IPL 2020, KKR vs KXIP as it happened: Gayle, Mandeep help Kings XI make it five wins in a row

Player of the match: Chris Gayle

Here’s how the points table looks like as KXIP go fourth and their NRR improves from -0.103 to -0.049

KXIP win by 8 wickets!

Scores are level in Sharjah with 8 balls to spare.

18.1: Gayle is deceived by a slower bouncer and is caught at short third man. End of a fine innings, 51 off 29 balls. But this run-chase is KXIP-proof at the moment, so to speak.

KXIP 147/1 after 18 overs: 4-0-6! Mandeep Singh takes on Pat Cummins in some style. A four through the off-side and a six wide of long on. KXIP need 3 off 12 balls.

After 17 overs, KXIP 136/1: FOUR, SIX! And a half century off 25 balls! Universe Boss making batting ridiculously easy yet again as he takes on Lockie Ferguson in some style.

Lockie to continue after timeout, KXIP need 27 off 24 balls.

After 16 overs, KXIP 123/1: HALF CENTURY! A special night for Mandeep Singh! A few days after losing his father, he hits a fifty for his team. Looks up at the heavens, punches his heart. Gayle with a pat on the back too. Emotional moments. Two boundaries in that Prasidh over for Mandeep, either side of the fifty.

After 15 overs, KXIP 113/1 (Gayle 38, Mandeep 45): Mandeep hits another brilliant four through extra cover off Varun. And later in the over, Gayle ran two at Sharjah! Brilliant intent from the Universe Boss, it must be said.

After 14 overs, KXIP 104/1 (Gayle 35, Mandeep 39): Quietly, Mandeep has played a gem of a knock. His strike rate is now close to 100 as he puts Lockie away for a four in that over. A couple of 150-plus deliveries from Lockie in that over. 100 comes up for Punjab.

After 13 overs, KXIP 96/1 (Gayle 34, Mandeep 34): Just fractionally short from Narine and Gayle pounces on it so quickly. Hits another six. What a player.

After 12 overs, KXIP 86/1 (Gayle 25, Mandeep 33): A brilliant shot wide of long on by Mandeep to welcome Lockie into the attack and Gayle then hits a lovely square drive for four later in the over. KXIP cruising now.

After 11 overs, KXIP 76/1 (Gayle 20, Mandeep 24): Gayle, Gayle, Gayle! He makes batting look ridiculously easy sometimes. Just drives Narine through the line for a six. Crosses 1000 runs for KXIP in IPL.

Correction: After 10 overs, KXIP 67/1: Back-to-back sixes! Just when the pressure was starting to build, Chris Gayle ups the ante. Hits Varun for consecutive sixes down the ground, the second one a mishit that carries all the way. Gayle gestures that he had his heart in his mouth. Mandeep had earlier hit a reverse sweep for four, he really needs to get a move on for KXIP here. Batting 26 off 30 balls.

After 9 overs, KXIP 50/1: Back-to-back sixes! Just when the pressure was starting to build, Chris Gayle ups the ante. Hits Varun for consecutive sixes down the ground, the second one a mishit that carries all the way. Gayle gestures that he had his heart in his mouth. Mandeep had earlier hit a reverse sweep for four, he really needs to get a move on for KXIP here. Batting 26 off 30 balls.

After 9 overs, KXIP 50/1: A good over by Narine. Universe Boss in the middle. This is a big phase of the match, can KKR pick up another wicket or two.

After 8 overs, KXIP 47/1: WICKET! Varun Chakravarthy celebrates his international call-up with the big wicket of KL Rahul, his soon to be India vice captain perhaps. The Orange Cap-holder is given out LBW but doesn’t review. That looked close. Replay shows umpire’s call. Rahul might feel alright now about not reviewing it.

After 7 overs, KXIP 41/0 (Rahul 23, Mandeep 18): Narine into the attack and it’s just five runs from that over.

After 6 overs, KXIP 36/0 (Rahul 19, Mandeep 17): Varun is into the attack, and follows the news of his international call-up with a two-run over. A steady powerplay for KXIP. A few good-looking boundaries but they have not gone too hard at this. KKR will feel they are still in this.

After 5 overs, KXIP 34/0 (Rahul 18, Mandeep 16): Now, Mandeep makes his move. A big over for him and KXIP. A brilliant six over midwicket off Cummins as he plunders 13 runs in that over.

After 4 overs, KXIP 21/0 (Rahul 18, Mandeep 3): Back to back boundaries off Prasidh for Rahul and there’s the momentum that KXIP’s run-chase needed. They wouldn’t want to get bogged down. The second was a lovely straight drive.

After 3 overs, KXIP 11/0 (Rahul 9, Mandeep 2): Good over from Cummins, just two singles. Mandeep tried to go hard, couldn’t get timing.

After 2 overs, KXIP 9/0 (Rahul 8, Mandeep 1): A good first over from Prasidh after his misfield. Mandeep looks a bit rusty for KXIP.

After 1 over, KXIP 5/0 (Rahul 5, Mandeep 0): A misfield by Prasidh gifts Rahul a boundary to start things off. Poor from the KKR pacer in the third man boundary.

KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh are opening again. Will KXIP make it another thriller or is this is going to be a straightforward run-chase?

After 20 overs, KKR 149/9: varun is bowled in the final over, as Jordan finishes well again.

9.15 pm: KXIP started brilliantly. KKR counterattacked in style. KXIP fight back once again. KKR finish with 149/9 in 20 overs.

After 19 overs, KKR 144/8: And Ferguson shows why he should not be kept away from strike. A brilliant six over extra cover off Shami.

18.3 overs: WICKET! Shami strikes. Shubman Gill’s superb innings comes to an end. He is out for 57 off 45 balls. The commentator’s not too impressed with Gill farming the strike earlier in the over.

After 18 overs, KKR 135/7: Another good over for KKR given circumstances. A couple of boundaries for Ferguson off Jordan.

Some big decisions made by the Indian selectors, by the way...

India’s squads for Australia: Injured Rohit Sharma not included, Rishabh Pant picked only for Tests

After 17 overs, KKR 124/7: Gill continues to wage a lonely battle. A couple of boundaries in Ashwin’s over.

After 16 overs, KKR 114/7: WICKET! Bishnoi dismisses Cummins LBW. No review left. A wicket maiden for KXIP. Brilliant turnaround.

After 15 overs, KKR 114/6: Ashwin removes Nagarkoti. Bowled.

After 12 overs, KKR 113/5 (Gill 51, Nagarkoti 6): FIFTY FOR SHUBMAN GILL! The 21-year-old right-hander has been all class tonight with four sixes and two fours so far. He gets to his half-century off 36 balls. KKR need him to bat till the end.

After 13 overs, KKR 107/5 (Gill 48, Nagarkoti 3): Another good over for Punjab as Murugan concedes just two runs. Time for a strategic timeout. KKR need to get these last seven overs just right.

After 12 overs, KKR 105/5 (Gill 47, Nagarkoti 2): Ravi Bishnoi concedes four singles in his second over. It all depends on Gill now as far as KKR are concerned. The youngster needs to convert this into a big one.

After 11 overs, KKR 101/5 (Gill 44, Narine 0) WICKET! JORDAN STRIKES WITH A SLOWER BALL! Narine plays on. It was shaping up to be another good over from Jordan as he continues to vary his length and pace. The moment he dropped one short to Narine, the KKR man ramps one for four. The Englishman has the last laugh, though. Narine out for six.

After 10 overs, KKR 92/4 (Gill 44, Narine 0): WICKET! Ravi Bishnoi strikes! Fearless bowling by the youngster. Floats up a wrong-’un and the sweep by Captain Morgan is caught by Ashwin in the deep. The legspinner shows great character once again after being hit for a six earlier in the over by Gill.

Ravi Bishnoi into the attack...KKR might just go after him here.

After 9 overs, KKR 82/3 (Gill 35, Morgan 39): Jordan, player of the match against SRH, comes on and bowls a top first over. Great variation of pace and length. Just two singles in that over.

After 8 overs, KKR 80/3 (Gill 34, Morgan 38): A definite mishit from Morgan. A leading edge almost and it still comfortably clears long on. Another six for Morgan. Unlucky for the spinner. But nothing unlucky about the six Gill hits off the last ball. Length ball, swept wide of long on. What a shot.

The fifty partnership is up between Gill and Morgan too. In quick time. M Ashwin to bowl after the timeout...

Phew.. time for a timeout. Mad start to this match.

After 7 overs, KKR 66/3 (Gill 27, Morgan 31): Another big over for KKR. Maxwell comes on, and concedes a four and six to Morgan. The KKR captain latched on to a short ball but just cleared the boundary, could have been out another day.

After 6 overs, KKR 54/3 (Gill 26, Morgan 20): A good counterattack by captain Morgan and Gill. Two boundaries for the KKR skipper in the first half of that over followed by a sensational six down the ground by Gill. On the up, driven with authority. Follows that up with a six out of the ground! Fuller, driven again over midwicket this time. What an over. Sensational response from KKR to finish the powerplay. Those two sixes from Gill were two of the best shots of the tournament.

Shami will bowl his third...

After 5 overs, KKR 33/3 (Gill 14, Morgan 11): Looks like KKR have decided to target Arshdeep tonight. Morgan gets lucky with an outside edge but the intent was there to go hard at it. Then Gill plays a superb shot square on the leg side, a sensational display of his wristwork.

After 4 overs, KKR 23/3 (Gill 9, Morgan 6): A boundary for Morgan in that Shami over. Width on offer, the KKR captain slashed hard and over point. Missed out on a similar delivery later in the over. Just five runs from that over.

After 3 over, KKR 18/3 (Gill 8, Morgan 2): Gill helps himself to a boundary off Arshdeep’s first ball. Morgan hits a lofted shot for a double. This partnership is massive for KKR.

Ian Bishop is somewhere muttering to himself about KKR going on sending DK in early when they lose wickets in the powerplay. Should be Morgan, shouldn’t it? Not great tactics, it must be said.

1.6, KKR 10/3: WICKET! SHAMI AGAIN! They don’t seem Taiyaar tonight. Shami with another brilliant delivery, DK is given out caught behind. He reviews but there is a spike on Ultraedge. The bat hit the pad but it was simultaneous and there was a woody noise too. Tough on DK? But doesn’t matter, he’s gone. KKR in massive trouble.

1.4, KKR 10/2: WICKET! KXIP on fire! A terrific delivery from Shami. Sensational seam position as always from him, the ball shapes away and the takes the outside edge of Tripathi’s bat. KKR’s batting in early trouble yet again.

After 1 over, KKR 9/1 (Gill 2, Tripathi 7): Tripathi’s attitude is praised by Sangakkara as he doesn’t miss out on one in the slot from Maxwell despite losing a wicket in the first over. A lovely sweep over midwicket for six.

0.2, KKR 1/1: WICKET! What a start for KXIP. Glenn Maxwell gets the wicket of Nitish Rana in the first over. The hero with the bat in KKR’s last match, Rana is out for a duck. Chris Gayle with the catch and he enjoyed that one. Innocuous delivery, swept straight to Universe Boss at short fine leg.

7.27 pm: KKR have lost both their matches at Sharjah so far this year while KXIP have won one and lost one. This is the final match for both teams here. Big one.

Confirmation of both playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders:
Shubman Gill
Nitish Rana
Rahul Tripathi
Dinesh Karthik
Eoin Morgan (C)
Sunil Narine
Pat Cummins
Lockie Ferguson
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Prasidh Krishna
Varun Chakravarthy

Kings XI Punjab:
KL Rahul (C)
Mandeep Singh
Chris Gayle
Nicholas Pooran
Glenn Maxwell
Deepak Hooda
Chris Jordan
Murugan Ashwin
Ravi Bishnoi
Mohammad Shami
Arshdeep Singh

7.14 pm: When these two sides last met.... a thrilling finish.

Watch: Sunil Narine’s sensational last over, Glenn Maxwell’s heartbreaking miss off the last ball

7.11 pm: Eoin Morgan also wanted to bowl first, for the record. The dew has been cited as a factor by both captains, how much will it impact in the second half?

7.10 pm: Have you voted in our daily poll?

TEAM NEWS: Both teams are unchanged, meaning Mayank Agarwal and Andre Russell will continue to miss out for their sides. Big blow for both sides in this massive match.

TOSS UPDATE: KL Rahul wins the toss and KXIP will be bowling first in Sharjah.

06.58 pm: Here’s the inspirational story of KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy:

06.55 pm: Here’s a look at KXIP’s results and their remaining fixtures this season. It’s already been a sensational turnaround for them, but can they keep their streak going?

06.48 pm: Here’s a look at KKR’s results and their remaining fixtures this season. Two winnable games after tonight, but a defeat against KXIP will make their playoff dream harder to achieve.

06.45 pm: The importance of two points tonight cannot be understated for the two sides. Read KKR vs KXIP preview here.

06.40 pm: Hello and welcome to coverage of match No 46 in the Indian Premier League, 13th edition. And boy, is it a big one. In a tournament like this, most matches are crucial in the league stage but this is one that is as close to a playoff situation as possible. No 4 Kolkata Knight Riders take on No 5 Kings XI Punjab and a win here is going to be massive in the race for playoffs.

Here’s how the all-important points table looks at the moment: