Good innings by Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa ensured that Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets to qualify for the Indian Premier League Playoffs. Skipper Dinesh karthik also played a good innings to see his team home to victory. Siddarth Kaul picked up two wickets for SRH. Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad somewhat squandered a good start given to them by their top order against Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad. Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami and Kane Williamson all chipped in with useful scores but KKR managed to restrict SRH to 172/9. Prasidh Krishna was the best Kolkata bowler picking up four wickets, including three in his and innings’ last over. Get highlights of SRH v KKR, IPL 2018, here. (Live scorecard | Live streaming)
23:44 hrs IST: That’s It, KKR win by five wickets against SRH, qualify for IPL playoffs.
23:38 hrs IST: The match is now into the final over! 5 needed by KKR.
23:29 hrs IST:OUT! Andre Russell is gone this time, caught at mid on! these wickets shouldn’t be anyome than a consolation for SRH. A Russell c Manish Pandey b S Kaul 4(4) [4s-1]
23:17 hrs IST: OUT! Robin Uthappa top edges a pull and is caught by the wicketkeeper, but for all intents and purposes its too late and KKR should win and book a place in the IPL. Uthappa c Goswami b Brathwaite 45(34) [4s-3 6s-2]
23:17 hrs IST: KKR are now firm favourites, during their chase they have ensured that they will finish above Rajasthan no matter what happens. KKR in driving seat. 147/2 after 16
23:13 hrs IST: KKR have the run rate well in control as long as they keep their heads they should be home and dry. KKR 132/2 after 15.
23:01 hrs IST: OUT! Chris Lynn is caught at long-on by Manish Pandey, can SRH rescue this, it will take a mighty fine effort to haul back this. Chris Lynn c Manish Pandey b S Kaul 55(43) [4s-4 6s-3]
22:58 hrs IST: Uthappa now growing in confidence, he hits Shakib for a four and six in the over. KKR should cruise through barring something extraordinary.
22:55 hrs IST: As things stand KKR should win and win comfortably, but stranger things have happened and you only have to look at the first innings of this match. After 11 overs KKR 100/1
22:45 hrs IST: First time out and the match is evenly balanced, Lynn and Uthappa are at the crease but the latter is somewhat struggling. KKR need 88 off 66. Spin could be key.
22:43 hrs IST: Carlos Brathwaite into the attack and bowls a relative goodie, even though Lynn gets hold off on to deposit it over the boundary. Equation getting acuter. KKR have to win to be sure of qualification.
22:38 hrs IST: As mentioned, spin could play a crucial role and Rashid Khan proves just that. Brilliant over just four off it! is it a sign of things to come.
22:33 hrs IST: Good over by Kaul, six come off it and the powerplay ends, game interestingly poised. SRH could squeeze pressure with their spinners or Lynn could play an explosive innings. KKR 66/1.
22:28 hrs IST: KKR keeping up with the runrate comfortably, even though only eight runs come off the over the damage has been done with the runs off the previous overs.
22:20 hrs IST: OUT! Narine is caught at long-on, Shakib strikes. However, the west Indian has given KKR a very fast start. KKR 52/1. Narine c Manish Pandey b Shakib 29(10) [4s-4 6s-2]
22:17 hrs IST: Ominous signs for KKR here, both Lynn and Narine look in brilliant form. Spin could play a decisive role in the match. KKR 41/0.
22:11 hrs IST: Massive over for KKR, Narine at his best here, He clobbers Sandeep for 20 runs in the over, three fours and six coming off the over. KKR 30/0.
22:07 hrs IST: Good start by KKR, Chris Lynn hits Kumar for two boundaries. KKR need to keep up the pace throughout. KKR 10/0
21:48 hrs IST: Four wickets in the final over bowled by Prasidh Krishna and SRH have somewhat blown away the good start they had. KKR must feel confident after their late rally. SRH finish on 172/9.
21:37 hrs IST: OUT! Brathwaite os gone now, SRH are making a mess of a good start. All the SRH big hitters are falling one by one and KKR are gettig increasingly confident. Remember they need to win this. Brathwaite c Karthik b A Russell 3(4)
21:34 hrs IST: Ten runs come off the 18th over and SRH are trying to get as many as possible in the last few overs.SRH 161/4.
21:25 hrs IST: OUT! Yusuf Pathan is caught at long-on by Robin Uthappa, Big wicket considering the damage he can do. Y Pathan c Uthappa b Narine 2(4). SRH 147/4
21:17 hrs IST: OUT! Shikhar Dhawan is gone. LBW to Prasidh Krishna. there is a window now for KKR, can they capitalise? SRH 141/3. Dhawan lbw b Prasidh 50(39) [4s-5 6s-1]
21:13 hrs IST: For a team that needs to win this match, KKR’s fielding has been abysmal, dropped catches and balls going under the hands. Another boundary now conceded. Bowlers not being helped here. SRH 141/2 after 15
21:09 hrs IST: Fifty comes up for Shikhar Dhawan, his 32nd in IPL. SRH are primmed for a big score. Bear in mind the kind of bowling attack SRH have, it will be a tough chase for KKR. SRH 133/2 after 14.
20:59 hrs IST: OUT! KKR have got the wicket they so desperately needed Kane Williamson is gone for a Sparkling knock of 36. Williamson c A Russell b Searles 36(17) [4s-1 6s-3]
20:56 hrs IST: SRH are now well placed for an onslaught in the final few overs, Narine gives just six in the over but KKR need wickets to slow scoring down. SRH 110/1 after 12
20:52 hrs IST: One would have thought that a wicket might have slowed SRH down but Kane Williamson has other ideas, he hits Kuldeep for a six over midwicket. SRH 104/1 after 11.
20:47 hrs IST: Slowly but steadily KKR are getting a foothold in the match, Piyush Chawla with another quiet over. he concedes just eight. Two of SRH’s best batsmen are at the crease now.
20:42 hrs IST: OUT! and it’s that man again, Kuldeep Yadav strikes, Goswami holes out in the deep Andre Russel with the catch at the long-on boundary. SRH 79/1. Goswami c A Russell b Kuldeep Yadav 35(26) [4s-4 6s-1]
20:38 hrs IST: Javon Searles comes into attack and his changes of pace are difficult to read for the batsmen, six come off the over SRH 76/0 after 8.
20:36 hrs IST: KKR’s match winner from the last game, Kuldeep Yadav is into the attack but SRH batsmen show no respect to him either. SRH look good here. 70/0 after seven.
20:26 hrs IST: Batsmen are now trying to get after Narine as well, Dhawan hits the spinner for a six but only three come from the remaining five balls. SRH 60/0 after the powerplay.
20:23 hrs IST: KKR are finding it hard to keep a lid on things from the other end, Piyush Chawla comes into the attack and is taken for eleven in the over. Unlucky perhaps with one. SRH 51/0.
20:20 hrs IST: Sunil Narine comes into the attack and immediately shows his class, concedes just four off the fourth over and bhas both batsmen cautious. SRH 40/0
20:15 hrs IST: An eventful over by Andre Russel to say the least, he has a decision overturned by the third umpire and Shreevats Goswami lays into him with fours and sixes in the over. 20 runs came off the third over and SRH are motoring.
20:08 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan lays into Prasidh Krishna, the pacer concedes two boundaries in the over and SRH are on the front foot. SRH need a win to go with momentum into the playoffs.
20:04 hrs IST: Good first over by Nitish Rana! Boundary off the first ball but he pulls it back and only concedes 1 run from the remaining balls. KKR 5/0
19:59 hrs IST: All in readiness! It’s go time
19:45 hrs IST: Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Shreevats Goswami(w), Carlos Brathwaite, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma
19:32 hrs IST: Sunrisers Hyderabad have won the toss and chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders.
19:22 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to the live blog of a crucial IPL encounter between leaders Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. Toss Soon.
But Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, need a win to qualify for the playoffs. A loss, however, will still keep them in contention but then a lot would depend on permutations and combinations on the last day of the league phase. They are currently in third spot in the standings with seven wins and six losses.
This will also be the last game of the tournament at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Source: HindustanTimes