Cricket Scorecard

... RUN CHASE ...

Intent - that's the best word to describe Chennai's batting. They took their time in the first two overs but after that, their openers took the charge. 50 in the Powerplay and the platform was set for Chennai to capitalize. Kolkata are known for pulling things back in the middle overs through their spinners but they faltered this evening. One thing worth mentioning here is that Chennai never let the tempo of their innings go down. Robin Uthappa walked in and batted with a strike rate in excess o

A big final and Faf du Plessis took it by storm! What a knock by him! His innings along with the partnerships that he constructed with Gaikwad, Uthappa and Moeen has powered Chennai to a very imposing total on the board.

Right then, Kolkata have a mountain of a target to conquer. If they do it, they will equal Chennai with three trophies. Can they do it? Stay tuned to find out.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is there for a chat. Shares that he is a good player of spin and his plan was to attack Shakib Al Hasan. Adds that the pitch is stopping a bit and they played really well to reach 192. Tells that he thinks that it is enough but they need to bowl and field well. On Faf du Plessis coming close to overtaking him on the list of the leading run-scorers this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad replies that he was not aware of that and wanted Faf du Plessis to hit a six on the last ball.

A fantastic final over by Shivam Mavi and he has stopped Chennai from crossing the 200-run mark. Still, the pressure of the final will be there so you can easily add 15-20 runs to the total. Dew could be a factor, so let's see what happens.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, ! TAKEN! A wicket on the final ball of the innings. Faf du Plessis was looking to end the innings on a high but he loses his wicket. He will not care though as he has done what was needed from him. A length delivery, on middle, Faf du Plessis hits this one hard towards long on. Looks like it will fly over the ropes, but the shot does not have enough wings to do so. Venkatesh Iyer holds onto this in the deep. CHENNAI END ON 192/3! 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Eoin Morgan misfields! That should have just been a run, but the skipper misfields and allows them to come back for the second. Short of a length, around off, Faf looks to hit it down the ground but miscues it towards mid off. Morgan runs across, slides, tries to collect the ball but lets it off his grasp. One more taken. Two, in the end. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, In the arc around off, Moeen muscles this down towards long off for one. Can Mavi keep his nerve in these last 2 deliveries?

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Well bowled by Mavi! A good first half of the over from him, just 4 off it. A slower, back-of-a-length delivery, around middle, pulled awkwardly to deep square leg for one. 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Another full toss, around middle and leg, at 140 clicks, Faf du Plessis clips this to the right of deep square leg for a couple of runs. 

Shivam Mavi will bowl the final over. Can Chennai reach 200?

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, A full toss, around middle and leg, heaved to deep mid-wicket for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, A single to end the over! Around off, fuller, hit down to long off for one. 13 off the penultimate over! 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, ! Ali continues to score boundaries for fun! Flatter this time, around off, Moeen Ali stands his ground and just smokes this one over the bowler for a biggie. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Tossed up, on middle, Faf du Plessis makes room and looks to play the inside-out shot over covers, but gets an inside edge, on his pads. The ball deflects to the off side for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, EDGY! Flatter, outside off, Moeen Ali dances down and swings hard at this. The ball catches the outside edge and finds Sunil Narine on the bounce, at short third man. Only a run. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, ! Ali finds the gap! The 50-run stand comes up between these two as well! Slightly shorter, around middle and leg, Moeen Ali stands back and whacks this one between deep mid-wicket and long on. Boundary. 

Varun Chakravarthy will bowl the 19th over. Has given away 25 runs in his three overs.

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, PLAY AND A MISS! Flatter, around middle, angling away, Moeen Ali makes room and swings but fails to connect. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! What an over this has been for Chennai, 19 off it! 200 is well within the grasp! Fuller on middle, Faf du Plessis whips this one wonderfully and bags a one-bounce boundary at deep mid-wicket. An outing to forget for Lockie Ferguson as he concedes 56 in his quota of 4 overs. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Oh, wow! He is just so good! Lockie Ferguson goes for the slower option, too wide, in the slot too, Faf du Plessis anticipates this well, as he gets low and hammers this one over the extra cover fence. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, WIDE. Slower one now, on a length but sliding down the leg side, Faf du Plessis moves away from the delivery and leaves it. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, On middle, heaved towards mid-wicket by Moeen for one. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, ! Top shot! In the arc around off, on a length, Moeen Ali stands tall and smacks this over covers. Takes a bounce and goes past the rope. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, Superb effort from Kamlesh Nagarkoti (sub)! He might not be playing, but he does well here. On a length, on the pads, Moeen Ali flicks this towards fine leg. Kamlesh Nagarkoti, in the deep, runs to his left, dives, and pushes the ball away. Saves a couple of runs for his side. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Morgan misfields! Outside off, length, the Saffa hits this towards Eoin at extra cover, who rushes forward and fumbles, letting the batters cross ends. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, ! Moeen started this over with a six and ends with a six! 14 off the over but apart from the biggies, Shivam Mavi bowled well. On middle, on a good length, Moeen Ali makes room and casually lifts this one over the bowler for a biggie. 

Update - We are hearing that Rahul Tripathi is getting treated for his hamstring. Kolkata will hope that he is fine and can come out to bat later.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, On middle, fuller in length, Faf makes room and milks this to long on. Rotates the strike with a run. 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Another dot. In the slot around off, du Plessis hits this one back to Mavi. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, Fullish, outside off, hit down the ground to long off for one. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, Good comeback from Shivam! Yorker, right at the base of off, Moeen digs it out to the leg side. Dot ball. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, ! CLEAN STRIKE! Ali decides to cut loose now. The slower ball was well picked up by Ali. It is around off and the Englishman waits and waits and at the right time, swings his blade and smokes this one well over deep mid-wicket. Mavi is under pressure early in the over. 

Shivam Mavi is back into the attack.

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, A single to end. On middle, Moeen swings this one over mid-wicket and takes one. So, after conceding a boundary on the first ball of the over, Lockie Ferguson only leaks 4 off the remaining 5 balls. 8 off the over! 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, Straight to the man! Slower, fuller, around off, hit to the fielder at mid off. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Short, around off, Faf du Plessis rocks back and guides it through point for one. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Well bowled! A fuller ball, outside off, Faf du Plessis swings at this but misses. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Another instance of good running. On a fuller length, on the pads, this is turned through mid-wicket by Faf. As soon as the shot is hit, Moeen Ali charges across for a couple. In the end, they complete it with ease. 

Venkatesh Iyer comes into the attack, replacing Varun Chakravarthy.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, STREAKY ! Unlucky for Lockie! Chennai will take this. A slower one, back-of-a-length delivery, around off, angling in, Faf du Plessis makes room by moving to the leg side and looks to push this through the off side. The ball kisses the outer half of the blade and pierces the gap between backward point and short third man. Boundary. 

Lockie Ferguson is back on. 2-0-29-0 are his figures so far.

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Fullish, around off, dug out through point for one. 6 off this one. A good over by Venkatesh Iyer. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Good running from these two! In the slot, outside off on a length, Faf du Plessis stays back and slaps this through point. They decide to take two. Mavi throws it towards Dinesh Karthik but it is not the best throw and Faf dives in. Two. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, A pacy delivery now, on the pads, Ali looks to flick but misses. The ball ricochets off the pads to the right of square leg for a leg bye. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Fuller this time, on the pads, flicked nicely through square leg for one. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, Slower, around off, knocked down towards mid-wicket for one. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, That's a great start by Iyer! Outside off, on a length, Moeen looks to push this one but does so tentatively. Gets beaten. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, A dot to end Narine's spell for the night. He ends with figures of 4-0-26-2. Another fruitful outing. Around off, fuller, du Plessis pushes this to the right of Sunil. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Shortish, around off, Faf goes back and taps it down to point. He yells a loud 'NO!' for the single. 

Sunil Narine to Moeen Ali, Mo gets off the mark straightaway! Fuller, around off, Moeen has lofted it over covers, into the vacant space, for a run. 

Moeen Ali is the next man in.

Strategic Time-Out! Chennai have been put in a very good position here as Faf du Plessis is rollicking along. Robin Uthappa was looking good for his 31 before he departed. They have a solid platform set for a big finish. Faf du Plessis is set and now they will hope the batters coming in can keep the runs flowing. Kolkata would hope that Uthappa's wicket opens the floodgates and they get some quick wickets. What will happen next?

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! LBW! Sunil Narine gets the much-needed breakthrough for Kolkata and Chennai lose their second. The review does not save Robin and he has to walk back. Narine serves this slightly fuller, around off and spinning in a bit, Uthappa strides forward and looks to employ the reverse-sweep but he misses and gets pinged on the front pad. An appeal and the umpire does not take long to raise his finger. Robin Uthappa goes for the review this time. It does him no

Robin Uthappa has been given out LBW! He decides to take the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat while the Ball Tracker shows all reds. Uthappa goes and he takes the review along with him. 

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! WOW! Robin Uthappa is on the charge! What a hand he is playing! Flatter this time, around middle, Robin Uthappa stays back, waits, and then thwacks this one across the line, over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, WIDE. Fuller, way outside off, left alone by Robin. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Fuller, floated, around off, it stops a bit before coming on, du Plessis pushes this to the leg side for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Another couple! Low full toss outside off, Uthappa drives it through the line as his bottom hand comes off the handle. It goes aerially but wide of the diving extra cover fielder. They pick up a couple before Iyer collects it in the deep. 12 runs from it, another good one for Chennai.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Quicker ball on middle and leg, du Plessis flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, at 90.2 kph, du Plessis defends it to cover.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Inside edge! Flatter ball on off, Uthappa looks to defend but it goes off the inside edge, hits the pads and rolls to the off side. The batters cross ends as DK is busy appealing.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, ! Muscled! Floated ball on off, Uthappa goes down on his knees and then muscles it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The 50-run stand comes up between Robin and du Plessis, off just 25 balls.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Glorious shot from Uthappa! Very full outside off, Uthappa digs it out through point. Iyer comes across from deep cover and makes an excellent one-handed stop. Two taken.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Loopy ball on middle, du Plessis looks to defend but it goes off the inside edge towards deep mid-wicket. A couple of runs taken.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! Tough chance as that was hit really hard! Floated ball on off, Uthappa absolutely smashes it back to the bowler. Narine gets both hands to it but fails to hold on. A single is pinched as the extra cover fielder goes to collect the ball.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Loopy ball on off, du Plessis lifts it over mid off for one. 600 runs this season for Faf du Plessis.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Loopy ball on off, Uthappa sweeps it to deep square leg for a single. 100 up for Chennai!

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Flatter ball outside off, Robin Uthappa cuts again but this time he fails to beat the diving backward point fielder.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Runs continue to flow for Chennai! Flatter ball outside off, Uthappa cuts it through point for a couple of runs.

Sunil Narine is back on. 2-0-10-1 so far. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! What a way to reach his 50! Outstanding innings in a big final from Faf du Plessis! He is looking really ominous and Kolkata need to get rid of him as soon as possible. Full and on off, du Plessis nonchalantly lifts it over long off for a biggie. 17 from the over, Lockie Ferguson is having an off day.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, WIDE! Ferguson bowls a full ball way outside off, Faf lets it go. Wided.

Lockie Ferguson to Robin Uthappa, Fullish ball on middle, whipped to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Slower ball outside off, pushed to covers for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! This is absolutely brilliant! Faf is looking in some form here! Another delivery on the shorter side outside off, du Plessis flat-bats it over extra cover for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Pulled away! Faf du Plessis plays this shot really well. Ferguson goes short on off, du Plessis pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson (1-0-12-0) returns. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Good-length ball outside off, du Plessis cuts it straight to point.

Shakib Al Hasan to Robin Uthappa, ! Wow! Top shot from Robin Uthappa! Shortish on off, Uthappa stands back and pulls it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 15 runs from the over.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Shorter and outside off, du Plessis punches it to deep cover for one.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, ! This might be the shot that breaks the shackles. Loopy ball outside off, Faf du Plessis reaches for it and then lifts it over long off for a biggie.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, A dot ball! Flatter ball outside off, du Plessis looks to cut but fails to put the bat on the ball.

Shakib Al Hasan to Robin Uthappa, EDGY! Quicker ball outside off, Uthappa looks to heave it away but it goes off the inside edge to the deep mid-wicket region. A single.

Change in bowling. Shakib Al Hasan (2-0-18-0) comes back on. 

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, Faf works it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Full ball outside off, du Plessis drives it to deep cover for a single. A successful over comes to an end from Sunil Narine.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, du Plessis defends it to covers and takes off for a single. Uthappa is not interested and sends him back.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Quicker ball on the pads, Uthappa pushes it to the leg side for one.

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! CAUGHT! A wicket after the break. How often have we seen this? A lot of times and that is what has happened here. Gaikwad decides to take Narine on straightaway after the Time-Out and perishes. Narine dishes a floated ball on off, possibly a carrom ball, Gaikwad steps out and looks to smack it out of the park but slices it off the outer half to long off. Shivam Mavi is waiting in the deep and he makes no mistake. A big wicket for Kolkata and Sunil Nar

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Flighted on middle, du Plessis works it to long on for one.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, An interesting shot to play! Floated ball around off, Uthappa looks to play the reverse sweep on his first ball. It hits the gloves, hits the pads of Dinesh Karthik and goes to point. A single taken.

Robin Uthappa makes his way out now. 

Strategic Time-Out! Chennai have started this game really well as their openers have laid the platform for the rest of the team. They have already added 61 in the first 8 overs and would look to build on the same in the middle overs. Kolkata will be happy that the run flow has slowed down slightly but still will be looking for wickets. This will be an important phase as the spinners of Kolkata have been on fire. Let's see how Chennai's batters navigate against them.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Flighted ball on the pads, Gaikwad flicks it to square leg and takes a single. A tidy over from Varun Chakravarthy.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, On middle, du Plessis flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker short ball on off, Gaikwad pulls it to long on for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on middle, Faf rocks back and then tucks it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Flighted ball on the pads, clipped to deep square leg for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Loopy ball on middle, Gaikwad gets on his front foot and then pushes it back towards the bowler. Varun Chakravarthy tries to collect the ball but fails as he collides a bit with Faf du Plessis. There is a chance for a single but Faf decides against it. Fairplay. 

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Six singles off the over! Full on middle and leg, Gaikwad flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, This time, Narine bowls quicker and on off, du Plessis looks to flick but it takes the leading edge and goes to the off side. A single taken.

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short ball on middle, Gaikwad pulls it to deep mid-wicket for another run.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Another flatter ball on middle, du Plessis nudges it to deep square leg for a single.

Looks like Rahul Tripathi has a knock. He is limping off the field at the moment. Kolkata will be hoping that it is nothing that the magic spray cannot solve. 

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shortish ball on off, Gaikwad rocks back and then clips it to the deep mid-wicket region for one.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Narine starts with a flatter ball on middle, du Plessis works it to deep mid-wicket. He calls for two but has to settle for a single.

Change in bowling. Sunil Narine is handed the ball now...

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Fullish and on middle, it's knocked down to mid on for another single. 8 from the over and Chennai are 50 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, ! Faf du Plessis buys a boundary from a Free Hit. Flatter and shorter on off, du Plessis hangs on the back foot and powers it over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Short and outside off, Faf du Plessis cuts but finds the point fielder. No ball for overstepping. Free Hit time...

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Even quicker, fires it full and on middle at 104 clicks, Ruturaj Gaikwad flicks it towards mid-wicket and takes a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker again, a touch short and around off at 103.5 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes back and hits it towards mid-wicket.

Bowling change. The man with the wizard hat, Varun Chakravarthy, is introduced into the attack. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Quicker through the air on this occasion, around middle, Faf du Plessis tickles it towards square leg for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Varun Chakravarthy begins with a delivery that is nicely tossed up, around off, Faf du Plessis stays on the back foot and defends it down.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Fuller and around off at 137.4 clicks, du Plessis eases it to extra cover and keeps strike with a single.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, ! Up and over mid on! Back of a length, around off, Faf du Plessis attempts for an aerial shot, doesn't get hold of it but has just enough to clear mid on. Another boundary results. 

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Edgy! Full and around off, shaping in, Ruturaj Gaikwad pushes inside the line and edges it towards short third man. The fielder dives to make the stop and they cross.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Swing and a miss! Short and wide outside off, at 151.2 kph, Faf du Plessis tries to slam it over point but misses. 12 from this over, 25 in the last two. Chennai are maximizing the Powerplay overs after a slow start.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, On a good length, around off and moving back in a bit, Faf sits back and plays it down to covers. They take another run.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Fractionally short and around off, shaping in, Ruturaj Gaikwad taps it down to short third man and pinches a single. He is now the leading run-scorer of this season! Outstanding.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shortish and on off, angling in, Ruturaj Gaikwad pulls from the crease, not much timing and it goes to mid-wicket.

Does Shakib Al Hasan bowl his third over on the trot? Nopes. Shivam Mavi has a change of ends. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Brilliant from Faf! Top shot. Lockie Ferguson serves it in the slot, on a length and around off, du Plessis crunches it past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson to Ruturaj Gaikwad, On middle, turned in the gap on the leg side for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! Quality shot! The quicker you bowl, the faster you travel. A very full ball, around middle and leg at 151 clicks, Ruturaj Gaikwad steps back to make room and squeezes it out through point for a boundary.

So, just the one over for Mavi as Lockie Ferguson replaces him. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Risky single! Back of a length, outside off, Faf du Plessis stands back and plays a mistimed punch to cover-point. They attempt for a quick run and Eoin Morgan has a shy at the striker's end. Misses by a big margin.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Starts with a fuller delivery on middle, Faf du Plessis does well to work it towards deep square leg, to the left of the fielder in the deep and it's an easy couple.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Tossed up around off, Faf du Plessis drills it down to long off and collects another single. 13 from the over!

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Fuller and around off, it's dragged off the inner half to long on for a single.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short and around middle, Gaikwad goes deep inside the crease to cut but finds point.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! This one has gone the distance! Flatter and shorter on middle, skidding in, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes deep inside the crease and hammers it all the way over mid-wicket.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! Good shot! Tossed up ball on middle, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes down on one knee and smashes his sweep shot through square leg.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Oops! That has missed the leg stump by a whisker and Dinesh Karthik has also failed to collect the ball. Floated one, full and on middle and skidding in, Faf du Plessis steps back to make room and drive but fails to connect cleanly. It sneaks behind, DK is a bit late and fails to collect. They cross and it's given as a bye.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Beaten again! A touch short and outside off, at 139.3 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad hangs on the back foot and tries to cut but misses. A fine second over bowled by Shivam Mavi. 

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Pitches it up and around off at 139.5 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad presses forward and pushes it to mid off.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Swing and a miss! Well bowled. Mavi hurls it on a good length around off and gets it to straighten off the seam, Ruturaj Gaikwad tries to loft it with a straight bat but is beaten all ends up.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Misfield! On a shortish length and close to off, Gaikwad plays late and guides it towards short third man off the outer edge. Varun Chakravarthy misfields and concedes a couple of runs.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Mavi errs in line on this occasion, it's a little too straight and du Plessis wastes no time in using his wrists. He works it through square leg and collects a single.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Right on the button. Mavi begins with a delivery around off, on a length and angling in, Faf du Plessis presents a straight bat in defense.

Shivam Mavi to operate from the other end. 

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short this time, wide outside off, Gaikwad cuts but picks out the backward point fielder. A good first over by Shakib.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker one, around off, Ruturaj Gaikwad gets back and pushes it out to the off side. Not in the gap.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! First of the final. Short and around leg, drifting down with the arm, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes down on one knee and sweeps it powerfully to the deep square leg fence.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Shakib dishes out an arm ball, flat and on middle, du Plessis gets back and turns it in front of square leg for a single.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Loopy and full, wide outside off, Faf du Plessis mistimes his drive back to the bowler.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shakib begins with a flighted delivery, full and around off, Gaikwad gets forward and drives it gently to mid off. They scamper across for a quick run. Chennai are up and running!

Are you readyyyyyy? The grand finale of the Indian T20 League, 2021 is close to getting underway. First, the Kolkata players make their way out into the middle and look to spread out to their respective positions out on the field. Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad will open the innings for Chennai and they stride out now. It will be some spin to get this final underway as Shakib Al Hasan will begin proceedings with the ball. Here he comes...

Did you know? Kolkata have won all six matches when they were chasing a target in the UAE leg of this edition. They have got the chance to execute their winning formula again. But... if we consider the last 13 finals of the Indian T20 League, the team batting first has won 8 times. Who has the advantage?

Brendon McCullum, the Kolkata coach, is up for a chat. The Kiwi says that he just tries to spend time with the guys and make sure that they follow the processes and they are relaxed as well. Adds that they pick them off one by one and spend a lot of time, but it is not easy. Goes on to say that being in a bubble has been beneficial for them. States that enjoyment is the key and when they came for the second half, they needed to let go of the past and trust the team. Adds that he truly believes

MS Dhoni, the Chennai skipper, says that they wanted to bowl first as well. Feels that initially the ball stops a bit and as the game progresses, it settles down slightly. Adds that they cannot control the toss and are prepared for both. Tells us that it has been a long journey and mainly with the franchise cricket and it feels good to complete 300 T20 games as captain. Informs that they are playing the same team. Regarding having a few extra days to relax is good or bad, Dhoni replies that oft

The captain of Kolkata, Eoin Morgan, says that they will bowl first and the wicket looks good, slightly dry and there has been dew in the last couple of games. Adds that it takes hard work and determination to win any trophy and this has been a 2-year journey for Kolkata to try and lift the trophy and they will try to give it their all. Informs that they are unchanged from the last game. Tells that the fact that they are in the final means that his captaincy has been good, but he has been short

Chennai (Unchanged Playing XI) - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood.

Kolkata (Unchanged Playing XI) - Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (C), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy.

Toss - MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan are in the middle for the all-important toss. MS flips the coin, Heads is the call and it is Heads. KOLKATA ELECT TO BOWL!

... THE GRAND FINALE ...

That much-awaited evening has finally arrived! Dubai, a city known for its riches, is going to witness this incredible moment of one team getting crowned as the champions of this amazing League. This season has been full of drama and fun, and let's wish for a game worthy of a grand finale. On that note, allow us to welcome you all for one last time in the 14th edition of the Indian T20 League. Sit back and enjoy all the action... 

Chennai versus Kolkata! If not Mumbai, these two teams know how to win trophies and repeat it as well. One more piece of silverware is waiting to dazzle their cabinet but only one can have it - who will it be? Will Dubai get painted in 'Yellove' or are we going to see the City of Gold glitter in 'Purple and Gold'? All the answers lie ahead. 

MS Dhoni has built a legacy for himself and under him, Chennai have seen more highs than lows. 2020 was an aberration in the rich history of this franchise under MSD but they quickly left that behind and once again find themselves on the cusp of glory. It was vintage Dhoni in Qualifier 1 and his 6-ball winning cameo sent the world of cricket into a frenzy. The fire is still burning and everyone would be wishing for one final firework from him. You never know, this could be Dhoni's last League ga

We all know how Eoin Morgan scripted England's renaissance in the shorter formats of the game, and how Brendon McCullum revived New Zealand's fortunes with his aggressive style of captaincy. When two people of the same quality meet, they end up building a winning team. It took time but eventually, Kolkata have blossomed into a fearless unit, capable of taking down any team. They've two trophies so far but it's been so long that they reached this grand stage. Now the time has come to end this d

You can't ignore the leadership of Dhoni and Morgan. Their bats have largely remained silent but their captaincy has been roaring. As Harsha Bhogle tweeted a day back - 'In franchise T20 cricket, a good captain is almost worth two players!' Mahi or Moggie, whose captaincy will steal the show this evening? 

Pitch report - Simon Doull and Matthew Hayden are near the surface to inspect the conditions. The Kiwi starts by saying that both sides would like to bowl first as that has been the trend here in Dubai (the last 8 matches have been won while chasing). Hayden adds that this is a cracking wicket and he reckons that 170 is on the cards. Simon Doull reminds us that Chennai defended 156 on this very pitch which was last used on 19th September. He signs off by saying that it looks a belter.

Battle of the heavyweights! Both Chennai and Kolkata have displayed excellent consistency in this edition, the former from the start and the latter in the second phase. The roadmap to the finale for them has been quite similar. Batting of the top order and the variety in the bowling attack are the main reasons for their success and there have been odd contributions from the middle order as well. However, the middle order batting has been the soft underbelly for these two sides and that area coul

... RUN CHASE ...

Intent - that's the best word to describe Chennai's batting. They took their time in the first two overs but after that, their openers took the charge. 50 in the Powerplay and the platform was set for Chennai to capitalize. Kolkata are known for pulling things back in the middle overs through their spinners but they faltered this evening. One thing worth mentioning here is that Chennai never let the tempo of their innings go down. Robin Uthappa walked in and batted with a strike rate in excess o

A big final and Faf du Plessis took it by storm! What a knock by him! His innings along with the partnerships that he constructed with Gaikwad, Uthappa and Moeen has powered Chennai to a very imposing total on the board.

Right then, Kolkata have a mountain of a target to conquer. If they do it, they will equal Chennai with three trophies. Can they do it? Stay tuned to find out.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is there for a chat. Shares that he is a good player of spin and his plan was to attack Shakib Al Hasan. Adds that the pitch is stopping a bit and they played really well to reach 192. Tells that he thinks that it is enough but they need to bowl and field well. On Faf du Plessis coming close to overtaking him on the list of the leading run-scorers this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad replies that he was not aware of that and wanted Faf du Plessis to hit a six on the last ball.

A fantastic final over by Shivam Mavi and he has stopped Chennai from crossing the 200-run mark. Still, the pressure of the final will be there so you can easily add 15-20 runs to the total. Dew could be a factor, so let's see what happens.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, ! TAKEN! A wicket on the final ball of the innings. Faf du Plessis was looking to end the innings on a high but he loses his wicket. He will not care though as he has done what was needed from him. A length delivery, on middle, Faf du Plessis hits this one hard towards long on. Looks like it will fly over the ropes, but the shot does not have enough wings to do so. Venkatesh Iyer holds onto this in the deep. CHENNAI END ON 192/3! 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Eoin Morgan misfields! That should have just been a run, but the skipper misfields and allows them to come back for the second. Short of a length, around off, Faf looks to hit it down the ground but miscues it towards mid off. Morgan runs across, slides, tries to collect the ball but lets it off his grasp. One more taken. Two, in the end. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, In the arc around off, Moeen muscles this down towards long off for one. Can Mavi keep his nerve in these last 2 deliveries?

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Well bowled by Mavi! A good first half of the over from him, just 4 off it. A slower, back-of-a-length delivery, around middle, pulled awkwardly to deep square leg for one. 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Another full toss, around middle and leg, at 140 clicks, Faf du Plessis clips this to the right of deep square leg for a couple of runs. 

Shivam Mavi will bowl the final over. Can Chennai reach 200?

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, A full toss, around middle and leg, heaved to deep mid-wicket for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, A single to end the over! Around off, fuller, hit down to long off for one. 13 off the penultimate over! 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, ! Ali continues to score boundaries for fun! Flatter this time, around off, Moeen Ali stands his ground and just smokes this one over the bowler for a biggie. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Tossed up, on middle, Faf du Plessis makes room and looks to play the inside-out shot over covers, but gets an inside edge, on his pads. The ball deflects to the off side for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, EDGY! Flatter, outside off, Moeen Ali dances down and swings hard at this. The ball catches the outside edge and finds Sunil Narine on the bounce, at short third man. Only a run. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, ! Ali finds the gap! The 50-run stand comes up between these two as well! Slightly shorter, around middle and leg, Moeen Ali stands back and whacks this one between deep mid-wicket and long on. Boundary. 

Varun Chakravarthy will bowl the 19th over. Has given away 25 runs in his three overs.

Varun Chakravarthy to Moeen Ali, PLAY AND A MISS! Flatter, around middle, angling away, Moeen Ali makes room and swings but fails to connect. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! What an over this has been for Chennai, 19 off it! 200 is well within the grasp! Fuller on middle, Faf du Plessis whips this one wonderfully and bags a one-bounce boundary at deep mid-wicket. An outing to forget for Lockie Ferguson as he concedes 56 in his quota of 4 overs. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Oh, wow! He is just so good! Lockie Ferguson goes for the slower option, too wide, in the slot too, Faf du Plessis anticipates this well, as he gets low and hammers this one over the extra cover fence. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, WIDE. Slower one now, on a length but sliding down the leg side, Faf du Plessis moves away from the delivery and leaves it. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, On middle, heaved towards mid-wicket by Moeen for one. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, ! Top shot! In the arc around off, on a length, Moeen Ali stands tall and smacks this over covers. Takes a bounce and goes past the rope. 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, Superb effort from Kamlesh Nagarkoti (sub)! He might not be playing, but he does well here. On a length, on the pads, Moeen Ali flicks this towards fine leg. Kamlesh Nagarkoti, in the deep, runs to his left, dives, and pushes the ball away. Saves a couple of runs for his side. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Morgan misfields! Outside off, length, the Saffa hits this towards Eoin at extra cover, who rushes forward and fumbles, letting the batters cross ends. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, ! Moeen started this over with a six and ends with a six! 14 off the over but apart from the biggies, Shivam Mavi bowled well. On middle, on a good length, Moeen Ali makes room and casually lifts this one over the bowler for a biggie. 

Update - We are hearing that Rahul Tripathi is getting treated for his hamstring. Kolkata will hope that he is fine and can come out to bat later.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, On middle, fuller in length, Faf makes room and milks this to long on. Rotates the strike with a run. 

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Another dot. In the slot around off, du Plessis hits this one back to Mavi. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, Fullish, outside off, hit down the ground to long off for one. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, Good comeback from Shivam! Yorker, right at the base of off, Moeen digs it out to the leg side. Dot ball. 

Shivam Mavi to Moeen Ali, ! CLEAN STRIKE! Ali decides to cut loose now. The slower ball was well picked up by Ali. It is around off and the Englishman waits and waits and at the right time, swings his blade and smokes this one well over deep mid-wicket. Mavi is under pressure early in the over. 

Shivam Mavi is back into the attack.

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, A single to end. On middle, Moeen swings this one over mid-wicket and takes one. So, after conceding a boundary on the first ball of the over, Lockie Ferguson only leaks 4 off the remaining 5 balls. 8 off the over! 

Lockie Ferguson to Moeen Ali, Straight to the man! Slower, fuller, around off, hit to the fielder at mid off. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Short, around off, Faf du Plessis rocks back and guides it through point for one. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Well bowled! A fuller ball, outside off, Faf du Plessis swings at this but misses. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Another instance of good running. On a fuller length, on the pads, this is turned through mid-wicket by Faf. As soon as the shot is hit, Moeen Ali charges across for a couple. In the end, they complete it with ease. 

Venkatesh Iyer comes into the attack, replacing Varun Chakravarthy.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, STREAKY ! Unlucky for Lockie! Chennai will take this. A slower one, back-of-a-length delivery, around off, angling in, Faf du Plessis makes room by moving to the leg side and looks to push this through the off side. The ball kisses the outer half of the blade and pierces the gap between backward point and short third man. Boundary. 

Lockie Ferguson is back on. 2-0-29-0 are his figures so far.

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Fullish, around off, dug out through point for one. 6 off this one. A good over by Venkatesh Iyer. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Good running from these two! In the slot, outside off on a length, Faf du Plessis stays back and slaps this through point. They decide to take two. Mavi throws it towards Dinesh Karthik but it is not the best throw and Faf dives in. Two. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, A pacy delivery now, on the pads, Ali looks to flick but misses. The ball ricochets off the pads to the right of square leg for a leg bye. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Faf du Plessis, Fuller this time, on the pads, flicked nicely through square leg for one. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, Slower, around off, knocked down towards mid-wicket for one. 

Venkatesh Iyer to Moeen Ali, That's a great start by Iyer! Outside off, on a length, Moeen looks to push this one but does so tentatively. Gets beaten. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, A dot to end Narine's spell for the night. He ends with figures of 4-0-26-2. Another fruitful outing. Around off, fuller, du Plessis pushes this to the right of Sunil. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Shortish, around off, Faf goes back and taps it down to point. He yells a loud 'NO!' for the single. 

Sunil Narine to Moeen Ali, Mo gets off the mark straightaway! Fuller, around off, Moeen has lofted it over covers, into the vacant space, for a run. 

Moeen Ali is the next man in.

Strategic Time-Out! Chennai have been put in a very good position here as Faf du Plessis is rollicking along. Robin Uthappa was looking good for his 31 before he departed. They have a solid platform set for a big finish. Faf du Plessis is set and now they will hope the batters coming in can keep the runs flowing. Kolkata would hope that Uthappa's wicket opens the floodgates and they get some quick wickets. What will happen next?

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! LBW! Sunil Narine gets the much-needed breakthrough for Kolkata and Chennai lose their second. The review does not save Robin and he has to walk back. Narine serves this slightly fuller, around off and spinning in a bit, Uthappa strides forward and looks to employ the reverse-sweep but he misses and gets pinged on the front pad. An appeal and the umpire does not take long to raise his finger. Robin Uthappa goes for the review this time. It does him no

Robin Uthappa has been given out LBW! He decides to take the review. The UltraEdge shows no bat while the Ball Tracker shows all reds. Uthappa goes and he takes the review along with him. 

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! WOW! Robin Uthappa is on the charge! What a hand he is playing! Flatter this time, around middle, Robin Uthappa stays back, waits, and then thwacks this one across the line, over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, WIDE. Fuller, way outside off, left alone by Robin. 

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Fuller, floated, around off, it stops a bit before coming on, du Plessis pushes this to the leg side for one. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Another couple! Low full toss outside off, Uthappa drives it through the line as his bottom hand comes off the handle. It goes aerially but wide of the diving extra cover fielder. They pick up a couple before Iyer collects it in the deep. 12 runs from it, another good one for Chennai.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Quicker ball on middle and leg, du Plessis flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, at 90.2 kph, du Plessis defends it to cover.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Inside edge! Flatter ball on off, Uthappa looks to defend but it goes off the inside edge, hits the pads and rolls to the off side. The batters cross ends as DK is busy appealing.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, ! Muscled! Floated ball on off, Uthappa goes down on his knees and then muscles it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. The 50-run stand comes up between Robin and du Plessis, off just 25 balls.

Varun Chakravarthy to Robin Uthappa, Glorious shot from Uthappa! Very full outside off, Uthappa digs it out through point. Iyer comes across from deep cover and makes an excellent one-handed stop. Two taken.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Loopy ball on middle, du Plessis looks to defend but it goes off the inside edge towards deep mid-wicket. A couple of runs taken.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, ! Tough chance as that was hit really hard! Floated ball on off, Uthappa absolutely smashes it back to the bowler. Narine gets both hands to it but fails to hold on. A single is pinched as the extra cover fielder goes to collect the ball.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Loopy ball on off, du Plessis lifts it over mid off for one. 600 runs this season for Faf du Plessis.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Loopy ball on off, Uthappa sweeps it to deep square leg for a single. 100 up for Chennai!

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Flatter ball outside off, Robin Uthappa cuts again but this time he fails to beat the diving backward point fielder.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Runs continue to flow for Chennai! Flatter ball outside off, Uthappa cuts it through point for a couple of runs.

Sunil Narine is back on. 2-0-10-1 so far. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! What a way to reach his 50! Outstanding innings in a big final from Faf du Plessis! He is looking really ominous and Kolkata need to get rid of him as soon as possible. Full and on off, du Plessis nonchalantly lifts it over long off for a biggie. 17 from the over, Lockie Ferguson is having an off day.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, WIDE! Ferguson bowls a full ball way outside off, Faf lets it go. Wided.

Lockie Ferguson to Robin Uthappa, Fullish ball on middle, whipped to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Slower ball outside off, pushed to covers for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! This is absolutely brilliant! Faf is looking in some form here! Another delivery on the shorter side outside off, du Plessis flat-bats it over extra cover for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Pulled away! Faf du Plessis plays this shot really well. Ferguson goes short on off, du Plessis pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson (1-0-12-0) returns. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Good-length ball outside off, du Plessis cuts it straight to point.

Shakib Al Hasan to Robin Uthappa, ! Wow! Top shot from Robin Uthappa! Shortish on off, Uthappa stands back and pulls it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 15 runs from the over.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Shorter and outside off, du Plessis punches it to deep cover for one.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, ! This might be the shot that breaks the shackles. Loopy ball outside off, Faf du Plessis reaches for it and then lifts it over long off for a biggie.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, A dot ball! Flatter ball outside off, du Plessis looks to cut but fails to put the bat on the ball.

Shakib Al Hasan to Robin Uthappa, EDGY! Quicker ball outside off, Uthappa looks to heave it away but it goes off the inside edge to the deep mid-wicket region. A single.

Change in bowling. Shakib Al Hasan (2-0-18-0) comes back on. 

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, Faf works it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Full ball outside off, du Plessis drives it to deep cover for a single. A successful over comes to an end from Sunil Narine.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on off, du Plessis defends it to covers and takes off for a single. Uthappa is not interested and sends him back.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, Quicker ball on the pads, Uthappa pushes it to the leg side for one.

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! CAUGHT! A wicket after the break. How often have we seen this? A lot of times and that is what has happened here. Gaikwad decides to take Narine on straightaway after the Time-Out and perishes. Narine dishes a floated ball on off, possibly a carrom ball, Gaikwad steps out and looks to smack it out of the park but slices it off the outer half to long off. Shivam Mavi is waiting in the deep and he makes no mistake. A big wicket for Kolkata and Sunil Nar

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Flighted on middle, du Plessis works it to long on for one.

Sunil Narine to Robin Uthappa, An interesting shot to play! Floated ball around off, Uthappa looks to play the reverse sweep on his first ball. It hits the gloves, hits the pads of Dinesh Karthik and goes to point. A single taken.

Robin Uthappa makes his way out now. 

Strategic Time-Out! Chennai have started this game really well as their openers have laid the platform for the rest of the team. They have already added 61 in the first 8 overs and would look to build on the same in the middle overs. Kolkata will be happy that the run flow has slowed down slightly but still will be looking for wickets. This will be an important phase as the spinners of Kolkata have been on fire. Let's see how Chennai's batters navigate against them.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Flighted ball on the pads, Gaikwad flicks it to square leg and takes a single. A tidy over from Varun Chakravarthy.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, On middle, du Plessis flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker short ball on off, Gaikwad pulls it to long on for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Flatter ball on middle, Faf rocks back and then tucks it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Flighted ball on the pads, clipped to deep square leg for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Loopy ball on middle, Gaikwad gets on his front foot and then pushes it back towards the bowler. Varun Chakravarthy tries to collect the ball but fails as he collides a bit with Faf du Plessis. There is a chance for a single but Faf decides against it. Fairplay. 

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Six singles off the over! Full on middle and leg, Gaikwad flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, This time, Narine bowls quicker and on off, du Plessis looks to flick but it takes the leading edge and goes to the off side. A single taken.

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short ball on middle, Gaikwad pulls it to deep mid-wicket for another run.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Another flatter ball on middle, du Plessis nudges it to deep square leg for a single.

Looks like Rahul Tripathi has a knock. He is limping off the field at the moment. Kolkata will be hoping that it is nothing that the magic spray cannot solve. 

Sunil Narine to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shortish ball on off, Gaikwad rocks back and then clips it to the deep mid-wicket region for one.

Sunil Narine to Faf du Plessis, Narine starts with a flatter ball on middle, du Plessis works it to deep mid-wicket. He calls for two but has to settle for a single.

Change in bowling. Sunil Narine is handed the ball now...

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Fullish and on middle, it's knocked down to mid on for another single. 8 from the over and Chennai are 50 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, ! Faf du Plessis buys a boundary from a Free Hit. Flatter and shorter on off, du Plessis hangs on the back foot and powers it over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Short and outside off, Faf du Plessis cuts but finds the point fielder. No ball for overstepping. Free Hit time...

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Even quicker, fires it full and on middle at 104 clicks, Ruturaj Gaikwad flicks it towards mid-wicket and takes a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker again, a touch short and around off at 103.5 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes back and hits it towards mid-wicket.

Bowling change. The man with the wizard hat, Varun Chakravarthy, is introduced into the attack. 

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Quicker through the air on this occasion, around middle, Faf du Plessis tickles it towards square leg for a single.

Varun Chakravarthy to Faf du Plessis, Varun Chakravarthy begins with a delivery that is nicely tossed up, around off, Faf du Plessis stays on the back foot and defends it down.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Fuller and around off at 137.4 clicks, du Plessis eases it to extra cover and keeps strike with a single.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, ! Up and over mid on! Back of a length, around off, Faf du Plessis attempts for an aerial shot, doesn't get hold of it but has just enough to clear mid on. Another boundary results. 

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Edgy! Full and around off, shaping in, Ruturaj Gaikwad pushes inside the line and edges it towards short third man. The fielder dives to make the stop and they cross.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Swing and a miss! Short and wide outside off, at 151.2 kph, Faf du Plessis tries to slam it over point but misses. 12 from this over, 25 in the last two. Chennai are maximizing the Powerplay overs after a slow start.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, On a good length, around off and moving back in a bit, Faf sits back and plays it down to covers. They take another run.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Fractionally short and around off, shaping in, Ruturaj Gaikwad taps it down to short third man and pinches a single. He is now the leading run-scorer of this season! Outstanding.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shortish and on off, angling in, Ruturaj Gaikwad pulls from the crease, not much timing and it goes to mid-wicket.

Does Shakib Al Hasan bowl his third over on the trot? Nopes. Shivam Mavi has a change of ends. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, ! Brilliant from Faf! Top shot. Lockie Ferguson serves it in the slot, on a length and around off, du Plessis crunches it past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson to Ruturaj Gaikwad, On middle, turned in the gap on the leg side for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! Quality shot! The quicker you bowl, the faster you travel. A very full ball, around middle and leg at 151 clicks, Ruturaj Gaikwad steps back to make room and squeezes it out through point for a boundary.

So, just the one over for Mavi as Lockie Ferguson replaces him. 

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Risky single! Back of a length, outside off, Faf du Plessis stands back and plays a mistimed punch to cover-point. They attempt for a quick run and Eoin Morgan has a shy at the striker's end. Misses by a big margin.

Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis, Starts with a fuller delivery on middle, Faf du Plessis does well to work it towards deep square leg, to the left of the fielder in the deep and it's an easy couple.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Tossed up around off, Faf du Plessis drills it down to long off and collects another single. 13 from the over!

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Fuller and around off, it's dragged off the inner half to long on for a single.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short and around middle, Gaikwad goes deep inside the crease to cut but finds point.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! This one has gone the distance! Flatter and shorter on middle, skidding in, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes deep inside the crease and hammers it all the way over mid-wicket.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! Good shot! Tossed up ball on middle, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes down on one knee and smashes his sweep shot through square leg.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Oops! That has missed the leg stump by a whisker and Dinesh Karthik has also failed to collect the ball. Floated one, full and on middle and skidding in, Faf du Plessis steps back to make room and drive but fails to connect cleanly. It sneaks behind, DK is a bit late and fails to collect. They cross and it's given as a bye.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Beaten again! A touch short and outside off, at 139.3 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad hangs on the back foot and tries to cut but misses. A fine second over bowled by Shivam Mavi. 

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Pitches it up and around off at 139.5 kph, Ruturaj Gaikwad presses forward and pushes it to mid off.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Swing and a miss! Well bowled. Mavi hurls it on a good length around off and gets it to straighten off the seam, Ruturaj Gaikwad tries to loft it with a straight bat but is beaten all ends up.

Shivam Mavi to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Misfield! On a shortish length and close to off, Gaikwad plays late and guides it towards short third man off the outer edge. Varun Chakravarthy misfields and concedes a couple of runs.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Mavi errs in line on this occasion, it's a little too straight and du Plessis wastes no time in using his wrists. He works it through square leg and collects a single.

Shivam Mavi to Faf du Plessis, Right on the button. Mavi begins with a delivery around off, on a length and angling in, Faf du Plessis presents a straight bat in defense.

Shivam Mavi to operate from the other end. 

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Short this time, wide outside off, Gaikwad cuts but picks out the backward point fielder. A good first over by Shakib.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Quicker one, around off, Ruturaj Gaikwad gets back and pushes it out to the off side. Not in the gap.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, ! First of the final. Short and around leg, drifting down with the arm, Ruturaj Gaikwad goes down on one knee and sweeps it powerfully to the deep square leg fence.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Shakib dishes out an arm ball, flat and on middle, du Plessis gets back and turns it in front of square leg for a single.

Shakib Al Hasan to Faf du Plessis, Loopy and full, wide outside off, Faf du Plessis mistimes his drive back to the bowler.

Shakib Al Hasan to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shakib begins with a flighted delivery, full and around off, Gaikwad gets forward and drives it gently to mid off. They scamper across for a quick run. Chennai are up and running!

Are you readyyyyyy? The grand finale of the Indian T20 League, 2021 is close to getting underway. First, the Kolkata players make their way out into the middle and look to spread out to their respective positions out on the field. Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad will open the innings for Chennai and they stride out now. It will be some spin to get this final underway as Shakib Al Hasan will begin proceedings with the ball. Here he comes...

Did you know? Kolkata have won all six matches when they were chasing a target in the UAE leg of this edition. They have got the chance to execute their winning formula again. But... if we consider the last 13 finals of the Indian T20 League, the team batting first has won 8 times. Who has the advantage?

Brendon McCullum, the Kolkata coach, is up for a chat. The Kiwi says that he just tries to spend time with the guys and make sure that they follow the processes and they are relaxed as well. Adds that they pick them off one by one and spend a lot of time, but it is not easy. Goes on to say that being in a bubble has been beneficial for them. States that enjoyment is the key and when they came for the second half, they needed to let go of the past and trust the team. Adds that he truly believes

MS Dhoni, the Chennai skipper, says that they wanted to bowl first as well. Feels that initially the ball stops a bit and as the game progresses, it settles down slightly. Adds that they cannot control the toss and are prepared for both. Tells us that it has been a long journey and mainly with the franchise cricket and it feels good to complete 300 T20 games as captain. Informs that they are playing the same team. Regarding having a few extra days to relax is good or bad, Dhoni replies that oft

The captain of Kolkata, Eoin Morgan, says that they will bowl first and the wicket looks good, slightly dry and there has been dew in the last couple of games. Adds that it takes hard work and determination to win any trophy and this has been a 2-year journey for Kolkata to try and lift the trophy and they will try to give it their all. Informs that they are unchanged from the last game. Tells that the fact that they are in the final means that his captaincy has been good, but he has been short

Chennai (Unchanged Playing XI) - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood.

Kolkata (Unchanged Playing XI) - Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (C), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy.

Toss - MS Dhoni and Eoin Morgan are in the middle for the all-important toss. MS flips the coin, Heads is the call and it is Heads. KOLKATA ELECT TO BOWL!

... THE GRAND FINALE ...

That much-awaited evening has finally arrived! Dubai, a city known for its riches, is going to witness this incredible moment of one team getting crowned as the champions of this amazing League. This season has been full of drama and fun, and let's wish for a game worthy of a grand finale. On that note, allow us to welcome you all for one last time in the 14th edition of the Indian T20 League. Sit back and enjoy all the action... 

Chennai versus Kolkata! If not Mumbai, these two teams know how to win trophies and repeat it as well. One more piece of silverware is waiting to dazzle their cabinet but only one can have it - who will it be? Will Dubai get painted in 'Yellove' or are we going to see the City of Gold glitter in 'Purple and Gold'? All the answers lie ahead. 

MS Dhoni has built a legacy for himself and under him, Chennai have seen more highs than lows. 2020 was an aberration in the rich history of this franchise under MSD but they quickly left that behind and once again find themselves on the cusp of glory. It was vintage Dhoni in Qualifier 1 and his 6-ball winning cameo sent the world of cricket into a frenzy. The fire is still burning and everyone would be wishing for one final firework from him. You never know, this could be Dhoni's last League ga

We all know how Eoin Morgan scripted England's renaissance in the shorter formats of the game, and how Brendon McCullum revived New Zealand's fortunes with his aggressive style of captaincy. When two people of the same quality meet, they end up building a winning team. It took time but eventually, Kolkata have blossomed into a fearless unit, capable of taking down any team. They've two trophies so far but it's been so long that they reached this grand stage. Now the time has come to end this d

You can't ignore the leadership of Dhoni and Morgan. Their bats have largely remained silent but their captaincy has been roaring. As Harsha Bhogle tweeted a day back - 'In franchise T20 cricket, a good captain is almost worth two players!' Mahi or Moggie, whose captaincy will steal the show this evening? 

Pitch report - Simon Doull and Matthew Hayden are near the surface to inspect the conditions. The Kiwi starts by saying that both sides would like to bowl first as that has been the trend here in Dubai (the last 8 matches have been won while chasing). Hayden adds that this is a cracking wicket and he reckons that 170 is on the cards. Simon Doull reminds us that Chennai defended 156 on this very pitch which was last used on 19th September. He signs off by saying that it looks a belter.

Battle of the heavyweights! Both Chennai and Kolkata have displayed excellent consistency in this edition, the former from the start and the latter in the second phase. The roadmap to the finale for them has been quite similar. Batting of the top order and the variety in the bowling attack are the main reasons for their success and there have been odd contributions from the middle order as well. However, the middle order batting has been the soft underbelly for these two sides and that area coul