KKR vs DC IPL 2021 Qualifier 2: Kolkata beat Delhi by three wickets, set up title clash with Chennai
Catch all the live IPL updates as Delhi Capitals take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the second IPL Qualifier in Sharjah.
While the Rishabh Pant-led side is going for its maiden IPL trophy, the Kolkata camp has won it twice under Gautam Gambhir, who had led them to two IPL titles in a space of three years in 2012 and 2014. The winner of the contest will spring up as Chennai Super Kings' rivals for the title clash on October 15.
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23.16 IST: Kolkata Knight Riders win by three wickets to enter IPL 2021 finals!
What a finish! Tripathi smokes a maximum to help Kolkata get over the line on the penultimate over. Delhi will meet Chennai in the finals on October 15th in Dubai. Ashwin was on a hat-trick but Tripathi held his nerves, helping Kolkata book a berth in the finale.
23.10 IST: Shakib goes for a scoop but the umpire raises his finger! Ashwin traps Shakib. Another blow for Kolkata.
23.07 IST: Kolkata need 7 runs off the last over!
23.01 IST: WICKET! Karthik falls for a duck as Kolkata lose the fourth wicket. A twist in the talte? Kolkata need 10 off the last two overs.
22.52 IST: OUT! Avesh removes Gill for 46. Gill looked in good touch but couldn't finish it off. Avesh picks up his 24th wicket of the tournament. Karthik joins Tripathi when Kolkata need 11 off last three overs. Kolkata 125/3 in 17 overs.
22.47 IST: WICKET! Nortje removes Rana for 13. The left-hander tried to pull it away but picked out Hetmyer at deep square leg. Kolkata 123/2 after 16 overs.
22.42 IST: The required run rate is less than five and Kolkata are favourites here to set up title clash with Dhoni's Chennai. Gill, batting on 37, is also getting closer to his 10th IPL half-century.
22.29 IST: WICKET! Rabada with the breakthrough. He removes a set Venkatesh Iyer for 55. Is it perhaps too late? Kolkata need 40 in 46 deliveries to enter the IPL 2021 finals.
22.16 IST: Venkatesh Iyer dispatches it over the deep mid-wicket boundary for a maximum. A much-needed boundary for Kolkata, who have put up 35 in last five overs. 10 overs completed at Kolkata are 76/0.
22.12 IST: The boundaries have slowly dried up but Iyer and Gill are dealing in singles to keep the scoreboard ticking. Kolkata 67/0 after 9 overs.
22.05 IST: Delhi desperately need a wicket. The dew factor has also come into the picture. The game will perhaps slip off Delhi's hands if both openers gain momentum and bat for a few more overs. Kolkata 51/0 after 6 overs.
21.35 IST: Nine off Axar's over. Kolkata have notched up 30 in the first four overs, with Iyer and Gill producing occasional boundaries in the Powerplay. Delhi haven't been able to pose a threat to both the openers so far. Kolkata 30/0 after 4 overs.
21.14 IST: Kolkata need 136 runs to win
Shreyas finishes with a six straight down the ground as Delhi reach 135/5 against Kolkata in 20 overs. Dhawan's 36 set the tone before Iyer added final touches with his 27-ball 30. On the bowling front, Chakaravarthy picked two while Ferguson and Mavi picked a wicket each.
21.05 IST: WICKET! Shreyas wanted to squeeze out a run but Hetmyer was well short of the crease. Venkatesh with a flat throw to Karthik and Hetmyer is not even in the picture.
20.55 IST: No ball...What a twist! Gill takes a brilliant catch at deep mid-wicket to send Hetmyer back to the dugout. Chakaravarthy, however, seemed to have overstepped by a whisker. Hetmyer gets reprieve as Delhi look to notch up a challenging total in the last three overs. Delhi 99/4 after 17 overs.
20.46 IST: OUT! Ferguson removes Pant for 6. The Capitals skipper tried to whack it but a top-edge led to Tripathi taking the catch at mid-off. Delhi are stumbling now. Just 22 off last five overs and three wickets lost. Delhi 92/4 after 16 overs.
20.39 IST: WICKET! The pressure was building and Dhawan tried to slam Chakaravarthy's delivery straight down the ground. A thick outside edge and Shakib takes a brilliant catch at backward point. Pant joins Iyer in the middle. Delhi 83/3 after 14.1 overs.
20.23 IST: WICKET! Mavi removes Stoinis for 18. The Australian was struggling to get going and Mavi cleans him up with a cross-seamed delivery. Shreyas comes to the crease to assist Dhawan. Delhi 71/2 after 11.3 overs.
20.15 IST: Delhi are 65/1 at the halfway mark, lurching towards the average total on this surface (155). A big finish is what the Capitals would like to see now.
20.08 IST: The Capitals have managed just 34 runs in the last five overs. Both Dhawan and Stoinis have their strike rate below 100. Dhawan is currently third in the Orange Cap race. Delhi 52/1 after 8 overs.
19.55 IST: Delhi 38/1 after 6 overs. Kolkata have been on top in the last two overs. Stoinis, however, can change things around if he sticks in the middle. Dhawan (17*) and Stoinis (3*) will look to maintain the run-flow.
19.45 IST: WICKET! Chakravarthy removes Shaw! The spinner gets the big wicket on the very first delivery! The 'mystery spinner' starts with the googly straightaway and Shaw, not expecting the turn, is left stunned. He consults with Dhawan but decides against taking the review.
19.43 IST: Good acceleration from the Delhi openers after the one-run first over. Prithvi Shaw targets Shakib in his second over, scoring a six and four off the first two deliveries before Shikhar Dhawan welcomes Sunil Narine with two successive sixes over midwicket. DC 32/0 in 4 overs
19.32 IST: Only one run from the first over! Excellent start from Shakib. Kept his line tight on all six deliveries, not allowing the batsmen to open their arms.
19.30 IST: Delhi openers Dhawan and Shaw at the crease. Shakib opens the attack for Kolkata.
19.05 IST: Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and have opted to field in Sharjah.
Rishabh Pant: "We would have bowled first. We needed an extra batsman, so Stoinis comes in. Tom Curran is out. We are in great frame of mind, always exciting to play together, looking to have fun during the match also."
Eoin Morgan: "We are going to bowl first. It's worked. We have kept the same side. Guys know their role. The mindset in the second leg has been spot-on."
19.00 IST: Kolkata are unchanged while Delhi have brought back Stoinis in place of Curran.
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 Chakravarthy
18.50 IST: PITCH REPORT - "It's pretty cool out here, quite pleasant. The history of pitch No. 4 - the highest score batting first was made by RCB: 156. It seems a little bit of a challenge batting first and that's going to be the key, says Ian Bishop.
18.45 IST: Both Kolkata and Delhi have beaten each other once in the ongoing season. Head to Head: Delhi Capitals 12- 15 Kolkata Knight Riders. The last time these two teams met, Kolkata won by 3 wickets in Sharjah.
18.44 IST: Kolkata have relied on their batting order including batting sensation Venkatesh Iyer. Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana have chipped in with vital knocks. Their bowling attack comprises Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, and Sunil Narine.
18.30 IST: Eoin Morgan's men notched up a four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator with Narine (4/21) weaving his magic and sending Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell back to the dugout. Chasing 139, KKR got home with two balls to spare.
18.00 IST: Delhi were jolted by Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1. R Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada's bowling form is a concern for the table-toppers of this season. They drafted Tom Curran in place of Ripal Patel in Qualifier 1 and he is likely to play against Kolkata if Marcus Stoinis remains unavailable.
DC vs KKR, IPL Qualifier 2 Preview: Eyeing a maiden IPL title, the fancied Delhi Capitals will face another litmus test in the form of a Kolkata Knight Riders unit brimming with optimism when the two sides lock horns in the second qualifier here on Wednesday.
Delhi Capitals failed in their first big test when they lost to Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier and another defeat will mean there will be no more examination for the strong squad, led by India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Two-time winners KKR will no doubt take confidence from their victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Monday's eliminator that dashed Virat Kohli's hopes of winning an IPL title with his longstanding franchise.
If the emphasis is on momentum and peaking at the right time then KKR will definitely fancy their chances in their next outing, notwithstanding their opponents' resources and depth in the lineup. [FULL PREVIEW]
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