Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders would be eager to avenge their twin defeats in the league stage when they face old foes Mumbai Indians in the IPL Qualifer 2.

KKR have an abysmal 5-15 head-to-head record against Mumbai Indians, who notched up twin victories over their rivals in the league stage of the tournament this year.

In fact, Mumbai Indians had pulled off their first win of the season against KKR at the Wankhede stadium last month when they beat them by four wickets with just one ball to spare.

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11:20 pm: After a 2 am the other night, it’s an early finish tonight. That’s it from us today, join us on Sunday for the big match.

11:06 pm: Post-match

Gautam Gambhir: It was a 140 wicket. We wickets upfront. Jaggi and Surya did a good job. If we had 140, we were in the game. Proud of everyone. Everyone gave their all in this campaign. Mumbai were a better side today. Good luck to Mumbai and Pune, may the best team win.

Rohit Sharma said many things in a post-match chat that lasted as long as the KKR innings: Good to see different individuals taking responsibility, it’s been a team effort. We knew the wicket wasn’t easy to score, Karn Sharma set up the game for us.

Man of the match: Karn Sharma

That’s it... Mumbai Indians are in the final: A walk in the Bengaluru park for Rohit Sharma’s men. Fittingly Krunal Pandya finishes with a boundary after a dropped catch. His 45 off 30 gives Mumbai a comfortable win.

14 runs from the 14th over: Krunal Pandya with a straight drive off the last ball, Pollard with a four after comedy fof errrors in the field off the first ball and a few wides in between. Mumbai just 2 away...

After 13 overs Mumbai Indians 91/4: “Why would you play a shot like that?” wonders Sunil Gavaskar. That could be the story of Rohit Sharma’s career as he plays an expansive pull shot with the required run rate just over 2, and finds the fielder in the deep. Coulter Nile with the wicket.

After 12 overs Mumbai Indians 88/3. Another big over. Chawla has been expensive despite his wickets, as Krunal turns on the style. A paddle sweep & an inside out cover drive. Mumbai cruising...

After 11 overs Mumbai Indians 80/3: Narine’s 3-run over was just the calm before the storm that came next in Chawla’s over. 16 runs from it and this match is almost done and dusted! Krunal with 2 fours and Rohit with a massive six over long on – a slog sweep over long-on.

After 9 overs Mumbai Indians 61/3: 11 runs off Piyush Chawla’s over & that should make things much easier for MI. First a delightful cover drive from Rohit and then a fine paddle sweep by Krunal.

Mumbai need 47 runs from 11 overs...

After 8 overs Mumbai Indians 50/3: Two quite overs for Mumbai but with every wicket-less over, KKR get one step closer to the exit. Krunal with a neat boundary of Narine,to release the pressure.

After 6 overs Mumbai Indians 36/3: Game on? An absolute peach from Piyush Chawla! Rayudu plays inside the line and the ball turns away and the red-lights flash.

After 5 overs Mumbai Indians 32/2: 5 different bowlers to start the innings for KKR. Rohit Sharma and Rayudu are consolidating... 8 runs from the two overs.

After 3 overs Mumbai Indians 24/2: Is there life in this game yet? Umesh strikes after getting hit by Parthiv Patel for two fours – the 2nd one annoyed Gambhir as the fine leg was in and he drifted on to the pads. But Umesh strikes back with Parthiv’s wicket - who slashes and edges it behind.

Your thoughts?

After 2 overs, Mumbai Indians 14/1: And KKR have something to cheer... Piyush Chawla gets the breakthrough, Simmons is stumped (metaphorically) by a googly and is given out LBW. 3 runs and a wicket. Hint of a fightback?

After 1 over, Mumbai Indians 11/0: Just the start Mumbai wanted. No nerves from Parthiv Patel who starts with 2 boundaries. Well, one of them given leg-byes. Expensive start by Umesh Yadav.

Some thoughts on the match so far...

KKR are all out for 107 in 18.4 overs: What’s with Bangalore and low scores?

Bumrah comes back into the attack and gets the crucial wicket of Yadav to start the 18th over. A fighting 31 off 25 balls. Malinga then cleans up the innings with a typical slow yorker. Good recovery from 31 for 5 but KKR will perhaps rue this score.

After 17 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders 101/8: Hardik Pandya comes for his first over late in the day and concedes just 4 runs. And from the pressure he created perhaps, Johnson reaps the rewards in the next over with two wickets. First Chawla hits it to mid off and then Nathan Coulter Nile (after hittng a Ponting-esque pull shot for six – best shot of the day by far) falls to a catch in the deep.

What a spell from Karn Sharma..

After 15 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 88/6: The partnership is finally broken. Jaggi who was starting to look good with two fours of the 14th over from Malinga, falls to Karn Sharma in the 15th. Looked like he got hold of a full ball but is unable to clear Johnson at long on. Karn finishes with 4 wickets in his 4 overs. Yadav on 24 off 18 and holds the key for Gambhir’s men.

After 13 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 71/5: This is turning into a solid recovery-act by Yadav and Jaggi. 18 runs from the two overs. Jaggi hits Johnson for a four, Yadav follows that up with two fours. He’s the one breathing life into this KKR innings.

After 11 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 53/5: 4 overs since a wicket and Surya Kumar Yadav tries to build some momentum. After a 4-run over from Malinga, Krunal is welcomed with one of the flattest sixes you’ll see. Yadav sweeps and sweeps well. Jaggi is struggling though... 10 off 20 balls.

After 9 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 39/5: Couple of quite overs from KKR but their innings is going nowhere! Krunal Pandya with 3 runs, Karn with 5 runs (no hat-trick for him). KKR looking to go past RCB’s 49 all out, perhaps?

After 7 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 31/5: Oh dear, oh dear. Seems like KKR have not woken up after that late night out in Bengaluru the other day... Two wickets in the over for Karn Sharma! First the big one of Gambhir, who hits it to Pandya at deep midwicket. And then Colin de Grandhomme lasts shorter it takes to type his name out – LBW of the first ball!

Karn will be on a hat-trick in his next over.

When your bowling figure reads 2-1-2-2...

JOY! Photo: IPL / Sportzpics

After 6 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 25/3: Yes, you read it right. The score is still 25. A wicket-maiden in the last over of the powerplay for Bumrah! Robin Uthappa goes, LBW from a good-length delivery that nipped back in and the KKR batting lineup in deep trouble. Bumrah then keeps Ishank Jaggi quiet to make it a fantastic powerplay for MI...

After 5 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 25/2: And Mumbai are now right on top... the move to bring in Karn Sharma during the powerplay against the left-handers works for Rohit. A beautifully flighted googly deceives Narine. 3 runs and a wicket. Both openers are back in the hut.

After 4 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 22/1: Malinga comes into the attack and Narine gets going... A non-chalant flick over fine leg for six. Malinga can only laugh at how easy Narine made it look.

After 3 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 13/1: Gambhir starts off where he left the other night (the other morning...) A delightful cover drive off Johnson. Narine, on the other hand, is struggling a bit with the fast, short stuff.

After 2 overs Kolkata Knight Riders 5/1: And the breakthrough comes early for Mumbai... and it’s the big wicket of Chris Lynn for Jasprit Bumrah! Smart captaincy from Rohit who keeps a long-on for Lynn in the powerplay and he hits to straight to him. Delight for Bumrah who hugs Rohit immediately as if to say well done captain.

After 1 over, Kolkata Knight Riders are 3/0: Mitchell Johson starts for MI and starts well... not many bowlers have kept Lynn to just 3 runs in an entire over this year. A few swings and misses and one top-edge that just evades Maling at short-leg.

07:51 pm: How will this affect involve KKR?

07:43 pm: Some statistics coming your way...

  • Mumabi captain Rohit Sharma has scored more runs against Kolkata than against any other team, amassing 684 runs at an average of 48.86.
  • The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru can be called a lucky ground for Mumbai as they’ve won seven of their nine matches at the venue.
  • Kolkata Knight Riders’ scoring rate in the Powerplay this season is a whopping 9.69, which is the highest among all teams.
  • Captain Gambhir is second in the list of highest run-getters this season, with 486 runs and his contribution will be crucial if KKR are to overturn the Mumbai mental block.

07:34 pm: Big team news is that KKR have dropped Yusuf Pathan. Harbhajan stays on the bench for Mumbai. Here are the XIs.

KKR: S Narine, C Lynn, G Gambhir, R Uthappa, Grandhomme , S Yadav, I Jaggi, P Chawla, U Yadav, N Coulter-Nile, A Rajpoot

MI: A Rayudu, L Simmons, P Patel, K Pollard, RG Sharma, K Pandya, K Sharma, H Pandya, J Bumrah, L Malinga, M Johnson

And if you like visual representations...

07:30 pm: Mumbai Indians win toss and Rohit opts to bowl first, of course. “Breaking news!” screams a very-excited Ravi Shastri.

07:20 pm: Two-time champions, two fierce rivals and one spot in the final. Welcome to The Field’s live blog of the qualifier between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.