Report: Qualifier 2 – KXIP v CSK

Sehwag powers KXIP to their first ever IPL Final

Powered by a brilliant 122 from the willow of the legendary Virender Sehwag, Kings XI Punjab registered a 24-run victory against the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 2. After setting a steep 227-run target, KXIP and the Nawab of Najafgarh seemed to have met their match in Suresh Raina. The let-hander scored a 25-ball 87-run blinder as he looked to finish off the run-chase all by himself. However, his unforced dismissal – off a freak run-out in the seventh over – caused CSK to lose the initial momentum and also the match.

KXIP will now face KKR in the IPL 2014 Final on Sunday, June 1, 2014, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

KXIP Innings

Powerplay: Sehwag dominates CSK pacers

MS Dhoni asked KXIP to take first strike at Wankhede Stadium on a wicket that appeared to be batting-friendly. Doing justice to the track, Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra gave their team a great start. Barring the second over – which cost a solitary run – there was no respite for CSK as the likes of Ashish Nehra, Ishwar Pandey and Mohit Sharma were taken to the cleaners. In fact, the fourth over went for a whopping 24 runs, courtesy two fours and two sixes that were struck in it.

By the end of the powerplay, KXIP had scored 70 runs – out of which Sehwag accounted for 42 (in just 18 balls), while Vohra scored 25 during that stretch.

Middle Overs: CSK still have no answers for Viru

Despite Dhoni mixing the attack up with the spin of R Ashwin starting with the seventh over, there was no stopping the on-song KXIP openers. Sehwag even brought up his half-century in that over. The batting pair even picked on Ravindra Jadeja, and ended up bringing up their team’s 100 in the 10th over itself.

But finally, CSK caught a break, when Ishwar Pandey – bowling the 11th over – got rid of Manan Vohra (34) and gave up only two runs against the run of play, leaving KXIP on 110 for one. But that over was an aberration as Nehra conceded 20 off the next. And while Ashwin dismissed Glenn Maxwell (13) off the final ball of the 13th over, the off-spinner had already conceded 17 runs off the earlier five deliveries.

At 148 for two, David Miller joined Sehwag at the crease. The pair soon brought up the KXIP 150 in the 14th over. Then by the end of the 15th over, KXIP posted 167 runs for two wickets. Again, Sehwag was the chief destroyer as he was unbeaten on 98 at that stage and helped his team plunder 97 quick runs during the middle nine-over period.

Final Stretch: Vintage Sehwag powers KXIP past 200

Sehwag eventually got to his century in the 15th over with a single. However, he showed no signs of slowing down thereafter, and even Miller joined the onslaught. The duo scored 44 runs over the next three overs, and took KXIP past the 200-run mark. And finally, in the 18th over, CSK saw the back of Sehwag (122) off Nehra’s bowling. But before departing, the veteran opener struck 12 fours and eight maximums during his 58-ball innings, which was undoubtedly one of the highlights of Pepsi IPL 2014.

Even George Bailey (1) perished off Nehra a few balls later. And then, in the final over, Miller’s (38) 19-ball cameo came to an end, courtesy a run-out. And off the last ball of the innings, Mohit Sharma got rid of Wriddhiman Saha (6). But by that point, KXIP had already posted a massive 226 runs in their 20 overs, thanks largely to Sehwag’s stellar century. In all, 58 runs were scored in the final five overs.

CSK Innings

Powerplay: Ravaging Raina does the unthinkable 

In response, CSK lost Faf du Plessis (0) in the first over itself, off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson. But Suresh Raina, who walked in at No.3, then took matters in his own hands. The southpaw quickly got his eye in and struck a flurry of sixes and fours to neutralise the early loss. Thanks to his exploits – during which Dwayne Smith was a mere spectator – the CSK 50 came up in the fourth over, which ended up costing KXIP 20 runs. And then, to top off an unbelievable feat of batting Raina brought up his half-century off just 16 balls – with a big off-side six in the fifth over.

However, Smith (7), who was going at less than a run-a-ball was cleaned up by Sandeep Sharma later in that over. But Raina continued to smash big hit after big hit, and he struck two sixes and five fours – including one off a no-ball – to bring up the CSK 100 after just six overs, which is the highest powerplay score in the IPL. Raina’s score at the end of this period was 87 off just 25 balls – including 12 fours and six maximums.

Middle Overs: Raina goes, so does the momentum

But in an anti-climactic end to a brilliant knock, Raina (87) was run out by Bailey while responding to a Brendon McCullum single off the first ball of the seventh over. And thanks to this breakthrough, KXIP only concede a total of seven runs off the next two overs. Despite the flying start, CSK could only get as far as 122 for three at the halfway stage.

And while Jadeja helped pick 12 runs off the next over, McCullum (11) was run out at the end of the 12th over. Then, off the first ball of the next over, Jadeja (27) holed out to Johnson at thirdman off the bowling of Parvinder Awana. The KXIP pacer struck another blow four balls later with the wicket of David Hussey (1), leaving CSK on 142 for six in 12.5 overs. Thereafter, Dhoni and Ashwin came together and took their team to 155 for six by the end of the 15th over.

During the nine-over middle phase, CSK could score only 55 runs, as Raina’s loss clearly impacted the run-chase in a big way.

Final Stretch: Kings XI seal the match

With 72 more runs required off the final 30 deliveries, CSK needed their skipper to take charge – not only because he was the last recognised match-winner in the line-up, but also because if anyone could pull this run-chase off it was Dhoni. But he lost the company of Ashwin (10) in the 17th over – courtesy a stumping by Saha off the bowling of Akshar Patel. And by the end of that over the run-chase equation read 60 off 18 balls.

And then, it seemed like CSK had lost their one remaining beacon of hope when Johnson bowled Dhoni out, the Men in Yellow caught another break as video replays revealed that the pacer had clearly overstepped and captain cool was recalled. However, this turn of events did not change the course of the match, as the required run-rate kept climbing with every passing delivery. And despite Dhoni’s (42*) best efforts – including a last-ball six reminiscent of the 2011 World Cup-winning hit – CSK missed out on their sixth IPL Finals appearance as they ended up on 202 for seven.

Man of the Match: Virender Sehwag for his match-winning century

Report: Qualifier 1 – KXIP v KKR

Clinical Knight Riders storm into Finals by upstaging table-toppers

In what turned out to be an anticlimactic finish to the battle of the top two, the Kolkata Knight Riders overcame Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs. As a result, the Gautam Gambhir-led side has stormed into the Pepsi IPL 2014 Final – to be held at 8 pm on June 1, 2014.

KKR Innings
Powerplay: KKR bounce back after losing the toss and their skipper

Earlier, George Bailey won the toss and chose to field first at Eden Gardens. The decision paid off as Mitchell Johnson struck in the second over to get rid of Gambhir (1). But Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey then partnered to bring the innings back on track. Riding high on his great run during the league stage, Uthappa raced away to 37 off 21 deliveries during the powerplay. Even Pandey joined in the action – albeit a bit later – as KKR posted 55 for one in the first six overs.

During this period, barring the first two overs – which cost a combined five runs – every other powerplay over yielded at least nine runs. In fact, the fourth over, bowled by Johnson, went for 17, including two fours and a maximum by Uthappa.

Middle Overs: KXIP make crucial dents before death overs

KXIP did much better initially with the field spread out. Against the run of play, Akshar Patel conceded just three runs off the seventh over. And while KKR scored nine runs off the next over, Akshar dismissed the dangerous Uthappa (42). And off the very net ball, the KXIP spinner bowled Pandey (21) out, leaving KKR on 67 for three after nine overs. And at the halfway stage, the scorecard read 73 for three, with Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan in the middle.

Yusuf then survived a close leg-before shout in the next over, off Johnson. But the big-hitting batsmen did get into the groove, and after playing a few iffy shots, struck a six in the 14th over. However, soon thereafter, Shakib (18), who was looking to emulate his batting partner, ended up holing out to David Miller off the bowling of Karanveer Singh. And then, for a second time in the game, KKR lost two wickets in two balls off a spinner, as Yusuf (20) also got out off the leggie while trying to dispatch him over the ropes. Thanks to the two double-blows, the middle overs saw KKR score 57 runs for the loss of four vital wickets, with the scorecard reflecting 112 for five after 15 overs.

Final Stretch: KKR post 163/8 despite rain and spin

With two new batsmen – Ryan ten Doeschate and Suryakumar Yadav – at the crease, KKR looked to accelerate in the last five overs. However, their attempt was initially interrupted by a spell of rain. And then, even Akshar, who bowled the 16th over, muzzled the batsmen, giving away just two runs. But Yadav unleashed in the next over, striking a six and a four, helping KKR plunder 14 from it. ten Doeschate then took a leaf out of his partner’s book and smashed two maximums off Karanveer, before the young spinner cleaned up Yadav (20) , leaving KKR on 145 for six after 18 overs.

Johnson then got rid of ten Doeschate (17) and conceded only three runs off the 19th over. And while Sunil Narine (0) was run out, Piyush Chawla (17*) – courtesy three fours – plundered 15 runs off the final over to push the KKR total to 163 for eight.

For KXIP, Karanveer picked up three wickets for 40, whereas Akshar claimed two wickets, but conceded only 11 runs during his entire spell.

KXIP Innings

Powerplay: Openers depart in a mixed start

Even KXIP suffered an early loss as Virender Sehwag (2) was dismissed by Umesh Yadav in the second over. But Manan Vohra (26) then took the attack to the KKR bowlers. The young opener struck three maximums, until his departure – off the bowling of Morne Morkel – in the sixth over. During his brief stay in the middle, he was well-supported by Wriddhiman Saha as KXIP posted 46 runs in the first six overs, despite losing both their openers.

Middle Overs: Bowlers take over as rain eases

The middle stretch could not have started better for KKR as Umesh trapped the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (6) leg-before in the eighth over. Saha and David Miller then joined forces. Given the perpetual threat of rain, they had to keep an eye on the Duckworth-Lewis equation while steadying the run-chase. At the halfway point, they helped their side to 68 for three – 96 runs adrift of the target.

And while Saha (35) was looking solid and struck a six in the 11th over, Morkel got the better off him in the next over while attempting another big hit, leaving KXIP in dire straits at 80 for four. Then, in a surprise move, Bailey promoted Akshar ahead of him at No.6. But the KXIP skipper soon had to take strike anyway, as Chawla cleaned out Miller (8) a couple of deliveries later. And then, in the over next over, a run-out resulted in Akshar’s (2) downfall. By the end of the 15th over, KKR had KXIP pinned at 92 for six.

The crucial nine-over middle period saw the batting side put up just 24 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Final Stretch: Sporadic, late onslaught inadequate to overcome Umesh and co.

With a massive 72 runs needed in the final 30 balls, Rishi Dhawan came in to bat with Bailey, but the duo could only manage five singles off the 16th over. Although Bailey and Dhawan (14) struck a six each over the next few balls, the latter was stumped off Shakib, leaving KXIP on 117 for seven in 17.3 overs. But Bailey and Johnson continued to clobber the KXIP spinner, plundering a total of 21 runs from his over.

But then, Narine came to bowl and neutralised the damage done in the previous over, by conceding four runs off the next six tricky deliveries. The run-chase equation read 30 runs off six balls with Gambhir handing the ball to Umesh. The pacer vindicated his captain’s decision by getting the key wicket of Bailey (26) off his first ball. The new man in, Karanveer (1*), could only manage a single off the next delivery, thereby putting the game beyond KXIP’s reach. And the next four deliveries completely foxed Johnson (10*) and produced no runs, capping off a fabulous last over by Umesh – who was also the pick of the KKR bowlers as he finished with outstanding figures of 4-0-13-3.

In the end, KXIP could only manage 135 for eight in their 20-over quota.

Man of the Match: Umesh Yadav for his incredible bowling performance

Report: Eliminator – CSK v MI

All-round CSK eliminate MI, will face KXIP in Qualifier 2

A sublime performance from all departments saw the Chennai Super Kings register a massive seven-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians. As a result of this win, CSK will now face Kings XI Punjab in Qualifier two – scheduled for 8 pm on May 30, 2014 at Wankhede Stadium. Meanwhile, this loss spells the end of the road in IPL 2014 for defending champions MI.

MI Innings

Powerplay: Openers shine despite slow start

After MS Dhoni asked MI to bat first upon winning the toss, Lendl Simmons and Michael Hussey opened the innings at Brabourne Stadium. The duo started out cautiously, scoring a total of 23 runs in the initial four overs. However, both MI openers opened their shoulders thereafter, plundering 15 and 19 runs off the fifth and sixth overs respectively.

As a result, MI posted 53 for no loss in the powerplay despite a slow start.

Middle Overs: Simmons shines even as MI lose two key wickets

With the field spread out, Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over in order to stem the flow of runs. R Ashwin conceded just four runs off that over, followed by a six-run over by Ravindra Jadeja. And while the next two overs yielded a combined 19 runs, it also cost MI the wicket of Michael Hussey (39) – who as cleaned up Jadeja. At the halfway stage, the scorecard read 82 for one.

And while Corey Anderson (20) struck two maximums, he perished in the 13th over while going for his third big hit – off the bowling of Ashwin – leaving MI on 99 for two. But Simmons struck a six off the very next delivery to take MI past the 100-run mark. The West Indian opener then brought up his half-century with a strike to the boundary in the 14th over. And by the end of the 15th over, thanks largely to Simmons, MI were on 127 for two, scoring 75 runs during the crucial nine-over period.

Final Stretch: CSK pull back MI with timely strikes

With Simmons and Rohit Sharma in the middle, and a great platform to launch off, a big score appeared to be on the cards for MI. The 16th over went for 13 runs, but the next over – bowled by Jadeja – saw the end of Simmons (67), as he holed out at the long-on fence. With the scorecard reading 143 for three, Kieron Pollard came in to bat with his skipper. But the two had only added seven runs, when Rohit was dismissed by Mohit Sharma.

MI were on 153 for four with 12 balls left in their innings, and they had the right pair – Pollard and Ambati Rayudu – to take advantage of this situation. However, after picking a four and boundary off Ashish Nehra, Pollard (14) perished while going for another maximum later in the 19th over. Nehra then dismissed Aditya Tare (0) to finish off his four-over quota. And CSK then got another vital breakthrough – courtesy Mohit – as Rayudu (2) holed out to mid-off. The pacer then bowled Praveen Kumar (1) out a couple of deliveries later. However, Harbhajan Singh (7*) ended the MI innings with a big hit, breaking the shackles that CSK had applied, thanks to a seven-ball stretch that saw four batsmen walk back to the dugout.

As a result, MI ended up with 173 for eight after their 20 overs. For CSK, Mohit picked up three wickets, while Nehra and Jadeja accounted for two scalps apiece.

CSK Innings

Powerplay: CSK make a strong start

While MI had a couple of near misses in the early overs, CSK’s openers – Dwayne Smith and Faf du Plessis – were largely dominant in the early stages. While they were treading with caution against Praveen Kumar, who was swinging the ball prodigiously, they took Anderson to the cleaners in the fourth over, off which they plundered 18 runs. They even scored 17 runs off the sixth over, courtesy four fours off du Plessis’ willow.

By the end of the powerplay, the CSK batsmen had completely dominated the MI pace attack and posted 60 runs without loss.

Middle Overs: CSK on top despite triple-blow

The middle stretch seemed promising for MI as Harbhajan Singh bagged two key wickets in the seventh over. At first, the veteran spinner got rid of Smith (24), who holed out in the deep. And a couple of deliveries later, he dismissed du Plessis (35). But with Suresh Raina and Bredon McCullum in the middle, MI were not really out of the woods. They had the uphill task of stemming the flow of runs while picking timely wickets. And while they did get rid of McCullum (14) in the 10th over – off the bowling of Pragyan Ojha – CSK still managed to post 89 runs for the loss of three wickets by the halfway stage.

McCullum’s wicket was the last bit of success MI would taste as Raina kept chipping away at the target with David Hussey for company. By the end of the 15th over, the duo had laid the foundation for what was shaping into a match-winning partnership. At that point, the scorecard read 132 for three.

Final Stretch: Clinical Raina drives CSK home with David Hussey

With 42 runs needed from the last 30 balls, both Raina and David Hussey (40*) stepped up to the plate and put the pressure back on the bowling side. They plundered 20 runs off the 16th over to bring the required run-rate to below six-an-over. Raina (54*) then brought up his half-century in the 18th over with CSK within striking distance of their target. The southpaw then struck the winning four in the next over to complete a clinical run-chase in 18.4 overs.

Man of the Match: Suresh Raina for his match-winning half-century

Report: Match 56 – MI v RR

MI qualify for Playoffs after miraculous finish

Wankhede Stadium erupted in intermittent chants of “Corey, Corey,” “Rayudu, Rayudu,” “Tare, Tare,” and of course, “Mumbai, Mumbai” as emotions as diverse as joy, relief and disbelief swept through a sea of blue. In a match that was meant to separate the two sides – Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals – for the lone available Playoffs spot, emotions took centre stage as the defending IPL champions made it to the final four – albeit miraculously. Needing to scale the 190-run target set by RR in just 14.3 overs, MI managed to tie the score in the stipulated time. With the two sides’ net run-rates deadlocked, MI needed a boundary off the final ball, but what they got instead was a six to top off an improbable passage to the post-season.

Earlier, MI won the toss and asked the visitors to take first strike at Wankhede Stadium. However, much to the capacity crowd’s chagrin, Sanju Samson made sure he gave his team a good start. Although Shane Watson (8) was dismissed in the sixth over, the young RR opener stepped on the pedal with Karun Nair for company; in fact, the latter was the dominant partner during their second-wicket stand. RR were on 59 for one at the halfway stage. But then, the duo went on an all-out attack, and scored 19, 12, 16, 15 and 13 runs off over nos. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively. In the process, both batsmen reached their half-centuries as well.

However, Jasprit Bumrah ended their 57-ball 100-run stand by claiming the wicket of Nair (50), leaving RR on 134 for two after 15 overs. And soon thereafter, Shreyas Gopal got rid of Samson (73). Brad Hodge and James Faulkner then joined forces. After a couple of quiet overs, they took the attack to the MI bowlers. Thanks to their late onslaught, which produced a total of 46 runs in the final three overs, RR were propelled to a huge total. And despite Faulkner’s (23) dismissal – off the bowling of Kieron Pollard – in the final over, RR ended up posting 189 for four as Hodge (29*) struck a four off the final delivery of the innings.

In order to make the Playoffs, MI needed to get over the line in 14.3 overs. Lendl Simmons and Michael Hussey gave them a flying – but brief – start. After adding 19 runs, Simmons (12) was dismissed by Dhawal Kulkarni in the second over. But Corey Anderson, who came in at No.3, also joined in the big hitting. He added 34 runs with Hussey (22), before the latter was cleaned up by Kevon Cooper in the fifth over. The RR pacer then got rid of Pollard (7) a few deliveries later. Despite the three early wickets, MI managed 70 runs in the powerplay.

Anderson then continued to go after the RR bowlers and added 47 runs off 26 balls with Rohit Sharma (12). But Kulkarni dismissed the MI skipper in the 10th over to leave the home side on 108 for four. Anderson, meanwhile, reached his half-century with a big hit later in the over as MI reached 120 at the halfway stage.

What transpired over the next 4.4 overs was nothing short of surreal. The MI faithful were witness to arguably the most famous win in franchise history as Anderson (95*) and Ambati Rayudu (30) went after the RR attack with all their might, and then some! Scoring boundaries and maximums at a remarkable rate, the duo brought the Playoffs qualification equation down to 20 runs off nine balls after scoring 19, 18 and 13 runs off the 11th, 12th and 13th overs respectively. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Anderson struck two fours off Pravin Tambe, to bring the equation down to 10 runs off three balls after the leggie’s over.

Shane Watson then handed the ball to Faulkner, who conceded a single off the first ball he bowled that over. Rayudu then stepped up to the plate and dispatched a full-toss over the fence. With MI needing two runs off one delivery to make the Playoffs, Rayudu struck the ball to mid-off, and he scampered for a single. However, an over-throw from Brad Hodge saw both batters going for the winning run. But Rayudu was run-out in the attempted second run, as the RR dugout leapt in jubilation.

But there was a twist in the tale. As a result of the tied scores at the end of 14.3 overs, both MI and RR sported identical net run-rates. Hence, as per fresh calculations, it was clear that MI were still in with a chance to qualify, provided they scored at least a four off the next delivery. Then thanks to Aditya Tare (6*), they did not get just a four, but in fact, a big six on the leg side to seal an emphatic win and their passage to the Playoffs.

MI will now face CSK in the Eliminator at Brabourne Stadium on May 28.

Man of the Match: Corey Anderson for his superlative match-winning knock

Report: Match 55 – KXIP v DD

Kings XI cap off dream league season with seven-wicket win at Mohali

Thanks to yet another all-round display, Kings XI Punjab clocked in a massive seven-wicket win against the Delhi Daredevils in Mohali. After dismissing the bottom-placed side for 115, the KXIP batters ensured their side got over the line with seven wickets in hand and 6.1 overs to spare.

Earlier, KXIP asked DD to bat first upon winning the toss. While Kevin Pietersen came out with a positive mindset, he got virtually no support at the end. The Daredevils lost Mayank Agarwal (2) in the third over; he was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson. Dinesh Karthik (13) came to bat at No.3, and while he struck three fours during his seven-ball knock, he returned to the dugout without making a big impact – courtesy Parvinder Awana – leaving DD on 44 for two. And a few balls later, Awana also got rid of Kedar Jadhav (0) to rock the visitors on the back foot.

Pietersen, meanwhile, rallied on and brought up his team’s 50 by the end of the seventh over. But soon, he lost yet another batting ally, when Manoj Tiwary (8) was run out in the 10th over. By the halfway stage, DD had scored 69 runs for the loss of four wickets. However, undeterred by the procession of wickets at the other end, Pietersen brought up his half-century in the 11th over with a strike to the boundary. But his liaison with JP Duminy (8) came to an end, when the latter was foxed by the leg-spin of Karanveer Singh in the 13th over. And then, Rishi Dhawan broke Pietersen’s (58) resistance in the next over, when he had the DD skipper trapped leg-before.

Jimmy Neesham and Shahbaz Nadeem (2*) then took their team’s total past 100 in the 15th over. However, after adding 17 runs for the seventh wicket, Karanveer Singh struck again, to dismiss Neesham (12). Akhaar Patel then dealt a double-blow in the 18th over to get rid of Mohammed Shami (0) and Imran Tahir (4) in quick succession. Mitchell Johnson then got rid of Jaydev Unadkat (0) to wrap up the DD innings for 115 in 18.1 overs.

In response, KXIP lost two big wickets early on. Shami dismissed Virender Sehwag (9) in the third over, and then, Unadkat gave his team a major breakthrough by getting the better of Glenn Maxwell (0) in the very next over. However, Manan Vohra (47) and David Miller (47*) ensured there were no further hiccups as the duo took their side within four runs of the target. During their 60-ball partnership, they struck a total of eight fours and three sixes as they dispatched any loose offerings from the DD bowlers to and over the fence. And while both of them missed out on much deserved half-centuries, thanks to their efforts, KXIP finished the league stage with 22 points to cap off a dominant regular season that saw them lose only thrice in 14 games.

The only consolation for the Daredevils was the fact that Vohra (47) was cleaned up by Imran Tahir with the KXIP score on 112. Miller (47*) eventually sealed the game with a maximum, as his team got over the line in 13.5 overs with seven wickets in hand. The table-toppers now face the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 27 in Qualifier 1.

Man of the Match: Manan Vohra for his outstanding batting performance

Report: Match 54 – KKR v SRH

Smashing Yusuf bats KKR to second-place finish on points table

Yusuf Pathan (72 off 22 balls) stole all the headlines even as the Kolkata Knight Riders made it to the top-two of the Pepsi IPL 2014 points table by upstaging CSK’s net run-rate. Needing to scale the 161-run target set by Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Knight Riders got home in just 14.2 overs with five wickets in hand. In the process, Yusuf also recorded the fastest fifty in IPL history in front of a capacity crowd at Eden Gardens.

Earlier, KKR drew first blood after opting to field first; Morne Morkel bowled David Warner (4) out in the first over of the match. However, Shikhar Dhawan and Naman Ojha then brought the SRH innings back on track. They helped the visitors score 49 runs in the powerplay and continued to strike regular fours and occasional sixes. But in the eighth over, Ojha (26) had to walk back to the dugout, after he was caught by Ryan ten Doeschate off his own bowling, leaving SRH on 69 for two. And 20 runs later, Dhawan (29) also departed, as a result of a run-out.

Darren Sammy then joined forces with Venugopal Rao and took the SRH score past 100 – in the 14th over. The pair added 32 runs off 16 balls, before Rao (27) also fell prey to a mix-up that resulted in his run-out. Shakib Al Hasan then foxed Srikkanth Anirudha (3), who was promptly stumped by Robin Uthappa in the 17th over. However, Sammy and Jason Holder ensured they took their team’s total past the 150 mark, thanks to their 18-ball 28-run stand. But both batsmen got out in the final over of the innings. Holder (16) was the first to go, courtesy a run-out – the third of the innings. Sammy (29) departed off the very next ball when he holed out to Shakib off the bowling of Vinay Kumar. SRH ended up posting a competitive 160 for seven in 20 overs.

In response, Gautam Gambhir (28) went after the opposition bowlers from the word go. He was ably supported by Robin Uthappa as the duo added 43 runs in quick time. However, the KKR skipper got out off the bowling of Holder in the fifth over. Manish Pandey (2) was the next man to depart; with the KKR score on 55, the middle-order batsman holed out to Dale Steyn off Karn Sharma’s bowling. Meanwhile, Uthappa (41) kept chipping away at the target. But his 30-ball innings came to an end when he tried to dispatch Karn Sharma over the fence and ended up handing a catch to Holder in the 10th over. KKR then suffered another blow in the same over as ten Doeschate (0) was found short of his crease.

At the halfway mark, the scorecard read 78 for four, and two of KKR’s most hard-hitting batsmen – Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan – were in the middle. Thanks to two fours and two sixes off Yusuf’s willow, the 11th over yielded 22 runs. The right-hander then struck two more maximums in the next over as he brought the required rate under six-an-over. However, KKR needed to scale the target in 15.2 overs to upstage CSK’s net run-rate and end up in the top two on the points table.

But Shakib (1) was dismissed in the same over – the 12th of the innings – by Karn Sharma. However, Yusuf did not relent as he struck Steyn for a four and a six off back-to-back deliveries to bring up his fifty, off just 15 balls – the fastest half-century in the IPL. Unfortunately for Steyn and SRH, it did not end there as Yusuf struck another six and two fours off the South African pacer to plunder a total of 26 runs off the 13th over. Yusuf (72) hit another six – taking his innings tally to six maximums – before Karn Sharma ended his 22-ball blinder.

However, Suryakumar Yadav – who struck two big hits himself, including the score-tying six – made sure KKR got home in 14.2 overs. As a result of this thumping five-wicket victory, the Knight Riders finished their league play ahead of CSK and will now face KXIP in Qualifier 1, at Eden Gardens on May 27.

Man of the Match: Yusuf Pathan for his match-winning half-century

Report: Match 53 – RCB v CSK

Super Kings finish league phase on a high note

The Chennai Super Kings romped home by eight wickets while chasing the 155-run target set by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Fuelled by Faf du Plessis (54*) and MS Dhoni’s (49*) timely knocks, the Men in Yellow did not flinch during a very fluent run-chase. While CSK have already qualified for the Pepsi IPL 2014 Playoffs, this sizable win would definitely help their net run-rate as the second spot in the league standings is still up for grabs.

Earlier, CSK asked RCB to bat first and dealt an early blow as Ashish Nehra cleaned up Rilee Rossouw in the first over itself. And while Yogesh Takawale and Vijay Zol tried to stabilise the innings, they also had to return to the dugout after making brief contributions. While R Ashwin trapped Takawale (19) leg-before in the fifth over, Zol (13) was dismissed by Mohit Sharma just before the powerplay ended, leaving RCB on 34 for three in 5.4 overs.

Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh then came together and took their team’s score to 56 at the halfway stage. The pair then stepped on the pedal and went after any loose offerings from the CSK bowlers while also picking regular singles and twos. However, Yuvraj (25) fell prey to Jadeja in the 14th over. AB de Villiers then paired up with his skipper, and thanks to their efforts, the RCB 100 came up in the 15th over of the innings, thereby setting a decent platform for both set batsmen to launch off.

They did continue scoring at a fair clip in an attempt to set CSK a challenging total .In fact, Kohli even brought up his half-century with a four off Ashwin in the 17th over. But he lost de Villiers’ company in the next over as Nehra returned to clean up the South African batsman in the next over. Sachin Rana (5*) then came to bat with the scorecard reading 130 for five in 17.4 overs. He held up one end as Kohli (73) piled on the runs at the other. However, the RCB captain was dismissed in the final over by Nehra, as RCB scored 154 for six in their 20 overs.

Dwayne Smith and Faf du Plessis then gave CSK a flying start. After a relatively quiet first over, the dashing duo plundered 15, 15 and 18 runs off the second, third and fourth overs respectively. In the process they also took their team past the 50-run mark. And while the home team caught a break when Smith’s (34) 17-ball cameo came to an end in the fifth over, CSK still posted 64 runs in the powerplay as du Plessis was joined by Suresh Raina. The second-wicket pair added 28 runs, before Yuvraj had Raina (18) stumped against the run of play. And by the halfway mark, RCB had managed pull CSK back a bit with the scorecard reflecting 87 for two.

But du Plessis continued to capitalise on the good start he had got, and along with MS Dhoni, he soon brought up the CSK 100 in the 14th over. Even the CSK skipper cranked it up a notch and played a key role in scoring 22 runs off the 16th over of the innings. Thanks to that onslaught, CSK needed just 21 runs off the final 24 balls. They then knocked off the remaining runs in just 10 deliveries, as du Plessis (53*) struck the winning six, which also brought up his half-century. Meanwhile, Dhoni (49*), whose 28-ball knock saw him strike four fours and three sixes, barely missed out on a fifty.

As a result, CSK have 18 points from their 14 games. While they are currently placed second in the points table, the outcome of the KKR-SRH game will decide who among the Super Kings and Knight Riders ends up in the top two, along with KXIP, who have already clinched the top spot.

Man of the Match: MS Dhoni for his match-winning performance

Report: Match 52 – KXIP v RR

RR suffer 16-run loss; MI, SRH still in Playoffs race

Despite some late heroics by the likes of Brad Hodge and James Faulkner, the Rajasthan Royals ended up losing their away match against Kings XI Punjab by 16 runs. By virtue of this result, RR (14 points, 4th place), Mumbai Indians (12 points, 5th place) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (12 points, 6th place) are still in the running for the last available Pepsi IPL 2014 Playoffs spot. Meanwhile, KXIP (20 points) are guaranteed a top finish in the league stage thanks to this win.

Earlier, Shane Watson asked KXIP to bat first at Mohali after winning the toss. Virender Sehwag (18) came out with a destructive intent as he helped plunder 15 runs off the first over of the game. And while the senior opener struck three fours and a maximum during his eight-ball innings, James Faulkner got rid of him in the third over itself. Shaun Marsh then joined Manan Vohra, and the duo made a fluent start, taking KXIP to 53 for one by the end of the powerplay. However, Vohra (25) was run out a short while later, just when he was looking in good touch.

Meanwhile, Marsh continued to routinely dispatch the RR bowlers to and over the fence. Wriddhiman Saha gave him great company as KXIP clocked in 83 runs for the loss of two wickets by the halfway point. The pair then brought up their team’s 100 in the 12th over. However, Marsh (40) walked back to the dugout, courtesy a run-out, leaving KXIP on 113 for three. And six runs later, Saha (27) also departed, after he holed out to Ajinkya Rahane off Rahul Tewatia.

This brought the hard-hitting David Miller (29*) and KXIP skipper George Bailey (26*) together. After playing out a couple of overs, the duo stepped on the pedal and took the RR bowlers to the cleaners in the death. They scored a total of 46 runs in the final three overs – including 23 off the 19th over of the innings – to propel the KXIP score to 179 for four.

In response, Ajinkya Rahane and Karun Nair (11) opened the RR innings. However, the latter was dismissed by Lakshmipathy Balaji with just 21 runs on the board. But Rahane rallied on as he was joined by Sanju Samson. Both batters steadied the innings initially and took the visitors’ score to 44 for one by the end of the powerplay. But then, Rishi Dhawan dealt a massive double-blow in the ninth over; he first cleaned up Rahane (23), and on the very next delivery, he meted out the exact same treatment to Shane Watson (0). Even Stuart Binny’s (7) stay in the middle was brief – debutant Karanveer Singh foxed him with his leg-spin, leaving RR tottering on 70 for four in 11.1 overs.

And while Sanju Samson tried to hold up one end, he ended up being Karanveer’s second victim, in the 14th over. Thanks to some exceptional bowling, the 26-year-old Punjab leggie ended up with figures of 4-0-16-2. Tewatia (16) and Brad Hodge then paired up and took the RR score past the 100-run mark in the 16th over. But Tewatia perished in the same over – off the bowling of Akshar Patel. Even Hodge (31), who was looking dangerous and helped plunder a whopping 22 runs off the 17th over, was unable to carry his bat till the end; the veteran batsman was stumped by Saha off the bowling of Akshar Patel in the next over. The KXIP spinner, who ended up with three for 24, then got rid of Kevon Cooper (2) a couple of deliveries later.

With RR needing 49 runs off 12 balls, Faulkner went after Balaji in the 19th over. He struck two sixes and a four to reap a total of 18 runs during that six-ball stretch. RR still needed 31 off the final six deliveries, and while Faulkner (35*) struck two sixes, he could not save his side from a 16-run loss, as RR ended up at 163 for eight in 20 overs.

Man of the Match: Shaun Marsh for his outstanding performance with the bat and in the field

Report: Match 51 – MI v DD

MI keep Playoffs hopes alive with crucial win

The Mumbai Indians registered a 15-run win against the Delhi Daredevils at Wankhede Stadium to keep their Playoffs hopes alive. The hosts were given a boost by opener Michael Hussey (56 off 33 balls) in the must-win encounter, before a late collapse saw them fold for 173. The MI bowlers then ensured the visitors did not get over the line and were restricted to 158 for four after their 20-over quota.

Earlier, DD won the toss and chose to field first. After Lendl Simmons’ great showing at Mohali a couple of nights ago, today it was his opening partner, Michael Hussey’s turn to shine. The veteran batsman did not take too long to go after the DD bowlers. Thanks to half-dozen boundaries from his willow, MI raced to the 50-run mark in the fifth over itself. He even launched a maximum in the next over to help his team compile a total of 65 runs in the powerplay. At that point, Hussey was batting on 40, while Simmons, who was on 17 at that stage, seemed content with supporting his partner.

However, Simmons perished in the eighth over – off the bowling of Imran Tahir – leaving MI on 87 for one. But Hussey, who soon brought up his half-century, continued to run up the score and took MI to 100 for one at the halfway stage. He was eventually run out in the 12th over with his team going at a rate of 10-an-over. Jaydev Unadkat then gave the visitors a crucial breakthrough with the wicket of Rohit Sharma (30). And thereafter, MI went off track, losing wickets at regular intervals. Kieron Pollard (11) was dismissed by Unadkat a couple of deliveries after his skipper. Even Ambati Rayudu (2) and Aditya Tare (14) did not last long; while the former fell prey to Shahbaz Nadeem in the 16th over, the MI wicketkeeper became Tahir’s second victim of the game, in the very next over.

Wayne Parnell then returned to get rid of Harbhajan Singh (2). Marchant de Lange (1) was the next man to depart; he became the third batsman in the hosts’ line-up to get foxed by Tahir. DD then effected two run-outs – to dismiss Pragyan Ojha in the 19th over, and Shreyas Gopal (11) in the final over – to bowl MI out for 173 with three balls to spare.

In response, Kevin Pietersen started with a flourish. The DD skipper punished all loose offerings from the MI bowlers, while Murali Vijay, at the other end, played the perfect foil. Pietersen struck regular fours and the occasional big hit to keep the DD run-rate up to speed with the required rate. However, he lost Vijay’s company in the sixth over with the score on 43, as Gopal struck for MI. And after adding 16 runs for the second wicket with Dinesh Karthik, even Pietersen (44) departed; he was cleaned up by Harbhajan. de Lange then picked up his first wicket in MI colours when he bowled Karthik (7) out in the 10th over. At the halfway point, DD were playing catch-up, at 62 for three, despite a promising start.

But with JP Duminy and Manoj Tiwary joining forces, DD were very much in the contest. Starting with the 12th over, the duo took the attack to the MI bowlers. Over the next three overs, they added 32 runs, and took their team past the 100-run mark. Then after a slow 15th over, they plundered a combined 25 runs off the 16th and 17th overs. Thanks to their exploits, DD needed 44 runs off 18 balls at that point. The next over cost MI 12 runs, as the match was heading to a thrilling finish. But de Lange bowled a great 19th over in which he conceded only seven runs and picked up the wicket of Tiwary (41) to tilt the match in MI’s favour. And despite Duminy’s (40*) best efforts, DD could only manage 158 for four in 20 overs.

Thanks to the two points earned from this result, MI now have 12 points from 13 games, and hence, are still in the running for the last available Playoffs spot.

Man of the Match: Michael Hussey for his match-winning half-century

Report: Match 50 – CSK v SRH

Warner hands SRH crucial win

David Warner (90 off 45 balls) may have missed out on a well-deserved century, but he certainly helped his team’s cause as they try to grab the last available Playoffs spot in Pepsi IPL 2014. Thanks to the left-handed opener’s heroics, Sunrisers Hyderabad made easy work of Chennai Super Kings’ 185-run total. Also aided by Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten half-century, the visitors romped home by six wickets with two balls to spare.

Earlier, Darren Sammy won the toss and asked CSK to take first strike. The Men in Yellow then got a great start, thanks to Dwayne Smith and his new opening partner, Faf du Plessis. The pair added 33 runs in quick time. However, their partnership ended due to a freak run-out, which saw the ball deflecting

off Karn Sharma’s hand and hitting the stumps at the non-striker’s end, finding du Plessis (19) short of his ground. However, Smith (47) continued to go after the opposition bowlers with full force. Thanks to his big hitting, CSK scored 60 runs in the powerplay. But Karn Sharma soon got the better of the West Indian opener, leaving CSK on 68 for two.

Suresh Raina (4) also fell to the SRH leg-spinner; the southpaw holed out to Aaron Finch in the ninth over. Upon his dismissal, MS Dhoni joined David Hussey in the middle and the pair brought up the CSK 100 in the 14th over. And then, after getting their eye in, both batters unleashed a flurry of strokes, picking a combined 40 runs off the next three overs. With the scorecard reading 140 for three after 17 overs, the duo had built a platform for a late-innings onslaught; and that is exactly what the Ranchi crowd witnessed.

Both batters took the attack to the opposition to plunder 21 runs off the next two overs. And then, in the final over, Dhoni waged an all-out attack on Dale Steyn – the CSK skipper struck two fours and two maximums to reap 24 runs from the final six balls of the innings. Thanks to Hussey (50*) and Dhoni’s (57*) unbroken 108-run stand, CSK posted 185 or three in 20 overs.

In response, SRH got a dream start, thanks to David Warner. From the very first over, the Australian opener stepped on the accelerator and took the CSK bowlers to the cleaners. He even dominated the strike as Shikhar Dhawan played the supporting role at the other end. Thanks to the early onslaught, SRH posted 64 for no loss in the powerplay – including 21 runs in the sixth over, in which Warner brought up his half-century. By the halfway stage, the visitors had clocked in 100 runs – out of which Dhawan accounted for 16 and Warner a staggering 80.

However, a century eluded the left-hander as he was dismissed by John Hastings just 10 runs short of it, in the 12th over. But by then, Dhawan had settled in and began to guide the run-chase. In the company of Naman Ojha (17) – who returned to the dugout in the 18th over – the SRH opener added 52 runs. Dhawan (64*) even lost Sammy’s company in the final over with SRH just two runs adrift of the target. However, Venugopal Rao (4*) struck the winning blow with two balls to spare. As a result, SRH registered a big six-wicket away win and bagged two points at a stage where a total of three teams are vying for the one remaining Playoffs spot.

Man of the Match: David Warner for his match-winning half-century 

Report: Match 49 – KKR v RCB

Knight Riders storm into Playoffs with 30-run win

Kolkata Knight Riders became the third team to make it to the Pepsi IPL 2014 Playoffs, thanks to their 30-run win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. After Robin Uthappa (83 off 51 balls) and Shakib Al Hasan (60 off 38 balls) helped KKR to 195 for four, Sunil Narine (4-0-20-4) led the charge for the home side to clock in a massive win.

Earlier, Virat Kohli asked the hosts to bat first after winning the toss at Eden Gardens. Mitchell Starc then dealt an early blow by dismissing Gautam Gambhir (4) in the first over itself. Manish Pandey (13) was the next man to depart; Ashok Dinda claimed his scalp, leaving KKR on 23 for two in 3.4 overs. However, Robin Uthappa continued his good run in the tournament. He initially played second fiddle to Yusuf Pathan as the duo took the score past the 50-run mark in the seventh over. However, after Yusuf (22) was run out shortly thereafter, Uthappa came into his own. With Shakib Al Hasan at the other end, the KKR opener scripted yet another valuable knock for his side.

The duo took their team’s score past the 100-run mark in the 12th over. And a couple of overs later, Uthappa brought up his half-century – his fifth this season. Meanwhile, even Shakib was going great guns; he also struck routine fours and sixes to take KKR to the 150 mark in the 16th over. His fifty came up soon after with a strike to the boundary. However, Shakib’s (60) 38-ball knock ended in the 19th over when Abu Nechim cleaned him up. However, Uthappa (83*) stayed unbeaten till the end – claiming the Orange Cap in the process – and along with Ryan ten Doeschate (6*) helped KKR put up 195 for four in 20 overs. In fact, the home team scored 109 runs for the loss of just one wicket in the second half of their innings.

RCB’s response to KKR’s massive total was anything but ideal. The visitors just scored one run off the first over, and after picking up five from the first five balls of the next, they lost Chris Gayle (6), who was trapped leg-before by Umesh Yadav. Then, Yogesh Takawale and Virat Kohli tried to get RCB’s run-chase back on track. Capitalising on the limited opportunities offered by the KKR bowlers, the two batters brought up the team’s 50 in the eighth over. But they then unleashed, plundering 17 runs off the next over and taking the RCB score to 72 at the halfway stage.

But just when it looked like they were building something special, Kohli (38) perished; Sunil Narine got rid of the RCB skipper in the 13th over. And a couple of deliveries later, the wily spinner got the better of Takawale (45) as well. With the scorecard reading 93 for three in 13 overs, Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers came together. But they were unable to accelerate immediately, and with five overs remaining, RCB were still 90 runs adrift of the target.

That is when Yuvraj (22) unleashed and played a vital role in plundering 22 runs off the 16th over. However, the southpaw was sent back by Narine in the next. And yet again, the off-spinner dealt a double-blow as he bowled out de Villiers off the last ball of his over to finish with stunning figures of four for 20 and reclaiming the Purple Cap. And while Sachin Rana (19*) and Starc (12*) added 32 runs for the sixth wicket, they could not avoid a 30-run loss. Thanks to this win, KKR qualified for the Playoffs with one more league fixture to go.

Man of the Match: Robin Uthappa for yet another match-winning half-century

Report: Match 48 – KXIP v MI

Centurion Simmons steers MI to seven-wicket win against table-toppers

A blistering century – the first of Pepsi IPL 2014 – by Lendl Simmons saw the Mumbai Indians register a big seven-wicket away win over table-toppers Kings XI Punjab. Chasing a 157-run target, MI were guided by the flamboyant Simmons, whose 61-ball unbeaten knock saw him strike 14 fours and two big hits. As a result of the win, MI now have 10 points from 12 games and are placed fifth on the points table, and more importantly, are still in the race for a Playoffs spot.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and asked KXIP to take first strike at Mohali. However, Virender Sehwag (17) gave the hosts a flying start. He helped plunder 23 runs off the first two overs, before getting run-out in the third. Despite the early loss, Manan Vohra continued his good run in Pepsi IPL 2014, and he had Shaun Marsh giving him great company too. Together, the duo took the KXIP score to 48 for one at the end of the powerplay. They added 62 runs off 43 balls as they regularly dispatched the ball to and over the fence. However, their partnership ended when Krishmar Santokie got rid of Marsh (30) in the 10th over.

Capitalising on the slight shift in momentum, Shreyas Gopal then dealt a massive double-blow. The young leggie first cleaned up Vohra (36) and then held on to Glenn Maxwell’s (2) catch off his own bowling in the space of three deliveries. Thanks to Gopal’s exploits, KXIP were suddenly reduced to 93 for four after 11 overs. Even Wriddhiman Saha (3) had to walk back to the dugout soon after; he was run-out in the 15th over. And thanks to these breakthroughs, MI were able to keep a check on the KXIP run-rate as well. And in an attempt to step on the accelerator, Akshar Patel (6) ended up holing out to Rohit Sharma off the bowling of Praveen Kumar.

With the scorecard reading 116 for six in 16.1 overs, Rishi Dhawan (14*) joined forces with George Bailey. Fuelled by the KXIP skipper’s big shots, the seventh-wicket pair added 38 runs off 20 balls. However, Bailey (39) perished off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah in the last over of the innings. The MI pacer then dismissed Beuran Hendricks (0) a couple of deliveries later as KXIP ended up on 156 for eight in 20 overs.

In response, Lendl Simmons went after the KXIP bowlers from the get go. He did not let the likes of Sandeep Sharma and Hendricks settle down, and kept picking routine boundaries off them. Such was the Trinidadian opener’s dominance that by the time the MI 50 came up – in the fifth over – Michael Hussey, who was holding up the other end, had scored only two runs as opposed to Simmons’ 42. The hard-hitting batter then brought up his half-century off 27 balls as MI posted 62 runs in the powerplay.

KXIP then struck back in the seventh over as Akshar Patel cleaned up Hussey (6). However, Simmons continued to go after the opposition bowlers. By the halfway stage, he helped MI to 96 for one, just 61 runs adrift of the target. And while Ambati Rayudu (17) was dismissed by Rishi Dhawan in the 12th over, Rohit Sharma (18) came in to bat as MI had the target well in their range. But even he departed before MI got over the line; Hendricks claimed his wicket. However, the night belonged to Simmons (100*), who scored the first century of the season, before Kieron Pollard (9*) struck a maximum to hand his side a seven-wicket win with six balls to spare.

Man of the Match: Lendl Simmons for his match-winning century

Report: Match 47 – KKR v CSK

Uthappa stars in big win for KKR

Notching a record seventh consecutive 40-plus score in the IPL, Robin Uthappa (67 off 39 balls) helped the Kolkata Knight Riders register a massive eight-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens. The KKR opener gave his team a match-winning start in their chase of CSK’s 154-run total. And later, the home team’s cause was furthered by Shakib Al Hasan (46 off 21 balls), who ensured his team got over the line with 12 balls to spare.

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir won the toss and opted to field first. The KKR bowlers vindicated their skipper’s decision by bowling a great couple of overs up front. In fact, debutant Pat Cummins bowled a wicket-maiden to kick start his IPL career; the Australian pacer cleaned up Dwayne Smith (5) in the second over. However, Brendon McCullum, with support from Suresh Raina, launched a counterattack. Thanks to a couple of big hits, the duo managed to negate the early damage and added 35 runs in the powerplay and even brought up the CSK fifty in the eighth over.

But McCullum (28) fell prey to Sunil Narine in the 11th over. Raina and Faf du Plessis then carved out a 62-run partnership, which saw them take the CSK score past the 100-run mark in the 15th over. However, both batsmen departed in quick succession; first, du Plessis was run-out in the 17th over, and then, Chawla dismissed Raina (65), after he had scored an innings-steadying half-century. And then, despite MS Dhoni (21) and Ravindra Jadeja’s (9*) best efforts in the final few overs, the Super Kings could only tally 154 for four in 20 overs against a very disciplined KKR bowling attack.

In response, Robin Uthappa gave his team yet another big start. With Gautam Gambhir at the other end, the wicketkeeper-batsman scored the lion’s share of the 64-run first-wicket stand. Thanks to his efforts, KKR posted 52 runs in the powerplay itself. And while the home team lost Gambhir (21) in the seventh over, Uthappa kept chipping away at the target with routine boundaries – he struck a staggering 10 fours and one maximum during his 39-ball innings. He got out in the 12th over, off the bowling of Jadeja, with KKR’s score on 98.

But by the time Uthappa departed, his side was in the driver’s seat and they were helped over the line by the third-wicket pair of Manish Pandey (18*) and Shakib Al Hasan (46*). While the former played a great supporting role, Shakib stepped on the accelerator as he struck six fours and two sixes during his 21-ball blitz. He even struck the winning four at the end of the 18th over to take KKR to yet another big win in Pepsi IPL 2014.

As a result of this victory, KKR now have 14 points from 12 games and are trailing the Rajasthan Royals – who are currently placed third and have the same number of points – based on their net run-rate alone.

Man of the Match: Robin Uthappa for his match-winning half-century

Report: Match 46 – SRH v RCB

Sunrisers stay alive in Playoffs race with seven-wicket win

Thanks to a seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up all-important two points that will come in handy as the mid-table race for the Pepsi IPL 2014 Playoffs heats up. Thanks to half-centuries by their openers – Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner – SRH achieved the 161-run target with two overs to spare. Even their bowlers – led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar – did well to restrict the strong RCB line-up to 160 for six.

Earlier, Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first in Hyderabad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then struck in the first over by trapping Parthiv Patel (4) leg-before. The SRH bowlers then pumped the breaks on the scoring-rate despite Chris Gayle and Kohli joining forces. In fact, Karn Sharma ended Gayle’s (14) 20-ball stay at the crease in the sixth over. And by the end of the powerplay, RCB had posted a pedestrian 25 for two.

And while Yuvraj Singh came in to bat with his skipper, the duo could not speed up the scoring rate right away. But they did accelerate once the team fifty came up in the 11th over; first, Yuvraj played a key role in plundering 12 off a Parvez Rasool over, and then, Kohli scored 19 in the next over, which was bowled by Karn Sharma. However, soon thereafter, Yuvraj holed out to Dale Steyn in the deep, off the bowling of Rasool, leaving RCB on 80 for three in 12.2 overs.

AB de Villiers then took guard opposite Kohli, and the pair soon brought up the RCB hundred in the 15th over. Meanwhile, Kohli also brought up his half-century, before he and his batting partner took Darren Sammy for 19 runs off his next over. However, Kohli’s (67) innings came to an end in the 18th over, when he handed Steyn a catch off Irfan Pathan. de Villiers (29) was soon cleaned up by Bhuvneshwar, leaving RCB on 146 for five in 18.1 overs. Sachin Rana (12*) and Mitchell Starc (6) then took the SRH total to 160, until the latter was run-out off the last ball of the innings.

SRH’s response started on a high note with Shikhar Dhawan taking charge of proceedings along with David Warner. They went after the RCB bowlers and brought up the SRH fifty in the sixth over itself, scoring a total of 51 runs in the powerplay. By the halfway stage, the first-wicket pair added 72 runs. Warner then struck three maximums during the span of the next two overs to put SRH in the driver’s seat. Dhawan (50) then reached his fifty in the 13th over – his first half-century of the season. However, the southpaw was run-out shortly after that, leaving SRH on 100 for one in 12.3 overs.

Naman Ojha then paired up with Warner, who brought up his half-century in the 15th over. Even Ojha went after the opposition bowlers by striking a maximum early in his innings. He added 26 runs with Warner (59), who was finally dismissed by Varun Aaron in the 17th over. Aaron Finch was the next man in for SRH with the run-chase equation reading 35 runs off 23 balls. Both Ojha and Finch (11*) kept the scorecard ticking, but were unable to launch much-needed big hits during the next couple of overs.

With two overs to go, SRH still needed 20 runs to scale the 161-run target. Ojha (24) then struck Aaron for a six, after the bowler conceded a couple of singles off the first two deliveries of the 19th over. And while the RCB pacer claimed his wicket off the next ball, Sammy – who walked in at No.5 – struck a first-ball six, followed by a single, to tilt the match in his team’s favour. With four runs required off the final over, Starc conceded a single off the first ball, and followed it up with a dot. But after the next delivery went for a single, Sammy (10*) took his team over the line – with two balls to spare – thanks to a double.

Both teams now have 10 points from 12 games and are currently separated only by their net run-rate on the points table, where RCB occupy the fifth and SRH the sixth spot.

Man of the Match: David Warner for his match-winning half-century

Report: Match 45 – DD v KXIP

Kings XI make Playoffs courtesy four-wicket win against Daredevils

Kings XI Punjab pulled off a last-over four-wicket win against the Delhi Daredevils at Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium. Thanks to the resulting two points, the table-toppers have officially qualified for the Playoffs – becoming the first team to do so this season. Powered by Manan Vohra and Akshar Patel’s innings, the visitors scaled the 165-run target with four wickets in hand and two balls to spare.

Earlier, George Bailey asked DD to take first strike after he won the toss. Kevin Pietersen and Murali Vijay (5) opened the innings for the hosts. And while the DD skipper was on song, his opening partner did not last long as Sandeep Sharma dismissed him in the third over. Dinesh Karthik then joined Pietersen in the middle and the duo went after the opposition bowlers right away. By the end of the powerplay, they took their team’s score to 55 for one. By the halfway stage, DD had posted 84 runs, thanks to the second-wicket pair’s efforts.

However, Pietersen (49) was cleaned up Akshar Patel in the next over. JP Duminy (17), who replaced him, then played second fiddle to Karthik during their valuable 56-run stand. But IPL debutant Beuran Hendricks dismissed his fellow South African in the 17th over. Sandeep Sharma then got rid of Kedar Jadhav (0), who could only manage a golden duck. And just four balls later, the KXIP pacer got his third victim of the night when he dismissed Mayank Agarwal (6). And shortly thereafter, even Karthik’s (69) stellar knock – which comprised seven fours and three maximums – ended as well; Hendricks got rid of him to leave DD on 155 for six in 18.1 overs. Hendricks also got the wicket of compatriot Wayne Parnell (2) later in the same over.

Thanks to a tight final two overs that went for a combined nine runs, KXIP were able to restrict DD to 164 for seven in 20 overs. For the visitors, Sandeep Sharma (3/35) and Hendricks (3/36) were the key wicket-takers, while Akshar Patel bowled a tight spell that saw him concede just 18 runs off his four overs while picking a key wicket.

KXIP’s response was fuelled by some big hitting by Manan Vohra. With the experienced Virender Sehwag holding up one end, the 20-year-old unleashed a flurry of fours and sixes to give his team a big start. Thanks to his exploits, KXIP clocked in 66 runs in the powerplay itself. However, Vohra’s (42) 19-balls blitz came to an end in the very next over, courtesy Imran Tahir. And while Glenn Maxwell walked in next for KXIP, Sehwag (23) could not keep him company for too long; he was sent back to the dugout by Duminy in the eighth over. Even Maxwell (14) did not stick around too long as Tahir cleaned him up, to leave KXIP on 94 for four. And within a space of five balls, the dangerous David Miller (2) also departed; Duminy bowled him out to bring DD back in the contest.

Wriddhiman Saha (13) and Akshar Patel then stitched together a 33-run partnership to keep KXIP in the hunt. But the KXIP wicketkeeper-batsman got out off the bowling of Mohammed Shami off the last ball of the 15th over. With the visitors still 38 runs adrift of the target, their captain, George Bailey came in to bat. By then, Akshar Patel had settled in and he ended up scoring three valuable boundaries off the next over to bring the run-chase equation down to 26 off 24 balls. Although Tahir conceded only five off the next over, thanks to an Akshar Patel six in the 18th over, KXIP were just 11 runs short of the target with two overs to go.

Tahir then returned to dismiss Bailey (6) at a critical juncture. The DD leggie bowled an outstanding 19th over that ended up costing his side just two runs. With KXIP needing nine off the final over, Pietersen handed the ball to Parnell. Akshar Patel (42*) took a single off the first ball of the over, and Rishi Dhawan (8*) followed it up with two back-to-back doubles, leaving the run-chase equation on four off three balls. The KXIP all-rounder then pulled Parnell for a four in the midwicket region to seal a four-wicket win for his side.

Man of the Match: Akshar Patel for his all-round performance

Report: Match 44 – RR v MI

Royals falter against all-round MI in Ahmedabad

The Mumbai Indians pulled off a 25-run away win against the Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad. As a result of the two points earned form this game, the Rohit Sharma-led side – which has eight points from 11 matches – still has a chance to make the Playoffs.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first and Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons gave the visitors a great start. After cautiously adding 42 runs in the powerplay, both batters got their eye in and went after the RR bowlers. At the halfway stage, the duo had taken MI to 76 for no loss. Then in the 12th over of the innings, Hussey brought up his half-century. Simmons then hit a six in the next over to clock in his second fifty of the season and to take his team’s score into triple digits.

The pair went from strength to strength as they not only denied RR any breakthroughs, but they also piled on the runs during their 120-run stand. But finally, Ankit Sharma dismissed both openers within the space of four deliveries, in the 15th over; the RR spinner first got rid of Simmons (62) as he was going for a big one, before seeing the back of Hussey (56).

However, there was not much respite for the RR bowlers as Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma joined forces after these dismissals. While Pollard (14*), who struck a maximum during his unbeaten knock, played the support cast, it was the MI skipper who took the opposition bowlers to the cleaners. During his 19-ball knock – which ended with his run-out off the last ball of the innings – Rohit Sharma (40) hit three fours and four sixes. Thanks to the 56-run (off 30 balls) third-wicket stand, MI ended up at 178 for three after 20 overs.

In response, RR opened their innings with Karun Nair and Unmukt Chand (2). However, the latter could not stick around too long; Pragyan Ojha got rid of him in the third over, leaving RR on 17 for one. And while Nair looked on song, he did not get much support from his skipper, Shane Watson (5) – who also fell prey to Ojha. Sanju Samson (2) was soon dismissed by debutant left-arm pacer, Krishmar Santokie. MI’s next breakthrough featured what could well end up as the catch of the season; Kieron Pollard pulled off an unreal catch on the second attempt at the long-on fence to get rid of Kevon Cooper off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh.

That spectacular catch reduced RR to 61 for four in 7.4 overs. And things did not get any better for RR as they lost Ankit Sharma (4) to MI’s other debutant – 20-year-old leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal – just five runs later. Stuart Binny (2), who was stumped by Aditya Tare in the 11th over, became the young leggie’s second victim of the match. And then, Harbhajan Singh finally broke Nair’s (48) 24-ball knock, which stood out from the efforts of the rest of the RR top order.

Brad Hodge and James Faulkner (31*) then took RR past the 100-run mark. The pair struck a total of five sixes during their 41-ball 69-run stand to give RR a glimmer of hope. However, Hodge (40) holed out to Rohit Sharma off the bowling of Santokie in the 19th over. In the end, RR could only manage 153 for eight in 20 overs, handing MI a 25-run away win. For the visitors, Harbhajan Singh (4-0-13-2) and Gopal (4-0-25-2) played a vital role in ensuring RR stayed behind the asking rate throughout their innings.

Man of the Match: Michael Hussey for his 39-ball 56-run knock

Report: Match 43 – SRH v KKR

Knight Riders register crucial seven-wicket away win

The Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad by a seven-wicket margin in a crucial mid-table clash in Pepsi IPL 2014. Chasing a modest 143-run target, the visitors were aided by helpful hands from Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan and Ryan ten Doeschate, after their bowlers – led by Umesh Yadav – restricted the home side to 142 for eight in 20 overs.

Earlier, Darren Sammy, the newly-appointed SRH skipper, won the toss and chose to take first strike. However, the home team lost Aaron Finch (8) off the bowling of Umesh Yadav in the second over with the score on 14. Shikhar Dhawan (19) and Naman Ojha then added 27 runs for the second wicket, before the former was dismissed by Sunil Narine. By the end of the powerplay, the scorecard read 41 for two as Ojha was joined by David Warner. And while the duo soon took their team past the 50-run mark, Ojha (22) got out off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan, leaving SRH on 64 for three.

Lokesh Rahul then paired up with Warner, who was striking the ball very well. Together they added 34 runs, until Piyush Chawla trapped Rahul (14) leg-before in the 13th over. Warner (34) also departed shortly thereafter, holing out to Yusuf Pathan off the bowling of Yadav. Sammy (7) was the next batsman to walk back to the dugout; his 16-ball stay was ended by Shakib Al Hasan, leaving SRH on 129 for six. Karn Sharma (4) was then run-out as the hosts were trying to add a few extra runs towards the end. However, thanks to Irfan Pathan’s (23) cameo, the scorecard kept ticking.

Dale Steyn was the last SRH batsman to depart; Yadav cleaned him up on the last ball of the innings. SRH ended up at 142 for eight after 20 overs. Meanwhile, for KKR, Yadav (3/26) and Shakib Al Hasan (2/22) were the key wicket-takers.

In response, KKR lost Gautam Gambhir (6) early; the left-handed opener was caught behind the wicket off Steyn. However, Robin Uthappa continued his good run in Pepsi IPL 2014. In the company of Manish Pandey, Uthappa (40) added 51 runs, before he was run-out by Sammy. The hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan then took guard opposite Pandey. The third-wicket pair steadied the run-chase and even struck routine boundaries to deflate the SRH bowlers’ confidence. Pandey (35) was eventually dismissed by Karn Sharma, leaving KKR on 104 for three in 15.2 overs.

This was the last bit of success the SRH bowlers would taste tonight as Yusuf Pathan took complete charge of the run-chase. He was ably supported by Ryan ten Doeschate (25*), who struck two fours and a maximum in the final over during his 13-ball cameo. But it was Yusuf Pathan (39*), whose two timely fours and sixes ensured there were no late surprises as KKR coasted to a massive seven-wicket win with four balls to spare.

As a result of this win, KKR now have 12 points from 11 matches and are placed third on the points table. SRH, on the other hand, currently occupy the sixth spot with eight points to show for their 11 outings.

Man of the Match: Umesh Yadav for his match-winning spell

Report: Match 42 – CSK v RCB

Royal Challengers prevail in last-over finish

Chasing a 139-run target on a slow Ranchi wicket against the Chennai Super Kings, the Royal Challengers Bangalore got over the line with five wickets in hand and one ball to spare. Led by an innings-steadying knock by Chris Gayle and handy contributions by the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh, the visitors pulled off a final-over thriller.

CSK won the toss earlier, and chose to bat first. Brendon McCullum (19) came out all guns blazing for the home team; he struck a six off Muttiah Muralitharan in the first over of the innings to announce himself. However, after scoring the lion’s share of the 29 runs put up by the first-wicket pair, the Kiwi opener was dismissed by Varun Aaron in the fifth over. And two balls later, Aaron also sent Dwayne Smith (9) back to the dugout.

Suresh Raina and CSK’s latest inductee, David Hussey, then came together. The pair played cautiously as the RCB spinners bowled a very probing line. They brought up the CSK 50 in the ninth over, and by the halfway stage, they had taken their team’s total to 55 for two. They then picked up the scoring rate a bit and brought up the CSK 100 in the 15th over. However, soon after that, Muralitharan got rid of Hussey (25). His dismissal brought MS Dhoni (7) in the middle. But he could not make a big impact on his home ground and fell prey to Abu Nechim in the 17th over.

Raina (62*), meanwhile, completed his half-century and remained unbeaten till the end. With Ravindra Jadeja (10*) for company, the southpaw managed to take the CSK score to a hard-fought 138 for four after 20 overs on a slow track. For RCB, Starc and Nechim bowled their four overs at sub-six economy-rates, while Aaron, who was taken for a few runs, picked up two crucial wickets.

RCB’s response began in a circumspect manner, given that the CSK spinners were taking advantage of the turn on offer from the get go. Even the destructive Chris Gayle was successfully tamed by the tweakers at the onset. And soon, R Ashwin capitalised on the pressure mounting on the RCB batters by dismissing Parthiv Patel (10) in the fourth over. The visitors could only score 18 runs in the powerplay. But Chris Gayle then broke the shackles with a big hit over long-on in the seventh over. Even Virat Kohli got in on the action as the duo scored 15 runs off that over. But after the momentary boost, the spinners again pulled down the run-rate; and after the 10th over, RCB were at 45 for one.

And while the second-wicket pair added a handy 61 runs, Kohli (27) was stumped by Dhoni off the bowling of Jadeja in the 15th over. However, Gayle unleashed thereafter – he struck Jadeja for a four and a maximum to top off that over. At that point, RCB were still 53 runs adrift of their target. Then, thanks to an AB de Villiers maximum, the Royal Challengers plundered 10 runs off the next over – bowled by Hussey. de Villiers and Gayle (46) struck a six each in the next over – off Ashwin – before the latter was cleaned up off the final delivery.

With the run-chase equation reading, 29 off 18, RCB needed a couple of big shots, and they got those courtesy de Villiers (28). The RCB batsman played a key role in plundering 15 runs off Hussey’s next over, but he was dismissed off the last ball. And then, Jadeja conceded just four runs off the 19th over to set up a thrilling finish where RCB needed 10 off the final six deliveries. In a surprise move, Dhoni then handed the ball to Hussey, who was struck for a six off his first ball by Yuvraj Singh (13*). The left-hander then struck a double and a one to level the scores with three balls to spare. But Hussey got rid of Sachin Rana off the next delivery to add drama to the proceedings. However, Nechim (6*) picked the bowler for a half-dozen over long-on to seal a win for RCB with one ball to spare.

Man of the Match: AB de Villiers for his 14-ball 28-run blitz, which included three sixes and a four.

Report: Match 41 – RR v DD

Daredevils receive Royal thumping in Ahmedabad

Rajasthan Royals further solidified their position on the Pepsi IPL 2014 points table by registering a 62-run win against Delhi Daredevils in Ahmedabad. A Shane Watson-less RR team that was led by Steve Smith set their opponents a mammoth 202-run target, which proved too steep for DD to scale as they ended up at 139 for nine after 20 overs.

Earlier, Kevin Pietersen won the toss and chose to field first. Ajinkya Rahane and Karun Nair, who opened the innings for RR, gave their side a good start. They scored 12 and 16 runs off Rahul Shukla and Siddharth Kaul respectively to take the score to 43 after five overs. However, Shahbaz Nadeem trapped Nair (19) leg-before in the sixth over. However, thanks to a Kevon Cooper six off the last ball of the powerplay, RR were at 52 for one at that point.

Cooper (32) then took charge of proceedings with his unorthodox batting style. Thanks to his 16-ball knock, the RR score was propelled to 93 for two by the time JP Duminy claimed his wicket in the 11th over. However, Sanju Samson came in to bat next and took the attack to the DD bowlers as Rahane played a vital anchor role – the duo continued to plunder runs off Kaul and Shukla. Rahane (64) then brought up his half-century in the 16th over with a boundary, which also helped the Royals breach the 150-run mark. However, the diminutive opener got bowled off Nadeem in the next over.

At 167 for three, Stuart Binny (0) took strike opposite Samson. But Tahir had him stumped before he could get off the mark. The DD leggie then dismissed Samson (40) to finish off the 18th over. But Ben Cutting and James Faulkner then stepped on the pedal by smashing a couple big hits to score 17 runs off the 19th over. And while Cutting (8) was run-out off the last ball of the innings, Faulkner (23*) had already struck two maximums in the 20th over to take RR’s score to 201 for six.

In response, the Daredevils lost Mayank Agarwal (17) in the third over with just 19 runs on the board; Faulkner claimed his scalp. Dinesh Karthik (3) was the next to depart; Dhawal Kulkarni got rid of him, leaving DD on 30 for two. And while the hard-hitting Duminy (8) walked in next, even he departed soon; Pravin Tambe got the better of him in the seventh over. Pietersen (13), who was holding up one end, was then cleaned up by Rajat Bhatia. With the run-chase going off track, RR further strengthened their hold on the match as Bhatia dismissed Ross Taylor (4) before he could change his team’s fortunes.

Meanwhile, Manoj Tiwari was the lone batsman who kept the scoreboard ticking. But he did not get much support from Kedar Jadhav (4) either; the middle-order batsman was run-out with the Daredevils further slipping towards another loss. Cutting then saw the back of Nadeem (1) in the 14th over. And then, Binny bowled Tahir (4) out to take RR a step closer to an emphatic win.

With the scorecard reading 91 for eight in 14.4 overs, Rahul Shukla joined Tiwary. But after the duo had added 29 runs – the biggest partnership of the DD innings – Cooper sent Shukla (13) back to the dugout. And while Tiwari (66*) notched up a half-century, his team could only manage 139 for nine in their 20-over quota, handing RR a big win heading into the business end of the tournament.

Man of the Match: Ajinkya Rahane for his half-century

Report: Match 40 – KKR v MI

Knight Riders trump Mumbai Indians by six wickets

Riding on a timely half-century by opener Robin Uthappa (80), Kolkata Knight Riders registered a big six-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians with eight balls to spare. Chasing a 142-run target, the hosts made sure they did not make heavy weather of the run-chase by building handy partnerships, and eventually, earning their team two valuable points as the race to the Playoffs picks up pace.

Earlier, KKR won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. MI then lost CM Gautam (8) in the third over off Morne Morkel. And while Lendl Simmons and Ambati Rayudu added 23 runs for the second wicket, Shakib Al Hasan drove a wedge in the blossoming partnership before it could turn dangerous. The left-arm spinner bowled Simmons (12) out in the sixth over. As a result, MI ended up at 37 for two after the powerplay.

But Rayudu then stabilised the innings with his skipper, Rohit Sharma. The two batters added 35 runs at less than a run-a-ball. At the halfway stage, the pair had taken MI to 62 for two as the KKR bowlers were bowling in the right areas and ensuring there was no width on offer.

Rayudu (33) then perished in the 12th over off the bowling of Piyush Chawla, who he was trying to slam out of the park. Rohit Sharma was then joined by Corey Anderson in the middle. The pair then took the MI score past the 100-run mark in the 16th over. However, after plundering 16 off the first five balls of that over – bowled by Morkel – MI lost Anderson (18) off the last delivery. Rohit Sharma (51) then added another 23 runs with Kieron Pollard. However, the MI skipper was cleaned up by Sunil Narine in the final over shortly after he had brought up his half-century. Thanks to some tight bowling by KKR, the visitors could only manage 141 for five in 20 overs.

While Morkel picked up two wickets for the home team, Sunil Narine and Shakib Al Hasan – who claimed a scalp each – boasted a sub-six economy-rate.

In response, Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir gave KKR a good start. The experienced pair added 50 for the first wicket, as they kept chipping away at the modest target. However, Gambhir (14) was cleaned up by Harbhajan Singh in the eighth over, after which Manish Pandey came in to bat. Even the second-wicket pair stitched together a valuable stand – worth 46 runs, during which Uthappa brought up his half-century – before Harbhajan Singh struck again; he bowled Pandey (14) out, leaving KKR on 96 for two in 14.1 overs.

Yusuf Pathan then ensured KKR’s run-chase did not go off track. With Shakib Al Hasan for company, the middle-order batsman brought his team within striking range of the target. And while Lasith Malinga bagged Shakib’s (9) wicket in the 19th over, by then the hosts were just four runs shy of victory. Yusuf (20*) finally took the Knight Riders over the line with a four off Malinga. As a result, KKR got home with six wickets in hand and eight balls to spare.

Man of the Match: Robin Uthappa for his match-winning knock

Report: Match 39 – SRH v KXIP

Kings XI batters make light work of heavy chase

Thanks to the combined efforts of their batting unit – including Wriddhiman Saha, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey – Kings XI Punjab comfortably chased down the 206-run target set by Sunrisers Hyderabad. While Naman Ojha’s stellar half-century was the talk of the town at half-time, Saha’s early blitz soon overshadowed all performances that preceded it. And after a record-setting start – that included KXIP bringing up the fastest 100 and 150 in IPL history – the middle order did the trick for the table-toppers.

Earlier, George Bailey won the toss and elected to field first. The decision seemed to have worked for SRH as Shikhar Dhawan, who was well supported by Aaron Finch, got off to a good start. After getting his eye in, the SRH skipper played a big role in plundering 26 runs off Sandeep Sharma in the fifth over. Thanks to these early exploits, SRH notched up 55 runs in the powerplay without losing a single wicket. In fact, the first-wicket pair brought up 65 runs, before Finch (20) was dismissed by Rishi Dhawan in the ninth over.

By the halfway stage, SRH had posted 72 for one with Shikhar Dhawan (45) going great guns, along with Naman Ojha for company. However, a half-century would elude the SRH skipper, who had to return to the dugout just five runs short of it; Shivam Sharma bowled him out in the 12th over. Ojha then brought SRH back in the contest back by helping score 16 runs off the very next over. And then, David Warner joined in the blitz as the duo picked up another 16 runs from the 15th over to take their team’s score to 127 for two.

The two batsmen then added 42 runs – including 18 off the 18th over – off the next 19 deliveries, before Warner (44) was run-out off the first ball of the 19th over. But Ojha carried on unfazed; he got to his half-century with a boundary off Sandeep Sharma. And while the KXIP pacer picked up Moises Henriques’ (0) wicket, Ojha took him to the cleaners and helped pick 26 runs off the 19th over. Irfan Pathan (0) also got out without troubling the scorers; Rishi Dhawan claimed his wicket in the final over. Ojha (79*), however, ensured SRH got past the 200-run mark as he struck another maximum – the seventh of his 36-ball knock. Thanks to the middle-order batsman’s big-hitting, his team posted a total of 205 for five in 20 overs.

In response, KXIP lost Virender Sehwag (4) in the first over; Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught the veteran opener off his own bowling. However, Wriddhiman Saha, who walked in at No.3, took charge of the innings as Manan Vohra played a great supporting role to him. As a result of an early onslaught, KXIP raced past 50 in the fourth over of the run-chase. And the big-hitting was far from over as Saha brought up his half-century in the sixth over – which yielded 20 runs – en route to bringing up a whopping 86 runs in the powerplay.

Finally, SRH caught a break when Karn Sharma ended Saha’s (54) 26-ball blitz in the eighth over. At 95 for two, another big-hitter – Glenn Maxwell – came in to bat, and he did not take too long to unleash his willow. After facing a dot-ball first up, the destructive batter struck a six to take SRH past the 100-run mark in just 7.3 overs – the fastest that any team has got to triple digits in the IPL. Maxwell followed it up with two more sixes in that over. He added 30 runs off 12 balls with Vohra (47), until the latter was run-out in the 10th over.

With KXIP needing 81 runs off 65 balls, KXIP’s two Ms – Maxwell and David Miller – joined forces. While Miller worked the ball around for singles, Maxwell continued with the big hits, as the pair compiled 34 runs in quick time. However, Maxwell’s (43) 22-ball blitz was ended by Amit Mishra in the 14th over. However, by then the run-chase equation had come down drastically – 47 runs off 41 balls. The SRH bowlers then bowled a few tight overs, which induced a lofted shot from George Bailey that was claimed by Warner; but after replays suggested that the fielder had grassed it, the KXIP skipper got a much-needed respite.

Given that there were no boundaries hit during a three-and-a-half-over stretch leading up to the 18th over, the SRH bowlers had snuck their team back into contention – as the run-chase equation read 26 runs off 18 balls. But Bailey then struck a welcome six, followed by a four, to bring the required run-rate down to a run-a-ball. He then, struck another maximum and a boundary, and took Dale Steyn for 22 runs in the 18th over. With just four needed off two overs, Bailey (35*) and Miller (24*) took their team across the line with five wickets in hand and eight balls to spare.

Man of the Match: Wriddhiman Saha for his game-changing knock