 games, has had a fabulous season so far while Chris Gayle (311 from 7 games) has shown an imperious form in some of the matches. However, the trouble has been the lack of contribution from other batsmen in the team. Karun Nair (243 runs in 10 games) has had a decent run so far but the biggest disappointment has been Mayank Agarwal (118 runs in 9 matches). Agarwal came into IPL 2018 after enjoying his best domestic season, where he plundered runs across formats. However, it has not translated into significant contribution.

Veteran Yuvraj Singh has been benched by the team management after scoring only 64 runs in 7 games and his replacement Manoj Tiwary has not yet set the stage on fire. In the bowling department, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma add depth to the line-up. They will look to restrict KKR to a low total in the IPL match today. Also, pacers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye, and Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. While Australian Tye has 16 wickets from eight games with an economy of 7.77, pacer Ankit Rajpoot and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have eight and 14 wickets, respectively.
 
On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders will need to put behind their humiliating loss to Mumbai and come together as a unit if they want to seal a play-off berth. KKR, who now have little room for error, were handed their biggest defeat in the league's history by Rohit Sharma's men. For the men-in-purple, openers Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have failed to perform consistently. Skipper Dinesh Karthik has been the only consistent man with the willow, amassing 321 runs from 11 matches. Vice-captain Robin Uthappa will have to come up with an extraordinary show to help his side inch forward along with a misfiring middle order.

Kolkata Knight Riders, whose bowling unit mostly relies on spinners, leaked plenty of runs against Mumbai Indians -- Narine was the only exception. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has been decent with eight wickets from 11 games but he needs to dish out something special against Punjab. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who was too expensive against Mumbai, conceding 44 runs, has, however, been among wickets.
 
Overall, Kings XI Punjab has a slightly better chance in today's IPL match, as the side has made good comebacks in the past.
 
Here are a few things to know before the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab (KKR vs KXIP) match to be played at Holkar Stadium in Indore, the two teams' players who could prove handy, and who has said what before the clash:
 

What KXIP coach Brad Hodge said before today’s IPL match: KXIP coach Brad Hodge has made no bones about his team's over reliance on openers Chris Gayle and K L Rahul though he hopes the middle order will deliver going forward in the Indian Premier League. Yes I admit that we rely heavily on Chris Gayle and KL Rahul but that is the case with almost every team. It (middle-order) has been (a concern), for sure," said Hodge after the loss against Rajasthan Royals here yesterday night. "We know that KL is in great form and when Chris Gayle fires, anything can happen."
 
What KKR captain Dinesh Karthik said before today’s IPL match about playoff chances: Despite twin defeats to nemesis Mumbai Indians (MI) in the space of three days, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Dinesh Karthik feels his side still has a "great chance" of making the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs. KKR slipped a rung to the fifth spot after a crushing 102-run defeat to MI at the Eden Gardens here on Wednesday night, days after MI continued their dominance over the purple brigade with a 13-run triumph at home. With three more games to go, KKR now have to win all of them to ensure their safe passage to the knockout stages and not leave their fate on other teams. “I am very disappointed. But there are three games and we take one game at a time," Karthik told reporters after their humiliating loss to MI which stretched their sorry record against Rohit Sharma's side to eight straight reversals on the trot. "So if we win the games I know we have a great chance of getting to the playoffs. I believe in that and want my teammates to believe in that," Karthik said.
 
SRK apologises for KKR's 'lack of spirit': Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has apologised for the "lack of spirit" after his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lost the match to Mumbai Indians at the ongoing Indian Premier League. Shah Rukh, who co-owns the team with actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta, on Wednesday night took to Twitter to apologise to KKR fans. "Sports is about the spirit and wins/losses don't reflect that. But tonight as the 'Boss' I need to apologise to the fans for the lack of spirit," he wrote.
 
Not 100 per cent fit but batting remains unaffected, says Lynn: Ignored for Australia's upcoming limited-overs tours, six-hitting sensation Chris Lynn today said he may not be 100 percent fit on the field, but he is batting with "freedom" and fulfilling expectations. Troubled by a dodgy shoulder, the 28-year-old was deemed unfit and was dropped for Australia's upcoming limited-overs tours of the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. But the Kolkata Knight Riders opener has had a successful return from injury in the Indian Premier League, scoring 277 runs at 30.77 with a strike rate of 133.81. "I was probably a little bit nervous and apprehensive early on but of late I can bat with freedom. I've showed that in the last couple of innings in small glimpses.
 
What Uthappa said about Sunil Narine’s bowling and batting: Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Robin Uthappa has praised the all-round skills of his team-mate Sunil Narine but said that the West Indian has been doing better in the bowling department this IPL 2018. "Sunil (Narine) is someone who is always enjoyed batting, someone who's always been a batsman who can bowl than a bowler. But what he bowled and what he does with his bowling skill is that his batting got overshadowed," Uthappa told reporters ahead of KKR's match against Mumbai Indians.
 
Brett Lee called Shivam Mavi the future of Indian bowling: Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has heaped praise on rookie Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Shivam Mavi, saying he is the future of Indian bowling. Mavi, who was part of the World Cup-winning U-19 team led by Prithvi Shaw, had impressed everyone with his performance. Now, he is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Indian Premier League and has taken three wickets in seven games so far. "I think Mavi has got everything. His actions are beautiful and he packs himself as a fully furnished bowler. "With youngsters like Mavi, it's extremely important to play with confidence, enjoying the spirit of the game," Lee, a Star Sports Select Dugout expert, was quoted as saying in a media release. "He knows what he is doing and it looks like he really enjoys his cricket. I think Mavi for me is the future for Indian bowlers," added Lee, who in his prime troubled even top-notch batsmen with his pace.
 
How the two teams (KKR and KXIP) compare head to head in IPL matches played between them so far 

Overall

Matches played: 22
Kings XI Punjab won: 8
Kolkata Knight Riders won: 14