2014 IPL Season 7 1st Qualifier KKR Vs KXIP Kolkata Tuesday May 27,2014

As the team comes face-to-face with the 2012 champion Kolkata Knight Riders in the first Qualifier at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday, KXIP can fancy its chances of making its maiden entry into the title round.


As the team comes face-to-face with the 2012 champion Kolkata Knight Riders in the first Qualifier at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday May 27,2014, KXIP can fancy its chances of making its maiden entry into the title round.

KKR’s batting doesn’t have the depth of the Punjab side. However, led by Robin Uthappa, the current Orange Cap holder (613 runs from 14 innings), KKR’s batting will revolve around captain Gautam Gambhir (311), Manish Pandey (286) and Shakib Al Hasan (197)

The two teams have met twice earlier
1)April 26 in Abu Dhabi where KXIP won by 23 Runs
Scorecard -KKR 109/10 in 18.2 Overs and KXIP 132/9 in 20 Overs
2)on May 11 in Cuttack where KKR won by 9 wickets
Scorecard -KXIP 149/8 and KKR 150/1 in 18 Overs

No team this season have scored their runs as quickly as Kings XI Punjab. Their tournament run-rate, so far, is 9.03, which means they have scored nearly half a run more in every over than the second-best team on that list, Chennai Super Kings (8.35).

No team this season has been as frugal with the ball as Kolkata Knight Riders. Their tournament economy rate, so far, is 7.63, which is a healthy distance ahead of Mumbai Indians' 7.93

The first Qualifier, then, will pit the top two teams in the tournament against each other, the best batting unit against the best bowling attack

Rain Threat Looms Large

Both the teams had to skip their match-eve practice on Monday as the ground remained under cover, thanks to unrelenting rainfall since Sunday afternoon because of a low pressure formation over the Bay of Bengal.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in its bulletin for the next two days and there are also fears of a washout.

There's provision of minimum five overs a side but in case of an abandonment the IPL has the provision of a reserve day on May 28.

However, it will be advantage Kings XI Punjab if both the days are washed out as per the rule 21.10 (b) of the IPL Playing Conditions, the team with a better run-rate in the league stage will progress into the final.

Rain stalls qualifier 1 between KKR and KXIP

A view of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata after rain forced postponement of Qualifier 1 between KKR and KXIP 

 

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab Postponed by a day due to Rain

Incessant rain in Kolkata on Tuesday forced the first Indian Premier League 2014 qualifier match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab to be postponed to Wednesday May 28,2014 - the reserve day. The match will be played at 1600 hrs IST  

 

KKR book their place in IPL 7 final after win over KXIP

An inspired all-round performance guided Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) to book a place in IPL 7 final after KKR defeated Kings XI Punjab(KXIP) by 28 runs in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday May 28,2014.

Robin Uthappa, Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel starred for the KKR as 2012 champions won comfortably by a big margin.

Umesh Yadav (3 /13) and Morkel (2 /23) shared 5 wickets between them, while Piyush Chawla also bowled smartly to restrict Punjab to 135/8 in 20 overs and hand KKR a record 8th victory on the trot.

Put into bat, KKR were off to a worst start as they were 2/1 in 1.2 overs, losing skipper Gautam Gambhir for 1 but Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey repaired the damage

Continuing his dream run,Robin Uthappa slammed 42 Runs( 30 balls with 4x4 and 6x2)

 

Manish Pandey gave a fine support at the other end with a 20-ball 21

KXIP essayed a comeback through left-arm spinner Patel (2 for 11) and Karanveer (3 for 40) on a slow wicket that had remained under cover for three days due to rain. First it was Patel who gave the breakthrough claiming Uthappa and Pandey in his third over, before Singh struck twice in two balls dismissing the hard-hitting duo of Shakib Al Hasan (18) and Yusuf Pathan (20) to bring on the untested KKR lower middle-order.

Scorecard

KKR scored 163/ 8 in 20 Overs

Fall of Wickets(KKR)

Gautam Gambhir              01(3 Balls)

Robin Uthappa                 42(30 Balls with 4x4 and 6x2)

Manish Pandey                 21(20 Balls with 4x3)

Shakib Al Hasan               18(16 Balls with 4x2)

Yusuf Pathan                     20(18 Balls with 4x2 and 6x1)

Surya Kumar Yadav          20(14 Balls with 4x3 and 6x1)

Ryan ten Doechate            17(10 Balls with 6x2)

Sunil Narine                      00(0 Ball)

Piyush Chwla                    17*(9 Balls with 4x3)

Morne Morkel                  00*(0 Ball)

Wicket Takers(KXIP)

Karanveer Singh              3/40(4 Overs)

Aksar Patel                      2/11(4 Overs)

Mitchell Johnson               2/31(4 Overs)

KXIP scored 135/8 in 20 Overs

Fall of Wickets(KXIP)

Virender Sehwag             02(3 Balls)

Manan Vora                    26(19 Balls with 6x3)

Glenn Maxwell                06(9 Balls with 4x1)

Wriddhiman Saha            35(31 Balls with 4x2 and 6x2)

David Miller                    08(12 Balls)

Aksar Patel                     02(2 Balls)

Rishi Dhawan                  14(15 Balls with 6x1)

George Bailey                  26(17 Balls with 4x1 and 6x2)

Mitchell Johnson              10*(11 Balls with 6x1)

Karanveer Singh              01*(1 Ball)

Wicket Takers(KKR)

Umesh Yadav           3/13(4 Overs)

Morne Morkel          2/23(4 Overs)

Piyush Chawla          1/23(4 Overs)

Shakib Al Hasan       1/43(4 Overs)

Match Result -KKR won by 28 Runs

MOM - Umesh Yadav (KKR)

 

The blows did not hurt KKR's cause much as Surya Kumar Yadav struck a quick 20 from 14 balls while Ryan ten Doeschate slammed a 10-ball 17, which was studded with two sixes