Two-time champions CSK and KKR square off for the second time in as many days. This time however, they do to KKR's den at the Eden Gardens and will have to deal with the 70,000 screaming fans apart from the 11 Knights on the field. CSK, like always, are rollicking through the tournament and have lost just a solitary game en-route topping the table. KKR meanwhile haven't been at their dominating best. They find themselves in fourth spot but suffered a deflating defeat at Chepauk.
The match will also be inconspicuous by the absence of two leading spinners. Sunil Narine, having been reported for a suspect action for the second time, has now been informed that he cannot bowl his stock delivery, the off-break. R Ashwin will miss a couple of games after injuring his bowling finger attempting a return catch in the first leg.
So strap your seat-belts on. This one's going to be fun!
Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell put together the first 100-run partnership for KKR of IPL 2015 and gave the defending champions a morale-boosting win over CSK. The duo struck fifties and shared an unbeaten stand for the fourth wicket as KKR made amends for their demoralizing two-run loss against the same opponents a couple of days ago. By virtue of their seven-wicketwin, KKR leapfrogged RCB into the third spot. Despite losing the game, CSK remain top of the table.
That's it from us, do read the match report by Gokul Gopal. We'll catch you again tomorrow for another game in this absorbing season of the Indian Premier League. Until then it's good bye and good night!
After a lengthy discussion on what the spider cam should be called, Gautam Gambhir won the toss and will be fielding first. MS Dhoni however opined that he would have batted first as well.
Finally, CSK had a couple of changes to their side. Pawan Negi for Ashwin was the enforced change but they also got in Ronit More making his debut coming in for Ishwar Pandey. KKR meanwhile were unchanged !
KKR: Robin Uthappa(w), Gautam Gambhir(c), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav, Brad Hogg
CSK: Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi, Ronit More
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Pawan Negi - Remember him? He picked up 5 wickets in the final of the CLT20 against the same opponents! Pawan Negi - Remember him? He picked up 5 wickets in the final of the CLT20 against the same opponents!
player to debut in
!
Kaushik - 175
Gokul - 165
Sriram - 186
Akshay - 196
Maheshwari - 177
Krishna - 170
Sonya - 169
Pradeep - 184
Ajith - 179
Ashwin - 201
Raju - 212
Vishaal - 171
Ramki - I would say 165 - 170 ! (Please Note - This is a 1-mark question)
Faf du Plessis gave an exhibition in using the feet to the leg-spinner when he hit Piyush Chawla for three fours by going leg-side off the ball and piercing the gap on the off-side. 44-year young Brad Hogg then picked the crucial wicket of Brendon McCullum with his first delivery when the Kiwi skipper missed a straight delivery while attempting a pull. In the same over Hogg had Du Plessis stumped with a googly to reduce CSK to 69/4 after six overs.
KKR having doing well to pick up wickets even as CSK batsmen continue to go for their shots. Expect Dhoni and Bravo to play differently!
Piyush Chawla added the big scalp of MS Dhoni as CSK lost half their side under eight overs. This googly from Chawala kept low and MS, looking to play off the back-foot was condemned to hear the sound of timber. What a comeback!
Jadeja picked a four in Hogg's next over off a rare short delivery before Uthappa dropped a tough caught behind chance off Bravo. 80 for 5 in 8 overs. Mental cricket!
Andre Russell crunched back to back sixes off national teammate Dwayne Bravo to complete his 25-ball 50. Russell's blitz meant that KKR now had to score a run-a-ball in the remaining three overs to complete a win.
With Russell's attack on Bravo all but sealing the deal, both Uthappa and Russell were content on picking the singles off Ronit More's over to take KKR closer to a win.