Live Report - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2021, Dubai

Punjab get over the line

10pm

At long last, they've managed to come out on top in one of these finishes. It was all the same again - they'd seemingly done so well at the start, looked in control through the middle, and then minor errors added up. The difference, in the end, was Shahrukh, who has had to wait to get an opportunity in the UAE. With KKR's bowling reserves thin tonight, and with the spinners out of the way, Punjab ought to have gone harder the pacers much earlier. But at one point, it was Rahul and Markram batting at similar rates of just above a run-a-ball. In that context, Shahrukh's 9-ball 22 has made a significant difference.

Knight Riders were sloppy in the field, and had a 50-50 catch decision go against them. But really it came down to the set up of their bowling today. With both Russell and Lockie out, it might have come down to a choice between Ben Cutting and Tim Seifert; their other option was to play an Indian bowler. They chose to go Seifert and that left them short outside of their four main bowlers. And those 3.3 overs went for 37. Punjab had the upper hand after restricting KKR to 14 off their last two overs, and despite taking the long route, they've managed to capitalise on it.

They climb to fifth place with ten points. KKR's superior net run-rate keeps them safely in fourth for now. Mumbai Indians are now primed for fourth place if they manage to beat Delhi Capitals tomorrow, because it will give them a two-point cushion.

That is all from the Live Blog today, thanks for joining us.

It's getting close

9.39pm

We've seen Punjab Kings find ways to lose from such situations, but they have some cards today. Knight Riders' bowlers for the 18th and 19th, Southee and Mavi, have to give Venkatesh Iyer some runs to play with for that last over. Rahul is presumably the man trying to get into the 20th over, but Shahrukh Khan being at the other end creates the potential for a couple of boundaries that can ease the pressure.

Punjab attacking spin

8.47pm

Our ball-by-ball database suggests that Punjab's openers have played aggressive shots to at least 12 of the 24 balls they've faced from Chakravarthy and Narine today (upto the 9th over). That's about 50%, and among the highest of teams that have played against KKR in the second half of the IPL. Super Kings attacked 25 off 48 when they beat them earlier this week. Delhi Capitals capitals attacked only 5 off 48 balls on Tuesday. So this has been a rewarding approach for Kings so far. They've forced KKR to bowl six overs of their best spin in the first 11 overs, which means they haven't been able to get away with a few overs of Venkatesh Iyer in the first half. Three of his overs remain for the second half and with his penchant for bowling full, there might be opportunities for their big-hitters to come. This is by far the earliest KKR have used so much spin by the halfway stage in the UAE leg.

Edit: KKR have had to go to Rana to switch things up.

Massive chance for Punjab Kings

7.55pm

That was among the best final overs this season. Arshdeep Singh thought like a batter that over and found relevant answers to keep them down. Only 14 off the last two overs for KKR and I see this as Punjab's biggest chance to dominate a match, chasing 166.

Their batting was the strong suit today and by bowling first, they had to get the bowling out of the way - and they've managed to do that more than satisfactorily. KKR have fallen short in the back end of that innings, and they are without Lockie Ferguson. Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi are only just getting into the tournament and Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana are likely to fill up the fifth bowler role. Punjab has the batting tonight to get nine or ten an over against those 12 overs. Huge opportunity.

Eoin Morgan

7.38pm

Kolkata Knight Riders are grappling with a problem that many IPL teams have in the past - a non-performing overseas captain. It's no secret how rare it is for a team to have full seasons without turbulence when they have an overseas captain. David Warner at Sunrisers is the only real success story on that front, but you see how it has ended over this season; it can only really go one way, simply because of how much weightage each overseas spot carries. Luckily for Morgan, his team is still doing well and he is surrounded by batters who can more or less play similar roles to him. Any chat about him being dropped should be had with that caveat - the team really isn't struggling at all, and the management has said that he is a starter, no questions asked. It will just be a patience game for them till the end of this campaign.

Make that 67

7.17pm

Is tonight the night?

6.51pm

Fabian Allen as fifth bowler

6.30pm

We've seen Allen bowl two of the seven overs so far before a trace of Ravi Bishnoi. There's a reason: the bowling pretty much ends with him tonight for Punjab Kings. Knight Riders have big hitting to come from here, with two left-handers part of that mix. Punjab are looking to expose him as little as possible to that. It might have come down to a simple decision of who they'd rather have Allen bowling to, Iyer and Tripathi, or guys like Rana, Morgan, Seifert and Karthik. Certainly the six-hitting potential is higher with those down the order and that is the gamble they've taken. And to decent effect, so far. Ravi Bishnoi is their lead bowler without a doubt, and he will be in charge of being the enforces for them in the middle.

To be fair to Allen, he has much better numbers in the IPL than you'd think: while he goes for 10.50 in the powerplays, his middle-overs numbers are very useful. He goes at about 6.8 through that phase.

Having said that, he's also bowling to Knight Riders' best middle-overs batter this season. Tripathi was averaging 54 and striking at 154 in that phase before this game began.

Begging for fireworks

5.45pm

Both teams have significantly increased their power-hitting range for this game. Both teams also have slightly weakened bowling line-ups in my opinion. This might have been a delicious 180-plus contest in many of India's venues, or even the Sharjah of last year, but that will take serious effort tonight based on how the season has gone.

Punjab will be glad to have won the toss. Agarwal is back, Allen and Shahrukh Khan are in, and we could finally see Nicholas Pooran playing more freely up in the order. Lockie Ferguson is a big miss for KKR and an opportunity for the Kings as they go about the chase. Once again, KKR's bowling will hinge on how their two spinners do.

Punjab Kings: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Nathan Ellis, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy

Punjab sans Gayle, KKR sans Russell

5.26pm

We got news late last night of Chris Gayle leaving the IPL bubble due to fatigue and in a bid to get fresh before the T20 World Cup. It's a good time to revisit Nagraj Gollapudi's deep dive into what bubble life has been like for the players.

Read that over here.

Gayle's absence opens up an overseas slot tonight for Punjab Kings. It could also lead to everyone outside of the openers slot moving one place up in the order, which would mean Pooran in the top four, and a hole in the middle order that could be filled by Fabian Allen. Replace one six-hitter with another sounds like the logical step.

Meanwhile, something of a confirmation that we won't see Russell tonight. It could also mean Lockie Ferguson is out, mind you. Or Eoin Morgan? Wouldn't count on it. Tim Seifert has been handed a KKR cap. An exciting wicketkeeper-bat from New Zealand, who had to endure a hard time at the IPL in the first half after he tested positive for Covid-19: "When everyone left and I was the only overseas player left in India, that's when it got real for me". He's waited a while for this cap, let's see what the plan is for KKR. Will Iyer be trusted to bowl four overs tonight?

Catching KKR

5.05pm

The only thing in the way during conversations about whether Kolkata Knight Riders are favourites for fourth spot right now is Mumbai Indians' history in this tournament. Otherwise, everything - form, combination, points, net run rate - all point to a successful resurgence for Eoin Morgan's team in the second half of this IPL.

In that race are Punjab Kings, who haven't looked convincing - even in victory - after the league has resumed in the UAE. They desperately need a win to break into that 10-point cluster. Here are the qualification scenarios for both teams, courtesy of Rajesh S:

'If Knight Riders lose to Kings but win their last two games - against Sunrisers and Rajasthan Royals - they could still make the last four with 14 points, perhaps without NRR coming into play if some of the other results go in their favour. For them to be in contention with 14 points, though, at least one of Royal Challengers or Mumbai Indians should finish below 16. Knight Riders' run rate is currently by far the best among the teams in this bunch, which should help in case things come down to this.

For the Kings, the situation is more desperate. If they win their last three and finish on 14 they will give themselves a chance, though it might still not be enough because four teams - the current top three plus Mumbai Indians - can still finish on 16 or more points. If they lose they will almost certainly be out, though it is still possible - however unlikely it sounds - for the teams ranked fourth to seventh to finish with 12 points each.'