New Delhi:
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 wickets as their openers Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn hit brilliant half centuries. Narine hit a 15-ball half-century which is the fastest ever in IPL history.
Earlier, Travis Head scored a majestic half-century and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore avert from a disastrous start and post a competitive total. He was well-supported by Mandeep Singh who too hit a brilliant half-century.
Both the players batted brilliantly to take their score to 158 runs and set a target of 159 runs to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and opted to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M.Chinnaswamy stadium. Umesh Yadav gave a blistering start to Kolkata Knight Riders campaign by removing the dangerous Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli at the start of the innings.
Leg-spinner Sunil Narine accounted for the dangerous AB de Villiers.
Earlier, KKR and RCB had played one match in the 2017 edition of IPL at Eden Gardens where KKR had emerged victorious.
KKR vs RCB, as it happened:
#7:34 PM
Negi to M Pandey, 2 runs, pats it with the turn through point and ambles back for two for the win. KKR win the match by 6 wickets
#7:33 PM
KKR 157/4 off 14 overs
#7:30 PM
Chahal to Gambhir, out Caught by Negi!! Another wicket. Chahal drifts this wide of off, Gambhir chases it for the drive wanting to smash it through the covers but because it's so wide, he gets it close to the bottom of the bat which spoils his timing. Skews it to short cover. KKR lose their 4th wicket
#7:29 PM
KKR 156/3 off 14 overs
#7:27 PM
Negi to de Grandhomme, out Stumped!! Oh beautifully bowled. That's wonderful deception in flight. KKR's third wicket falls as they inch closer to victory
#7:25 PM
KKR 152/2 off 13 overs
#7:24 PM
Head to de Grandhomme, SIX, that's a six and a half! Into the top tier. Grandhomme just decimates the attack.
#7:23 PM
KKR 141/2 off 12 overs
#7:20 PM
Chahal to de Grandhomme, 2 runs, cleverly bowled into the pads but de Grandhomme is good enough to adjust and flick it behind square after using his feet
#7:19 PM
KKR 136-2 off 11 overs
#7:17 PM
Negi to de Grandhomme, FOUR, shortish outside off, and it's been slapped to the point boundary.
#7:14 PM
Badree to de Grandhomme, SIX! That's a beauty as Grandhmomme hits the massive shot over deep mid-wicket. KKR 126/2 off 10 overs
#7:11 PM
Badree to Gambhir, 1 run, cut away for a single to deep cover
#7:10 PM
Samuel Badree is brought back into the attack
#7:09 PM
5 runs come of the over as KKR score 115/2 off 9 overs
#7:08 PM
Choudhary is injured and leave the field with the physio. Travis Head bowls the last ball to complete the over.
#7:05 PM
Aniket Choudhary comes into the attack. He seems to have got his rhythm back as both the KKR openers have been accounted for.
#7:04 PM
KKR 110/2 off 8 overs
#7:02 PM
Colin de Grandhomme is joined by KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir who's in rich form himself
#7:01 PM
Negi to Chris Lynn, out Bowled!! Got him. That's scooted through to shatter the stumps as Lynn lines up a pull. Kolkata lose their second wicket as their other hard hitting opener too returns to the pavilion.
#7:00 PM
Negi to Chris Lynn, 1 run, slow on off, Lynn pats it with the turn into the off-side to bring up his half-century. It's come off 21 balls.
#6:59 PM
Aniket Choudhary bowls a wicket maiden as KKR score 105/1 off 7 overs
#6:56 PM
Aniket Choudhary to Narine, out Caught by Kedar Jadhav!! Its the first blow to Kolkata Knight Riders as the hard-hitting Narine is sent to the pavilion.
#6:55 PM
KKR 105/0 off 6 overs
#6:54 PM
Chahal to Chris Lynn, SIX, What a player he is! Chahal keeps on tossing it up and Lynn keeps on hitting them outside the fence
#6:52 PM
Chahal to Chris Lynn, FOUR, short and outside off, Lynn slaps it over the off-side ring.
#6:51 PM
Its Chris Lynn this time. Chahal to Chris Lynn, SIX, the explosion does not seem to stop
#6:50 PM
KKR 85/0 off 5 overs
#6:49 PM
Sunil Narine has done the impossible. He has donned the pinch-hitter's hat to perfection and this is a 15-ball half-century. It's the fastest fifty in the IPL and Narine has created a brilliant record.
#6:48 PM
Sreenath Aravind comes to the attack and is hit for 4 FOURS and a SIX!
#6:46 PM
KKR 59/0 off 4 overs
#6:44 PM
It's Badree now who takes the fight to the opposition. He decimates Badree and scores three huge sixes and a four off his over.
#6:43 PM
KKR after 3 overs 34/0
#6:41 PM
Chris Lynn goes hammer and tongs as Chahal is taken to the cleaners. One huge SIX and two fours come in the over.
#6:40 PM
Yuzvendra Chahal is introduced in the attack. RCB is depending upon its spinners to deliver the goods.
#6:39 PM
KKR after 2 overs 20/0
#6:37 PM
Badree to Narine, FOUR, in the air and over short third.
#6:36 PM
Samuel Badree is introduced in the attack.
#6:35 PM
KKR after 1 over 14-0
#6:35 PM
And this time its a SIX! Lynnsanity at its best! He dispatches Choudhary's delivery outside the ground over the long-on fence.
#6:34 PM
Aniket Choudhary to Chris Lynn, FOUR! Sheer timing helps him score another boundary.
#6:33 PM
Aniket Choudhary to Chris Lynn, FOUR! Lynn begins with a boundary.
#6:32 PM
Kolkata Knight Riders begin their innings as Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir come out to bat. Aniket Choudhary opens the bowling for RCB.
#6:15 PM
U Yadav to Head, FOUR, ends the innings on a high. RCB score after 20 overs 158/6
#6:14 PM
Oh Head hits another beauty as he clobbers Umesh for another SIX! The last over is proving to be quite expensive
#6:13 PM
U Yadav to Head, SIX! That's a massive one and goes till 109 metres into the crowd.
#6:12 PM
Umesh Yadav strikes once again as Negi is caught by Chris Lynn off his bowling
#6:11 PM
U Yadav to Negi, FOUR, Wow, what a shot!
#6:10 PM
RCB 137-5 off 19 overs
#6:09 PM
Head scores 2 runs and completes his first IPL half-century. He follows it up with a brilliant SIX. This man has carried his team towards a respectable total.
#6:07 PM
Pawan Negi comes to the crease to join Head.
#6:06 PM
Woakes to Kedar Jadhav, out Caught by U Yadav!! Another blow for RCB as they lose the pinch hitter Jadhav
#6:05 PM
RCB 125-4 after 18 overs
#6:04 PM
Rajpoot to Head, SIX, its a massive strike. Head walks down the wicket to get close to the pitch of the ball and then hoicks it over the fence.
#6:00 PM
RCB 115/4 after 17 overs
#5:59 PM
Woakes to Kedar Jadhav, FOUR! Jadhav, known for his pinch hitting, punishes Woakes as the ball soars past deep square leg for a boundary
#5:56 PM
Woakes to Head, 1 run, shortens the length and angles it across Head, who fetches the pull from outside off and hits it along the ground to deep backward square leg
#5:55 PM
Good over for KKR as a wicket fell and only 3 runs were scored off it. RCB 108/4 after 16 overs
#5:54 PM
Kedar Jadhav now joins Travis Head and the onus is now on him to take his team to a respectable toatal
#5:51 PM
Narine to Mandeep, out Caught by U Yadav! Huge blow for RCB as the in-form Mandeep is gobbled up by the veteran leg-spinner
#5:50 PM
RCB 105/2 after 15 overs
#5:48 PM
de Grandhomme to Mandeep, 2 runs, fifty for Mandeep. It's his first of the season and he's shouldered the responsibility well in the match.
#5:46 PM
Colin de Grandhomme reruns to complete his over
#5:45 PM
The match begins once again as the covers are removed and both the teams come out to play
#5:07 PM
It has started to drizzle and the covers are brought on.
#5:07 PM
Colin de Grandhomme to Mandeep, FOUR, excellent shot! RCB 100/3 at 14.1 overs
#5:06 PM
RCB 96/3 at 14 overs
#5:04 PM
Narine to Head, SIX! Head plays the slog sweep to perfection. It was a flighted delivery on off and middle, Head went through with the shot and sent the ball soaring over the fence.
#5:03 PM
RCB 84/3 at 13 overs
#5:02 PM
de Grandhomme to Head, 2 runs, short and wide from de Grandhomme, Head slaps it in front of square on the off-side. Woakes gets across and keeps them down to a brace
#5:00 PM
Colin de Grandhomme is introduced in the attack.
#4:59 PM
RCB 78/3 after 12 overs
#4:58 PM
Rajpoot to Head, FOUR! A good over ruined by a last ball boundary for Rajpoot
#4:54 PM
RCB 71/3 after 11 overs
#4:53 PM
Chawla to Head, 2 runs, to deep extra cover. Another good over for KKR as only 8 runs are scored. RCB has been unable to increase the run-rate.
#4:51 PM
Chawla to Head, 1 run, tossed up slower and on Head's pads, he waits on it and works it behind square on the on-side for a single
#4:50 PM
RCB 63/3 after 10 overs
#4:48 PM
Rajpoot now is bowling to Head. The ball is bowled on a good length and just outside off, Head punches to the right of mid-off for a single
#4:47 PM
Rajpoot bowls to Mandeep as the 10th over begins. Mandeep steals a single after defending the first ball.
#4:45 PM
RCB 59/3 after 9 overs
#4:42 PM
Chawla bamboozles RCB batsmen and gives only 5 runs in the over.
#4:41 PM
Its leg-spinner Piyush Chawla now into the attack.
#4:40 PM
RCB 54/3 after 8 overs
#4:36 PM
Ankit Rajpoot is introduced into the attack. His subtle variations of pace are highly effective as only 5 runs are scored in the over.
#4:35 PM
RCB 49/3 after 7 overs
#4:34 PM
Narine to Mandeep, FOUR, lovely shot, Narine drops one short and wide of off, Mandeep waits and cuts it late for a boundary.
#4:31 PM
Narine to Mandeep, 1 run, a single taken at long-off.
#4:30 PM
RCB 40/3 after 6 overs
#4:29 PM
U Yadav to Head, FOUR, lovely shot, leg-stump half-volley from Umesh, Head shuffles across and whips it in front of square on the on-side.
#4:28 PM
Mandeep Singh is joined by Travis Head at the crease and both will look to take their team out of trouble.
#4:26 PM
Umesh Yadav returns to bowl. He has breathed fire and given crucial breakthroughs for his team
#4:25 PM
RCB after 5 overs 34/3
#4:23 PM
Narine to de Villiers, OUTBowled!! This has been the story of the season for RCB, says Sanjay Manjrekar on air - can't be wrong.
#4:21 PM
RCB after 4 overs 29/2
#4:20 PM
Woakes to de Villiers, FOUR, cracking shot, AB gets going, Woakes shortened his length as he saw AB's charge.
#4:17 PM
AB de Villiers joins Mandeep Singh at the end of the third over. Chris Woakes comes to bowl the 4th over.
#4:16 PM
After 3 overs, RCB 20/2
#4:15 PM
U Yadav to Kohli, OUTLbw!! Huge blow to RCB as the captain goes
# 4:11 PM
U Yadav to Mandeep, FOUR, cracking shot, Mandeep is finally showing the form that made him a possible India selection a couple of seasons ago. Picked up the short ball from Umesh, swiveled across, rolled his wrists over and pulls it behind square on the on-side for a boundary
#4:09 PM
After second over, score 12/1
#4:08 PM
Woakes to Mandeep, SIX, lovely shot, on a good length and on the stumps, Mandeep makes room, swings through the line and clears mid-on with ease, has enough power to send it soaring over the ropes
#4:07 PM
Woakes to Mandeep, FOUR, nice way to get going, banged in short and just outside off, Mandeep backs away, comes down the track and slaps it high and behind square on the off-side.
#4:06 PM
Chris Woakes begins the second over for KKR.
#4:05 PM
Royal Challengers Banglaore have a disastrous start as the score after 1st over reads 1-1.
#4:03 PM
Umesh Yadav to Chris Gayle, out Caught by Gambhir!! Oh dear! Back-to-back ducks for Gayle, he is OUT first ball in his 100th IPL match.
#3:45 PM
KKR win toss, opt to bowl first
Teams
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI):
Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Travis Head, Kedar Jadhav(w), Pawan Negi, Sreenath Aravind, Samuel Badree, Aniket Choudhary, Yuzvendra Chahal
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI):
Gautam Gambhir(c), Chris Lynn, Manish Pandey, Sheldon Jackson(w), Yusuf Pathan, Chris Woakes, Colin de Grandhomme, Sunil Narine, Ankit Rajpoot, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav
