RCB vs KKR, as it happened: Kohli’s men crash to another defeat as Kolkata prevail by six wickets

As it happened

Chris Lynn: Sort of been that type of season for me. Hasn’t been freeflowing. Not easy on those kind of wickets. Too hard to hit down the ground. Sweeping was the method which I found to work for me. Schedule’s tight, but I’m keeping the body intact.

Karthik, KKR: With De Villiers not being there, we knew Virat was key. I’m somebody who believes in trusting the eleven players, not making too many changes.

I have a lot of time for them in life. They’re great kids. After winning the World Cup you generally have a bit of a chip on the shoulder, but not these guys. Credit to Rahul Dravid too. They always have to say good things about him. Always trying to make sure to win the game.

Kohli: The pitch is bringing out surprises every time we play here. I thought 175 was a really good score, we were thinking of 165 after those wickets, so the ten extra runs was a bonus. If we look back, we didn’t deserve to win. I don’t think we’re trying hard enough, we need to be hard on ourselves.

All 11 of us need to come together and bring that excitement on the field. We don’t deserve to win if we field like that. We can’t afford to let singles go to boundaries. I can’t pin point anything right now, we need to win six out of seven to qualify from here. We need to be in that mindset to take every match as as virtual semi-final from now.

KKR WIN BY SIX WICKETS! Shubman Gill hits the winning runs with a cut shot. It’s another chastening night for Bangalore and Virat Kohli, who were poor on the field. Once again, their failure to seize games at the back end of the innings came under the scanner. Ashwin, who had a good outing with the ball, dropped a sitter off Lynn when the latter was on seven. The Australian went on to score a match-winning fifty. Handy contributions from Uthappa and DK, who continued to build on his reputation as a big-hitter.

End of Over 18.5 KKR 171/4
OUT! That was a blinder from Kohli, running in from long on, leaping forward and grabbing the ball. Absolutely no reaction from the Bangalore skipper following the catch, though, possibly showing his disgust.
D Karthik c Kohli b Siraj 23 (10)

End of Over 18 KKR 161/3
Another big over, 14 from it as Dinesh Karthik and Chris Lynn get boundaries off Umesh Yadav. How the game has changed! Once again, Bangalore’s death bowling has been below par. Just 15 needed from the last two overs.

End of Over 17 KKR 147/3
Plenty of drama in the middle as there is a missed two run-out opportunities, a dot ball and a blazing cover drive from Dinesh Karthik for a boundary. 29 needed from 18.

End of Over 16.3, KKR 139/3

OUT! Russell holes out first ball. This wicket might have turned the game on its head as the game slips away from Kolkata. It was a short ball from Siraj that did the trick. De Kock took a fine catch, running backwards.
A Russell c De Kock b Siraj 0 (1)

Nitish Rana walks off the field after suffering cramps

End of Over 16, KKR 133/2
With a couple of good overs, the pressure is back on Kolkata. Southee and Ashwin were on target and did not allow the batsmen to free their arms. The big-hitting also didn’t pay off and Lynn nearly holed out to Umesh Yadav at deep mid-wicket. 43 needed from the last four overs.

End of Over 14, KKR 120/2

Chris Lynn has completed his fifty! The Australian sets himself to sweep everything out of the park but is in control while facing Chahal. Eight from the over and Kolkata need 55 from the last six overs.

End of Over 12.3, KKR 109/2

OUT! Uthappa goes for the long hop again and in what was a carbon copy of Narine’s wicket, holes out to long on where Southee was stationed. Can this help Bangalore stage a comeback?
R Uthappa c Southee b M Ashwin 36 (21)

End of Over 12, KKR 106/1
SIX! The boundaries keep on coming and Uthappa is on song at the moment. Umesh Yadav, in his returning spell, missed his length by a fraction and the ball was thumped over the fence at deep mid-wicket. Kolkata are in cruise control.

End of Over 10, KKR 88/1
The Ashwin over cost Bangalore 14 runs. Uthappa played a flick and a reverse sweep – both deft strokes – that got him boundaries. Lynn too joined in the act by pulling the ball to the fence at deep mid-wicket.

End of Over 9, KKR 74/1
Uthappa nearly spooned it De Grandhomme at long-on but got a six in the process – the Kiwi could only palm the difficult chance over the ropes. Can Bangalore get a wicket or two here?

End of Over 7.1, KKR 59/1

OUT! That’s the end of Narine. De Grandhomme takes a fine catch at long on, plucking it inches before the boundary ropes. What a comeback from Ashwin, who had earlier dropped a sitter. That was in the slot for Narine and the stadium is rocking.

S Narine c De Grandhomme b M Ashwin 27 (18)

End of Over 7, KKR 59/0
The boundary spree continues after the rain delay for Kolkata as Lynn creams Siraj through cover for a boundary.

Update: Play to resume at 10.55pm. There will be no reduction of overs.

End of Over 6.3, KKR 55/0
The openers are going strong and the covers come on as there is a bit of a downpour in Bengaluru. The ground staff wasted absolutely no time in protecting the outfield.

End of Over 5, KKR 47/0
Woosh! Lynn goes down the ground and he clears it with ease. Umesh Yadav was too full on that occasion. The runs keep on coming for Kolkata at a fair clip. There are misfields too and it is bound to pile on the misery for a pensive-looking Kohli.

End of Over 4, KKR 36/0
Dropped! It was a sitter and Lynn should have been back in the hut. The Australian was beaten in the flight and turn and Ashwin at mid-off, backpeddling, spoons it after having three chances to pouch it. What a reprieve that was KKR!

End of Over 3, KKR 29/0
The boundaries keep on coming for Narine, and his lofted shots continue to elude the fielders in and outside the ring. Two more fours came from this over, which were of the classic stand-and-deliver variety of Narine.

End of Over 2, KKR 18/0
Narine is on the attack and he stands tall and easily thumps the ball over long-on for a six. He follows that up with a lucky boundary, piercing the gap in the slip cordon. The West Indian has decided to go after the bowlers.

End of Over 1, KKR 5/0
Narine was nearly caught out trying to fend off a short delivery from Southee. The ball fell short of a diving Kohli. The batsmen are showing signs of taking the bowlers on in the powerplay overs.

RCB finish at 175/4 in 20 Overs
Kohli finishes things off in style with a six off Mitchell Johnson. The Australian persisted with the slow ball in the final over and was hammered for a couple of sixes – De Grandhomme also joined in the act with a mighty blow over extra cover. Is this enough, though? Yet another masterclass from Kohli, who finishes on an unbeaten 68.

After 18 Overs, RCB 150/4
SIX! Kohli’s onslaught continues and he flicks the ball for another six. Once again, that was wrist work at its absolute best – he just rolls his hands over it and deposits the ball over cow cover.

After 17.3 Overs, RCB 140/4
OUT! Mavi takes a neat catch at deep mid-wicket to end Mandeep’s little gem. The ball was in the slot for a maximum and the batsman is disappointed at missing out.

Mandeep Singh c Mavi b Ruseell 19 (14)

After 17 overs, RCB 133/3
Mandeep takes on Narine. The fifty partnership has come up between Mandeep and Kohli and it is the former who brings the crowd to its feet by smashing Narine for two sixes in the 18th over. Bangalore are moving up a gear.

After 16 overs, RCB 118/3
Kohli is on fire and is finding the gaps on the field with ease. He has picked up three boundaries in the last two overs and is pinching trademark twos by manipulating the field.

After 14 overs, RCB 100/3
Kohli is picking up momentum and this time, he takes on Mitchell Johnson, creaming him past point for a four. The hundred comes up for Bangalore but they need to get a move on after the time-out.

After 12 overs, RCB 88/3
Dropped! Mandeep Singh could have also made his way to the pavilion but Nitish Rana was foxed in the air by the swerve. Kohli, meanwhile gets into the groove with a gorgeous cover drive off Russell. How much will the drop catch cost Kolkata?

After 10 overs, RCB 75/3
OUT! Another one bites the dust. Russell is working his birthday boy powers to full effect as Vohra drags it back onto his stumps. It was a full-toss and Vohra was unlucky to miss out.
M Vohra b Russell 0 (2)

After 9.5 overs, RCB 74/2
OUT! And the crowd is silenced again and it’s birthday boy Russell who strikes. The short ball rushes onto McCullum, who gets a nick and Karthik takes a neat catch behind the stumps. Kolkata are back in this.
B McCullum c Karthik b Russell 38 (28)

After 8.1 overs, RCB 67/1
OUT! The time-out has worked for Bangalore as De Kock is beaten by the turn and doesn’t connect. Shubman Gill at deep cover takes a safe catch and Kolkata get the breakthrough they needed.
Q De Kock c Gill b Kuldeep 29 (27)

After 8 overs, RCB 67/0
McCullum in a belligerent mood. There is turn, as Chawla has showed on numerous occasions so far but the runs keep on coming for Bangalore at a fair clip. This is Bangalore’s best opening stand this season. Kuldeep was taken out of the attack after McCullum smashed him for a six. Chawla is also being taken to the cleaners.

After 6 overs, RCB 40/0 (De Kock 24*, McCullum 13*)
MCCullum, De Kock have got RCB off to brisk start, Karthik is moving his bowlers around, but the openers are on top of things at the moment.

After 3 overs, RCB 23/0.
After two overs of spin, Karthik brings Johnson in for a bit of pace. He leaks 14 runs in that over. RCB are off to a brisk start. Both, De Kock, McCullum are looking solid at the moment, getting the a few boundaries in every over.

After 2 overs, RCB 9/0.
Narine comes into bowl the second over. De Kock welcomes him into the game with two back to back boundaries in the over. De Kock makes most use of his sweep shot. There’s not much turn at the moment, but the commentators claim the cracks should widen as the game progresses.

After 1 over, RCB 1/0.
Tight first over from Chawla. RCB openers refrain from taking any risks. The pitch will assist spin, that’s what most experts said ahead of the game.

Piyush Chawla bowls the first over on what most are calling a spin-friendly wicket. De Kock, McCullum open the innings for RCB.

Happy Birthday Nehraji!
The RCB bowling coach will be expecting a better performance from his wards in the death overs today. What could be a better gift than that, eh?

RCB XI: Q de Kock, V Kohli, M Vohra, B McCullum, M Singh, C de Grandhomme, M Ashwin, T Southee, U Yadav, M Siraj, Y Chahal.
KKR XI: C Lynn, S Narine, R Uthappa, N Rana, D Karthik, S Gill, A Russell, S Mavi, P Chawla, M Johnson, K Yadav

Kolkata win the toss and choose to bowl first. AB de Villiers out through illness!
Southee to replace De Villiers in the RCB playing XI. KKR to go in with an unchanged XI.

Trivia: KKR’s Nitish Rana had made quite a splash when the two teams met in the first leg, dismissing Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers off consecutive deliveries.

Head to Head
Overall: Matches: 21, RCB won: 9, KKR won: 12.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Indian Premier League game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday will be a test of character for embattled Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have left themselves with little margin for error after a string of reverses.

RCB are struggling at sixth position after two wins and as many as four defeats, while the visiting KKR side is placed fourth with three victories and four losses.

It remains to be seen how RCB have recovered from the painful defeat to Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this week.

Though having a much better season than their beleaguered opponents, KKR too were stunned by Delhi Daredevils last on Friday, and the two-time champions will be keen to get back to winning ways.

Last time the two teams clashed, KKR, under new captain Dinesh Karthik, successfully chased down a target of 177, thanks to Sunil Narine’s blistering 19-ball fifty.

The spin trio of Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla also contributed to KKR’s victory in the first leg.