IPL 2015, Match 44: KKR vs KXIP - As it happened...

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 1 wicket in Match 44 of the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens. In case you missed the match, here is our over-by-over account of the match as part of our coverage.

New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 1 wicket in Match 44 of the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens. Sunil Narine with a four-for and Andre Russell with a quick-fire fifty were the star performers for the Kolkata franchise as they made it to the play-offs.

As it happened...

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KKR Innings

Over 20 | Score 184/9

Despite eventually getting out, Chawla's six in the last over was enough to seal the deal for KKR. Sunil Narine completed the formality as he picked up a single off a leg bye to clinch the win.

Chawla c Saha b Anureet Singh 18 (11b)

Hogg run out 5 (5b)

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Over 19 | Score 176/7

Sandeep Sharma came back into the attack to bowl the penultimate over. The pacer did a fantastic job, conceding only 5 runs to keep his team in the hunt.

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Over 18 | Score 171/7

Despite the run out of Botha on the 2nd ball, Chawla kept his cool and picked up two 4s off the last two ball of Hendricks' over. On both occasions, the bowler offered width to the left-hander and was deservedly punished.

Botha run out 2 (4b)

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Over 17 | Score 160/6

Andre Russell superb knock came to an end. The right-hander tried to cut a sharply turning delivery from Axar, only to edge it into the hands of Saha. The keeper must be complimented for taking a sharp catch. Huge wicket!

Russell c Saha b Patel 51 (21b)

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Over 16 | Score 155/5

Andre Russell went berserk in that over as he showcased his brute force by clobbering Anureet Singh's deliveries for two 6s and one 4. Russell's strike rate is 272.22.

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Over 15 | Score 136/5

Hendricks came back into the attack and got the prized wicket of Pathan, who edged a short delivery straight into the hands of Saha. Until the dismissal, the over was fairly productive for KKR with 2 4's coming off it.

Pathan c Saha b Hendricks 29 (19b)

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Over 14 | Score 126/4

Russell (1) and Pathan (2) due bludgeoned young Axar with 3 6s in that over. The West Indian capped off the over edging a delivery for four behind the keeper. 24 runs were scored in the over and the pressure is now firmly back on the bowling side.

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Over 13 | Score 102/4

Andre Russell was severe on Anureet Singh in the over, with the powerful West Indian smacking the pacer for two 4s and a six. 16 runs came off that over as KKR stepped on the gas pedal.

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Over 12 | Score 86/4

Sensing the opportunity to put more pressure on the batsmen, Bailey brought Axar back into the attack. The left-arm spinner did not disappoint his skipper bowling a tight line and giving away only 2 runs.

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Over 11 | Score 84/4

Gurkeerat's first ball was planted over over deep midwicket by Yusuf for a big six. The offie got his revenge later in the over when he beat Surya's attempted paddle to hit the leg-stump. KKR in a spot of bother now.

Yadav b Gurkeerat Singh 9 (9b)

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Over 10 | Score 74/3

Hendricks came back into the attack and Suryakumar Yadav lofted his delivery it to the long off boundary for a four. The partnership between Yusuf-Surya is crucial for KKR now.

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Over 9 | Score 69/3

Gambhir threw away his wicket, as he hit a short delivery from Gurkeerat straight to Vijay at long-on. KKR appeared to be in cruise control until the spinner came on halted their progress. With two new batsmen at the crease, KXIP have the upper hand in this match now.

Gambhir c Vijay b Gurkeerat Singh 24 (23b)

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Over 8 | Score 66/2

Pandey once again failed to capitalize on his good start as he holed out to Axar at long-on off Maxwell's bowling. The right-hander would be disappointed with that soft dismissal as the tossed up ball from the Aussie was in the slot to be punished.

Pandey c Patel b Maxwell 22 (15b)

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Over 7 | Score 61/1

Having seen Axar extract turn from the wicket, Bailey threw the cherry to Gurkeerat Singh to roll his arm over. The offie took the pace off and conceded just 4 runs in his 1st over.

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Over 6 | Score 57/1

Axar Patel was introduced into the attack by Bailey. The left-arm spinner did get some turn in his 1st over, giving away just 2 runs. KXIP do not have any frontline spin options, barring Axar today.

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Over 5 | Score 55/1

Manish Pandey tore into Sandeep Sharma in that over. The right-hander scored 3 4s off the last 4 balls with surgical precision. Some delectable shots played by Pandey, without trying to hit it too hard. Fantastic to watch.

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Over 4 | Score 40/1

Anureet Singh was introduced into the attack and he immediately provided a breakthrough for his KXIP. Robbie chipped the ball to short midwicket, where Axar took a good, diving catch. The dismissal of his partner did not deter the KKR skipper, as he clobbered the pacer for two boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Uthappa c Patel b Anureet Singh 17 (11b)

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Over 3 | Score 25/0

Sharma was attacked by the KKR batsmen in his second over. First, Gambhir played a driver over covers for a boundary and then Uthappa flat-batted a length delivery over mid-on to derive the same result.

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Over 2 | Score 15/0

Beuran Hendricks could not hit the right lengths in his 1st over. The left-arm pacer conceded two boundary in similar fashion as Gambhir and Uthappa flicked his leg-side deliveries down to fine leg to pick up a four each.

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Over 1 | Score 5/0

Sandeep Sharma definitely troubled both KKR openers in his 1st over with him swinging the ball both ways. Gambhir flicked a straight delivery to fine leg for four.

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KXIP Innings

Over 20 | Score 183/5

Despite the wicket of Gurkeerat, David Miller's fine cameo in that over powered KXIP to 183. The left-hander clobbered two 6s and two 4s off Russell to take Punjab to a fighting total.

Gurkeerat Singh c & b Russell 4 (7b)

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Over 19 | Score 162/4

Umesh was brought back into the attack by Gambhir. The pacer bowled an excellent over, conceding no boundaries and giving away just 9 runs.

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Over 18 | Score 153/4

Brad Hogg came back into the bowling attack. With two new batsman at the crease, the spinner's variation was on full display as they struggled to pick him up. Another solid over for KKR.

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Over 17 | Score 149/4

Sunil Narine came back into the bowling attack to complete his quota of 4 overs. The West Indian turned the match on its head with two wickets in that over. First, Maxwell top edged a pull shot, only to be caught by Botha at deep midwicket; then the off-spinner cleaned up Saha who was the set batsman for KXIP.

Saha b Narine 33 (25b)

Maxwell c Botha b Narine 43 (22b)

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Over 16 | Score 141/2

Umesh came back into the attack. Maxwell glanced his poor delivery to the fine leg boundary for yet another four. The Aussie is looking dangerous here.

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Over 15 | Score 134/2

Glenn Maxwell went after fellow Aussie Hogg in his 3rd over with 4,4,6 off his first 3 balls. Saha then capped off a great over for KKR with a six over deep midwicket. 

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Over 14 | Score 113/2

Glenn Maxwell played an exquisite reverse sweep short third man and backward point off Chawla for a four. He then danced down the track and hit the leg-spinner for a straight six.

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Over 13 | Score 99/2

Glenn Maxwell scored his first 6 off the innings with a pull over deep midwicket off Russell. KXIP want a big one from the 'Big Show'.

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Over 12 | Score 88/2

Saha and Maxwell took 10 runs off Chawla's second over. The duo stroked the ball around to pick up 1s and 2s without taking any risks.

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Over 11 | Score 78/2

Narine completed another successful over a sent Vohra back to the pavilion. The right-hander mishit a flatter delivery straight back to the off-spinner who took a good low catch. There was a delay as TV umpires confirmed the inevitable and Punjab lost their second over.

Vohra c & b Narine 39 (34b)

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Over 10 | Score 75/1

Gambhir finally brought his trump card Piyush Chawla into the attack. The leg-spinner's tossed up delivery was planted into the stands by Vohra over long-off for six.

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Over 9 | Score 64/1

Brad Hogg continued to bowl from the other end. The veteran Aussie continued his impressive display, conceding just 5 runs off his second over. His figures read 2-0-7-0.

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Over 8 | Score 59/1

Russell's 2nd over was an eventful one. The six balls in the over comprised of a six and two dropped catches, one by Saha and the other by Pathan. KKR are having a shocker in the field with 5 dropped catched in 9 over.

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Over 7 | Score 48/1

Wriddhiman Shaha came out to bat after the dismissal of Vijay. Gambhir brought his third spinner into the attack. The veteran Brad Hogg bowled a very tight first over, conceding only 3 runs.

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Over 6 | Score 45/1 

Vijay was dropped for the third time in this innings as he was dropped at short fine leg by Umesh off Narine's bowling. However, the off-spinner made sure that drop wouldn't turn out to be costly for KKR as he hit the leg stump when the right-hander attempted a sweep, going down on one knee and moving across the crease.

Vijay b Narine 28 (21b)

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Over 5 | Score 41/0

KKR skipper opted for spin from both ends as he introduced Johan Botha into the attack. Despite starting well, Vohra's six over over long-off to cap off the over would have definitely disappointed the South African off-spinner.

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Over 4 | Score 32/0

With Umesh being clobbered for 18 runs in the previous over, Gambhir turned to his star bowler Sunil Narine to provide him a breakthrough. The West Indian almost broke the opening stand off his last ball, only to be disappointed by Brad Hogg who dropped Vijay at square leg. Having already been dropped twice, is it Vijay's day?

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Over 3 | Score 28/0

Vijay's full range of stroke was on full display in the 3rd over as he scored 3 fours and a six off Umesh Yadav.

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Over 2 | Score 10/0

Andre Russell bowled the second over for KKR. Vijay's tentative push at his delivery went straight to Gambhir at short extra cover. The skipper's leap wasn't enough to hold on to the catch. Vohra picked up the first boundary of the match with a flick off his hips passed short fine leg.

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Over 1 | Score 2/0

Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra opened the innings for KXIP, while Umesh Yadav took the new ball for the home side. Both batsmen got off the mark with singles as the pacer bowled an excellent first over conceding just 2 runs.

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KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan sends some good cheers across to Kolkata to his team.

And my other boys….KKR…go forth and flourish today. Best of luck & welcome to our City KXIP…. pic.twitter.com/fpgEv46rR2 — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) May 9, 2015

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Toss and team news

Kings XI Punjab win the toss and elect to bat

Former India Test opener Aakash Chopra makes a fair point here.

#KKR playing as many as 4 spinners and #KXIP has gone in with just one...clearly both captains have read the pitch differently. #KKRvKXIP — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 9, 2015

Beuran Hendricks and batsman Gurkeerat Mann come in place of Mitchell Johnson and Shivam Sharma for Punjab.

KXIP XI: M Vijay, M Vohra, W Saha, G Maxwell, D Miller, G Bailey, GM Singh, A Patel, B Hendricks, Anureet Singh, Sandeep Sharma

Kolkata have opted for an unchanged side.

KKR XI: R Uthappa, G Gambhir, M Pandey, S Yadav, Y Pathan, A Russell, J Botha, P Chawla, S Narine, B Hogg, U Yadav

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Match preview

Third-placed KKR would aim for another clinical finish at the Eden Gardens, something that would shoot them to second place in the standings taking them closer to Play-offs.

Bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab are virtually out of contention for last-four after succumbing to a 138-run humiliation against a marauding Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last outing and they would look to play for pride in their remainder four matches.

Chris Gayle blasted 117 off 57 balls -- the fastest century of this IPL -- to floor Kings XI Punjab who were later skittled out for 88 for their lowest in the IPL.

The magnitude of the defeat was so big that it would be a big challenge for the George Bailey's men to recover from the assault and get back to winning ways especially against a team that has done nothing wrong at home.

KKR's only loss from six outings at the Eden had come against RCB too and it was the 'Gayle storm' that had taken away the match from the defending champions who had begun their campaign with a win over Mumbai Indians in the previous match.

Since that defeat, KKR have posted three successive wins at home while one against Rajasthan Royals was a washout, and every time their bowling has performed up to the expectations.

As Sunil Narine was cleared by the BCCI, albeit with a final warning, KKR went with in four spinners and two pacers to snuff out Delhi Daredevils' 172-run chase for yet another convincing win last night.

Leg spinner Piyush Chawla revelled in the turning conditions while Aussie china man bowler Brad Hogg foxed batsmen with his guile. Narine went wicket-less but he helped contain the batsmen as everything went as per the script.

The batting looked shaky at times but all of them kept the run-rate ticking while Yusuf Pathan anchored the innings with a valuable 42 from 24 balls before Johan Botha's five ball 17 pushed them to a challenging total on a difficult wicket.

While KKR will once again look to thrive at home, absence of a quality spinner in KXIP attack will also hurt the visitors cause especially on the Eden slow turner. 

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel and leggie Karanveer Singh are the two frontline spinners in Punjab's line-up and the duo would look to recover from the bashing they endured against Gayle having leaked 91 runs from six overs against RCB.

It was not only their spinners but also their pace spearhead and one of the most fearsome quickies in International cricket, Mitchell Johnson struggled.

Johnson looks out of sorts on the slow subcontinent pitches but KXIP would desperately need their pace spearhead to get into the act.

The likes of Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, the three KKR frontline batsmen, on the other hand will look to get back among runs before the much important playoff stage.

Coach Sanjay Bangar who had a dream run with the runners-up KXIP in the last season has tried every possible combination but nothing has clicked for him so far as he appears helpless.

"It has been a very difficult phase for us so far. We tried to keep the spirits and confidence high as much as possible, but unless you get a performance under your belt, the confidence doesn't seem to lift up, and that has been our worry," he has said.

"After such a dismal performance against RCB, we have to dig out deep and pull out some sort of performance. The way things are going, we need to play for our pride."

KXIP next will play Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 11) in their last away match before concluding their campaign at home against RCB (May 13) and Chennai Super Kings (May 16).

KKR on the other hand travel to Mumbai for their back to back away matches against Mumbai Indians (May 14) and Rajasthan Royals (May 16).