Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, IPL, 2024 Full score card

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Match 47, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 29 Apr, 2024

Delhi Capitals

DC

153/9

(20.0) ov

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR

157/3

(16.3) ov

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets

Player Of The Match

Varun Chakaravarthy,
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders
Summary
Scorecard
Commentary
News
Kolkata Knight Riders
Delhi Capitals

Kolkata Knight Riders • 157/3 (16.3 overs)

P Salt 68 (33)

S Iyer 33 (23)

A Patel 2/25 (4)

L Williams 1/38 (3)

Delhi Capitals • 153/9 (20.0 overs)

K Yadav 35 (26)

R Pant 27 (20)

V Chakaravarthy 3/16 (4)

H Rana 2/28 (4)

Commentary

Right then, that wraps up this encounter where Kolkata emerge victorious against Delhi, making sure they stay at that second position on the points table. Our attention now shifts to the upcoming clash, where Lucknow will play host to Mumbai at the illustrious Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The action will take place on Tuesday, 30th of April and will commence at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but the excitement begins long before that with extensive pre-match coverage. So, be sure to tune in early for all the anticipation and analysis. Until then, it's time to bid farewell with cheers!

Varun Chakaravarthy is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliance with the ball. He says that the ball was holding a bit and it helped him to do well. States that the ball when Rishabh Pant's catch was dropped was better than the one he got wicket on. When asked about which of the three wickets was his favourite, he replies that he liked the wicket of Tristan Stubbs the most. He says that he wants to stick to the basics. Shares that when the last game did not go well, Abhishek Nayar, Shahrukh Khan and the support staff spoke to him personally and motivated him. On his funny tweet asking the batters to give cheerleaders a break, he jokingly says that the cheerleaders should dance only for the sixes and not for fours.

Shreyas Iyer, the skipper of Kolkata says that after the Powerplay the ball started to spin and the deck was playing differently and is glad they bowled first and got a fair idea of how to overcome the tackiness. Adds that Phil Salt is engrossed in the game and wants to learn a lot and every time turns up to put on such a show on top of the order. Jokes about Sunil Narine not attending any batter's meetings. States that the spinners were good and Varun Chakaravarthy came back and delivered here under pressure after tough games and is simply brilliant in the character shown. Concludes that they don't want to look at the points table and just want to take one game at a time and deliver their best.

Time for the presentation ceremony..

The man of the moment with the chase, Phil Salt is down for a quick chat. He says it is good to contribute and to see a comeback from that tough last game with the bowlers stepping up was admirable. Adds that going hard up top is a high risk but also puts the odds in their favour. States that keeping wickets can help him assess the conditions up close and helps him when he comes out to bat. He appreciates Sunil Narine and says he is a deep thinker of the game and with his experience, he brings a lot to the partnership. Further adds that if one of them gets going well the other one is happy to rotate the strike and it's part of the communication.

The skipper of Delhi, Rishabh Pant says that it was a good option to bat first but they did not play well as a batting unit. States that 153 was below par but they have a long break ahead and will learn from their mistakes. Shares that the batting unit has been doing well but it was not their day today. Feels that they fell short by 40-50 runs and a total between 180-210 would have been good. Ends by saying that the batters did not give enough for the bowlers to defend but it is part and parcel of the game.

Earlier in the game, Rishabh Pant's decision to bat first appeared to falter, as Delhi found themselves in a precarious position, losing three wickets within the Powerplay. Despite this setback, skipper Rishabh Pant, alongside Axar Patel and Abishek Porel, showcased glimpses of promise with their innings, yet fell short of converting their starts into substantial contributions. Throughout the innings, Delhi continued to face the challenge of losing wickets at regular intervals, placing their total in jeopardy. However, amidst the chaos, it was Kuldeep Yadav who emerged as a beacon of stability, crafting a crucial unbeaten knock of 35 runs towards the end. His valiant effort propelled Delhi to a respectable total of 153 runs. Kolkata exhibited exceptional bowling, with Varun Chakaravarthy standing out as the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets. Meanwhile, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also made significant contributions, securing two wickets each to bolster Kolkata's formidable bowling display which was then rounded off with an even stronger batting performance to seal the game.

Delhi, on the other hand, faced an uphill battle defending a modest total and needed to adopt an all-out attack approach from the outset. Unfortunately, they didn't get the ideal start with the ball, as Lizaad Williams endured a torrid time in the very first over, getting carted around the park by Kolkata's aggressive openers and it got worse by dropping Salt when he was on 15. The bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs during the Powerplay, putting Delhi on the back foot early in the game. By the time the spinners were brought into the attack after the powerplay, Kolkata had already established a commanding position. Despite managing to pick up a couple of wickets, the game had drifted far beyond Delhi's reach, and it was just a matter of time before Kolkata sealed the victory.

What a commanding performance from Kolkata! They strolled through the chase effortlessly, clinching victory with 7 wickets in hand and a whopping 21 balls to spare. This win marks a triumphant return for Kolkata after a challenging previous outing, reaffirming their dominance as they comfortably sit at the second position on the points table. With a modest target of 154 runs to chase down, Kolkata wasted no time in asserting their dominance as Phil Salt and Sunil Narine found boundaries with ease. Their explosive partnership at the top, amassing 79 runs in just 6 overs, catapulted Kolkata well ahead in the game. Although Narine's departure momentarily slowed the momentum, Rinku Singh's brief stint at number 3 couldn't replicate the initial fireworks. However, the skipper Shreyas Iyer, alongside Venkatesh Iyer, calmly guided Kolkata to victory, picking off the remaining runs with ease and authority.

16.36

SIX! BOOM! Venkatesh Iyer finishes it off in style! Angling across the left-hander, fuller in length and outside off, Venkatesh Iyer picks up the length early and leaves nothing in the tank. Goes inside out over extra cover for a biggie. Kolkata get over the line comfortably with more than 3 overs to spare and 7 wickets in hand.

16.20

Into the wicket and it is slower as well, on off, Venkatesh Iyer gets on his toes to play the upper cut to ramp it over the keeper but changes his mind at the last moment and decides to let it go.

16.10

Goes full and lands it around off, Venkatesh Iyer gets the weight on the front foot and knocks it to cover

Runs Scored 10 Runs

Score after 16 overs : 151/3

S Iyer33 (23)

V Iyer20 (20)

K Yadav4-0-34-0

15.66

SIX! SHOT! Woah... where has that come from? Kuldeep Yadav serves the googly from around the wicket and bowls it at the stumps, Shreyas Iyer premeditates and goes for the switch hit. Hits it over the deep backward point fence for a maximum.

15.51

Strays on the pads, on a fullish length, Venkatesh Iyer sweeps it along the ground to deep backward square leg for a single.

15.40

A mix-up but no harm done! Floats it up, full and turning away, around off, Venkatesh Iyer looks to play against the turn. Gets a leading edge that rolls towards backward point. Venkatesh sets off for the run but gets sent back quickly by Shreyas. The southpaw dives at the batting end and his bat bounces off the turf when the bails were taken off but he had some part of his bat grounded inside the crease which saved him there.

15.31

Serves the googly, short and on off, Shreyas Iyer picks it and pushes it wide of point for a single.

15.21

In the air...but it falls short! Loops it up, full and turning away, on off, Venkatesh Iyer goes for the sweep as he reaches out in front. Fails to control the sweep and skies it in the air towards deep mid-wicket. Lizaad Williams runs in and puts in the dive but the ball lands in short. Good attacking effort by Williams. The batters cross as the ball away rolls off Williams' hands.

15.11

Fuller and quicker, on off, Shreyas Iyer dabs it in front of square on the off side for a single.

Runs Scored 7 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 141/3

V Iyer18 (17)

S Iyer25 (20)

A Patel4-0-25-2

14.60

Short and on middle, Venkatesh Iyer goes on the back foot for the pull but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

14.50

Sees the batter step out and fires it in, on off, Venkatesh Iyer pushes it back to the bowler.

14.41

Sliding onto the pads, short in length, Shreyas Iyer turns this one behind square on the leg side for a run.

14.31

Drops it short and over middle, Venkatesh Iyer rocks back and whips it down to wide long on for one more run.

14.21

Slower through the air, fuller and on off, Shreyas Iyer gets on the front foot and pats it in front of cover for a single.

14.14

FOUR! Nicely cut away! Angling into the right-hander, on a nagging length, around off, Shreyas Iyer goes on the back foot quickly and cuts it late to get it between backward point and short third for a boundary.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 134/3

S Iyer19 (17)

V Iyer17 (14)

K Yadav3-0-24-0

13.61

Drags down the length a bit over off, Shreyas Iyer rocks back and cuts it to point for a single.

13.50

Full and into the pads, Shreyas Iyer tucks it to the right of the bowler.

13.41

Full and drifting into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to long on for a single.

13.30

Bowls this nicely on a fuller length around off and gets the ball to drift and turn away off the deck, Venkatesh Iyer is beaten on the outside edge trying to fend it out.

13.22

Floats this one fuller and into the stumps, Venkatesh Iyer looks to flick it away but gets an inside edge to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs.

13.10

Goes fuller and into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.

Commentary

We are back for the second essay. The two umpires have made their way out to the middle as have Rishabh Pant and his men. It will be the explosive left-hand right-hand combination of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt to open the innings for Kolkata. Lizaad Williams has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then, despite how the back end of the innings panned out for them, Kolkata will be the happier of the two sides. Yes, the wicket is on the slower side, and 154 is a tricky target, but Kolkata have the batting depth to get over the line. Kuldeep Yadav has given Delhi something to bowl at, and given the help that Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy got, Kuldeep and Axar Patel will relish bowling on this surface. Wickets in the Powerplay will be the key for Delhi to put Kolkata on the back foot early. Join us in a bit to see how the chase unfolds.

Vaibhav Arora is in for a chat. He says that he had gotten a chance against Delhi previously and got a chance here again. On Shai Hope's wicket, he says he perfectly executed the outswing which pitched on that perfect length and got him the wicket. Adds that his strength is with the new ball and he likes to swing it both ways. Says that the wicket is on the slower side and they have done well to restrict them to a smaller target and should be able to get it done

As for Kolkata, they would have loved to bowl Delhi out but they will still be happy with where they are at this stage in the game. At the start, Mitchell Starc in his quest to get the new ball to swing, erred in the first over but soon fought back in his second over. His new ball partner, Vaibhav Arora was much more disciplined and was rewarded with two wickets in the Powerplay. Having conceded more runs than they would have wanted to in the first six overs, the onus was on their spinners to put a leash on the scoring rate in the middle phase. Harshit Rana gave them an opening and soon Varun Chakaravarthy came through for his side, picking the big wickets of Pant and Stubbs. Chakravarthy ruled the roost with support from Narine to pile the misery on Delhi. Despite having Delhi on the ropes in the 15th over, Kolkata failed to clean up the tail, conceding 41 runs in the last five overs.

Delhi have limped their way to a respectable total! Tottering at 111-8 at one stage, this has been a good recovery from Delhi to end up with 153 on the board. After Rishabh Pant called it right and opted to put runs on the board, Prithvi Shaw got off the blocks quickly with three boundaries in the first over. He fell in the second over and the young Aussie sensation, Jake Fraser-McGurk had a rare short stay at the crease. Shai Hope could not do much either but Rishabh Pant and Abishek Porel batted with intent and made the Powerplay count. Porel failed to kick on as a poor shot selection led to his downfall. Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel began a rebuild job but the Delhi skipper, having dropped on 18, could not capitalise on the reprieve. Patel and Stubbs failed the trial by spin as did the Impact Player, Kumar Kushagra. Being reduced to 111-8 in the 15th over, Delhi were in danger of being bowled out inside the 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav joined hands with Rasikh Dar, adding valuable runs. Kuldeep batted through for his side when the chips were down and remained unbeaten on 35 to take them past 150.

Runs Scored 10 Runs

Score after 20 overs : 153/9

K Yadav35 (26)

L Williams1 (2)

A Russell1-0-10-0

19.64

FOUR! Manages to get a boundary off the last ball and Delhi have reached a decent total at the end of the innings. Russell bowls a back-of-a-length delivery, angling it across outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to pull but is way too early on the shot yet manages to get a top edge that flies over the keeper for four runs.

19.50

Drops the length short and bowls it wider on off, Kuldeep Yadav looks for the cut over point but misses out. Kuldeep Yadav sends it upstairs for a wide call review. The replay confirms that the ball was well within the tramline and will be a fair delivery.

19.42

Lands the yorker right outside off, Kuldeep Yadav jams it just short of backward point where Ramandeep Singh dives ahead and collects it on the bounce. The batters set off for a run and Ramandeep Singh throws it at the nonstriker's end with nobody backing up. The batters scamper across for the second run.

19.30

Digs it in short but does not offer any pace, on off, Kuldeep Yadav swings for the pull but connects with thin air.

19.20

Slower and into the wicket, around off, Kuldeep Yadav shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball comes on slower onto the bat and only manages to push it off the toe-end back to the bowler.

19.14

FOUR! Streaky but worth it! Russell bangs the deck on a shorter length outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to fend it out and manages to get an outside edge past the third man for a boundary.

Who will bowl the last over? It will be the birthday boy, Andre Russell. Can he bowl Delhi out under 150?

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 19 overs : 143/9

K Yadav25 (20)

L Williams1 (2)

H Rana4-0-28-2

18.61

Bowls this on a length and outside off, Kuldeep Yadav just nudges it to the off side and gets a single and will retain the strike for the final over.

18.61wd

WIDE! Tries another bouncer but sprays it down leg for an extra.

18.50

A well-directed bouncer that! Hits the deck over middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks to dab it on the on side but fails to make connection.

18.41

On a shorter length and around middle and leg again, Lizaad Williams tucks it to deep mid-wicket region for a single.

18.30

On a length and around middle and leg, Lizaad Williams looks for the flick but misses. The ball brushes the pads and goes straight back to the keeper.

Lizaad Williams is the last man in for Delhi.

18.2W

OUT! CAUGHT! Rana makes up for the dropped catch and Delhi lose another one. Comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a length and into middle with pace off, Rasikh Dar gets deceived by the pace off and lobs it straight into the hands of Shreyas Iyer at mid off who takes the easiest of catches.

18.11

On a back of a length outside off, Kuldeep Yadav backs away and cuts it to deep cover for a single.

Runs Scored 3 Runs

Score after 18 overs : 139/8

K Yadav23 (17)

R Dar8 (9)

V Arora4-0-29-2

17.61lb

LEG BYES! A loud appeal by Vaibhav Arora for LBW and the umpire turns it down. Shreyas Iyer sends it upstairs. Arora bowls this full and angling in around middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks for the swing but misses out and it hits his pads. The UltraEdge reconfirms that there was no inside edge but the Ball Tracking shows that the wickets were missing as the ball was drifting down leg. The on-field call stays and the batters get a run.

17.50

Bowls this full and into middle and off, Kuldeep Yadav gets on a knee and looks for a lofted drive but is beaten.

17.41

Goes full and into the stumps, Rasikh Dar jams it to deep square leg for a single.

17.31

Pitches it on a good length and into middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks to flick it away but gets an inside edge off his pads and to the leg side for a single.

17.20

Beaten again! Lands this perfectly on that length just outside off and gets the ball to angle back in, Kuldeep Yadav looks to drive it through off but is beaten on the outside edge again.

17.10

Angles this one in on a hard length and outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to cut it square but is beaten.

Runs Scored 8 Runs

Score after 17 overs : 136/8

R Dar7 (8)

K Yadav22 (12)

H Rana3-0-24-1

16.64

FOUR! Not where he intended to send it but gets enough on this one. Rana bowls this on a back of a length outside off, Rasikh Dar looks to ramp but the ball is not too short. He manages to get a cue end on it sending it past the keeper for a boundary.

16.51

Hurls this on a length and into the pads, Kuldeep Yadav tucks it away to deep backward square leg for one.

16.40

Digs the short one over off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to ramp it over the keeper but misses out.

Kolkata Knight Riders
Delhi Capitals
Batter R B 4s 6s SR
P Salt

b A Patel

68 33 7 5 206.06
S Narine

c J Fraser-McGurk b A Patel

15 10 3 0 150
R Singh

c K Yadav b L Williams

11 11 1 0 100
S Iyer

not out

33 23 3 1 143.47
V Iyer

not out

26 23 2 1 113.04
Extras

(b 0,lb 2,w 1,nb 1,Penalty 0)

4
Total 16.3 (RR: 9.52)
157/3

Did not bat: , A Russell, R Singh, M Starc, V Arora, H Rana,

Fall of wickets:

(S Narine, 6.1 ov) (P Salt, 8.1 ov) (R Singh, 9.2 ov)
Bowler O M R W ER
L Williams
3 0 38 1 12.66
K Ahmed
3 0 28 0 9.33
R Dar
2.3 0 30 0 12.00
A Patel
4 0 25 2 6.25
K Yadav
4 0 34 0 8.50
Batter R B 4s 6s SR

c P Salt b V Arora

13 7 3 0 185.71
J Fraser-McGurk

c V Iyer b M Starc

12 7 1 1 171.42
A Porel

b H Rana

18 15 2 1 120
S Hope

b V Arora

6 3 0 1 200
R Pant

c S Iyer b V Chakaravarthy

27 20 2 1 135
A Patel

b S Narine

15 21 2 0 71.42
T Stubbs

c P Salt b V Chakaravarthy

4 7 0 0 57.14

c P Salt b V Chakaravarthy

1 3 0 0 33.33
K Yadav

not out

35 26 5 1 134.61
R Dar

c S Iyer b H Rana

8 10 1 0 80
L Williams

not out

1 2 0 0 50
Extras

(b 0,lb 3,w 9,nb 1,Penalty 0)

13
Total 20.0 (RR: 7.65)
153/9

Did not bat: K Ahmed

Fall of wickets:

(P Shaw, 1.3 ov) (J Fraser-McGurk, 2.5 ov) (S Hope, 3.3 ov) (A Porel, 6.4 ov) (R Pant, 10.1 ov) (T Stubbs, 12.1 ov) (A Patel, 13.3 ov) (K Kushagra, 14.3 ov) (R Dar, 18.2 ov)
Bowler O M R W ER
M Starc
3 0 43 1 14.33
V Arora
4 0 29 2 7.25
H Rana
4 0 28 2 7.00
S Narine
4 0 24 1 6.00
4 0 16 3 4.00
A Russell
1 0 10 0 10.00
Kolkata Knight Riders
Delhi Capitals

Commentary

Right then, that wraps up this encounter where Kolkata emerge victorious against Delhi, making sure they stay at that second position on the points table. Our attention now shifts to the upcoming clash, where Lucknow will play host to Mumbai at the illustrious Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The action will take place on Tuesday, 30th of April and will commence at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but the excitement begins long before that with extensive pre-match coverage. So, be sure to tune in early for all the anticipation and analysis. Until then, it's time to bid farewell with cheers!

Varun Chakaravarthy is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliance with the ball. He says that the ball was holding a bit and it helped him to do well. States that the ball when Rishabh Pant's catch was dropped was better than the one he got wicket on. When asked about which of the three wickets was his favourite, he replies that he liked the wicket of Tristan Stubbs the most. He says that he wants to stick to the basics. Shares that when the last game did not go well, Abhishek Nayar, Shahrukh Khan and the support staff spoke to him personally and motivated him. On his funny tweet asking the batters to give cheerleaders a break, he jokingly says that the cheerleaders should dance only for the sixes and not for fours.

Shreyas Iyer, the skipper of Kolkata says that after the Powerplay the ball started to spin and the deck was playing differently and is glad they bowled first and got a fair idea of how to overcome the tackiness. Adds that Phil Salt is engrossed in the game and wants to learn a lot and every time turns up to put on such a show on top of the order. Jokes about Sunil Narine not attending any batter's meetings. States that the spinners were good and Varun Chakaravarthy came back and delivered here under pressure after tough games and is simply brilliant in the character shown. Concludes that they don't want to look at the points table and just want to take one game at a time and deliver their best.

Time for the presentation ceremony..

The man of the moment with the chase, Phil Salt is down for a quick chat. He says it is good to contribute and to see a comeback from that tough last game with the bowlers stepping up was admirable. Adds that going hard up top is a high risk but also puts the odds in their favour. States that keeping wickets can help him assess the conditions up close and helps him when he comes out to bat. He appreciates Sunil Narine and says he is a deep thinker of the game and with his experience, he brings a lot to the partnership. Further adds that if one of them gets going well the other one is happy to rotate the strike and it's part of the communication.

The skipper of Delhi, Rishabh Pant says that it was a good option to bat first but they did not play well as a batting unit. States that 153 was below par but they have a long break ahead and will learn from their mistakes. Shares that the batting unit has been doing well but it was not their day today. Feels that they fell short by 40-50 runs and a total between 180-210 would have been good. Ends by saying that the batters did not give enough for the bowlers to defend but it is part and parcel of the game.

Earlier in the game, Rishabh Pant's decision to bat first appeared to falter, as Delhi found themselves in a precarious position, losing three wickets within the Powerplay. Despite this setback, skipper Rishabh Pant, alongside Axar Patel and Abishek Porel, showcased glimpses of promise with their innings, yet fell short of converting their starts into substantial contributions. Throughout the innings, Delhi continued to face the challenge of losing wickets at regular intervals, placing their total in jeopardy. However, amidst the chaos, it was Kuldeep Yadav who emerged as a beacon of stability, crafting a crucial unbeaten knock of 35 runs towards the end. His valiant effort propelled Delhi to a respectable total of 153 runs. Kolkata exhibited exceptional bowling, with Varun Chakaravarthy standing out as the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets. Meanwhile, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also made significant contributions, securing two wickets each to bolster Kolkata's formidable bowling display which was then rounded off with an even stronger batting performance to seal the game.

Delhi, on the other hand, faced an uphill battle defending a modest total and needed to adopt an all-out attack approach from the outset. Unfortunately, they didn't get the ideal start with the ball, as Lizaad Williams endured a torrid time in the very first over, getting carted around the park by Kolkata's aggressive openers and it got worse by dropping Salt when he was on 15. The bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs during the Powerplay, putting Delhi on the back foot early in the game. By the time the spinners were brought into the attack after the powerplay, Kolkata had already established a commanding position. Despite managing to pick up a couple of wickets, the game had drifted far beyond Delhi's reach, and it was just a matter of time before Kolkata sealed the victory.

What a commanding performance from Kolkata! They strolled through the chase effortlessly, clinching victory with 7 wickets in hand and a whopping 21 balls to spare. This win marks a triumphant return for Kolkata after a challenging previous outing, reaffirming their dominance as they comfortably sit at the second position on the points table. With a modest target of 154 runs to chase down, Kolkata wasted no time in asserting their dominance as Phil Salt and Sunil Narine found boundaries with ease. Their explosive partnership at the top, amassing 79 runs in just 6 overs, catapulted Kolkata well ahead in the game. Although Narine's departure momentarily slowed the momentum, Rinku Singh's brief stint at number 3 couldn't replicate the initial fireworks. However, the skipper Shreyas Iyer, alongside Venkatesh Iyer, calmly guided Kolkata to victory, picking off the remaining runs with ease and authority.

16.36

SIX! BOOM! Venkatesh Iyer finishes it off in style! Angling across the left-hander, fuller in length and outside off, Venkatesh Iyer picks up the length early and leaves nothing in the tank. Goes inside out over extra cover for a biggie. Kolkata get over the line comfortably with more than 3 overs to spare and 7 wickets in hand.

16.20

Into the wicket and it is slower as well, on off, Venkatesh Iyer gets on his toes to play the upper cut to ramp it over the keeper but changes his mind at the last moment and decides to let it go.

16.10

Goes full and lands it around off, Venkatesh Iyer gets the weight on the front foot and knocks it to cover

Runs Scored 10 Runs

Score after 16 overs : 151/3

S Iyer33 (23)

V Iyer20 (20)

K Yadav4-0-34-0

15.66

SIX! SHOT! Woah... where has that come from? Kuldeep Yadav serves the googly from around the wicket and bowls it at the stumps, Shreyas Iyer premeditates and goes for the switch hit. Hits it over the deep backward point fence for a maximum.

15.51

Strays on the pads, on a fullish length, Venkatesh Iyer sweeps it along the ground to deep backward square leg for a single.

15.40

A mix-up but no harm done! Floats it up, full and turning away, around off, Venkatesh Iyer looks to play against the turn. Gets a leading edge that rolls towards backward point. Venkatesh sets off for the run but gets sent back quickly by Shreyas. The southpaw dives at the batting end and his bat bounces off the turf when the bails were taken off but he had some part of his bat grounded inside the crease which saved him there.

15.31

Serves the googly, short and on off, Shreyas Iyer picks it and pushes it wide of point for a single.

15.21

In the air...but it falls short! Loops it up, full and turning away, on off, Venkatesh Iyer goes for the sweep as he reaches out in front. Fails to control the sweep and skies it in the air towards deep mid-wicket. Lizaad Williams runs in and puts in the dive but the ball lands in short. Good attacking effort by Williams. The batters cross as the ball away rolls off Williams' hands.

15.11

Fuller and quicker, on off, Shreyas Iyer dabs it in front of square on the off side for a single.

Runs Scored 7 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 141/3

V Iyer18 (17)

S Iyer25 (20)

A Patel4-0-25-2

14.60

Short and on middle, Venkatesh Iyer goes on the back foot for the pull but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

14.50

Sees the batter step out and fires it in, on off, Venkatesh Iyer pushes it back to the bowler.

14.41

Sliding onto the pads, short in length, Shreyas Iyer turns this one behind square on the leg side for a run.

14.31

Drops it short and over middle, Venkatesh Iyer rocks back and whips it down to wide long on for one more run.

14.21

Slower through the air, fuller and on off, Shreyas Iyer gets on the front foot and pats it in front of cover for a single.

14.14

FOUR! Nicely cut away! Angling into the right-hander, on a nagging length, around off, Shreyas Iyer goes on the back foot quickly and cuts it late to get it between backward point and short third for a boundary.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 134/3

S Iyer19 (17)

V Iyer17 (14)

K Yadav3-0-24-0

13.61

Drags down the length a bit over off, Shreyas Iyer rocks back and cuts it to point for a single.

13.50

Full and into the pads, Shreyas Iyer tucks it to the right of the bowler.

13.41

Full and drifting into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to long on for a single.

13.30

Bowls this nicely on a fuller length around off and gets the ball to drift and turn away off the deck, Venkatesh Iyer is beaten on the outside edge trying to fend it out.

13.22

Floats this one fuller and into the stumps, Venkatesh Iyer looks to flick it away but gets an inside edge to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs.

13.10

Goes fuller and into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.

Strategic break! It has been a game to forget for Delhi, not only with the bat and ball but also in the field. It is about delaying the inevitable more than anything and not letting their NRR take a big hit. Phil Salt set the chase up for them perfectly, and it has since been a cruise for Kolkata. They will look to knock off the remaining 24 runs as quickly as possible.

Runs Scored 9 Runs

Score after 13 overs : 130/3

V Iyer14 (10)

S Iyer18 (15)

R Dar2-0-24-0

12.61

Hurls this on a good length and on off, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to long off for a single.

12.51

Nicely bowled! Attacks the stumps and bowls a nice yorker, Shreyas Iyer jams it out to the left of cover for a single.

12.40

Lands this on a length, outside off, Shreyas Iyer cuts it straight to backward point.

12.32

Bowls this straight and into the stumps, Shreyas Iyer with soft hands just eases it in front of deep mid-wicket and gets two runs.

12.21

On a back of a length, around middle and leg, Venkatesh Iyer tucks it to deep square leg for a single.

12.14

FOUR! Lizaad Williams is having a tough day! Rasikh Dar bowls this on a length and outside off, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to left of deep cover. Lizaad Williams gets to the ball but makes an absolute mess of it allowing it to get through his hands and to the fence for four more.

Rasikh Dar (1-0-15-0) returns to the attack.

Runs Scored 8 Runs

Score after 12 overs : 121/3

S Iyer15 (12)

V Iyer8 (7)

K Yadav2-0-20-0

11.62

Pushes this straighter and on middle and off, Shreyas Iyer clips it to deep midwicket and gets a couple of runs.

11.51

Floats this one fuller around middle and gets the ball to turn away off the deck, Venkatesh Iyer stays back and pushes it to point for a single.

11.40

Bowls this full and into the stumps, Venkatesh Iyer gets down on a knee and looks to reverse sweep this time but gets a thin inside edge onto his pads and towards the off side.

11.30

Pushes this one on a fuller length and into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer looks to sweep it away but misses on connection. The ball thuds him on the front pad.

11.24

FOUR! Easy pickings for Venkatesh Iyer! Kuldeep Yadav drags the length down a bit over middle, Venkatesh Iyer rocks back and pulls it square of the wicket on leg for a boundary.

11.11

Drifts this one fuller and on leg, Shreyas Iyer flicks it to short fine leg for a single.

Runs Scored 9 Runs

Score after 11 overs : 113/3

S Iyer12 (10)

V Iyer3 (3)

A Patel3-0-18-2

10.61

Slower through the air, on a nagging length, on off, Shreyas Iyer lets the ball come to him and pushes it with soft hands, wide of point for a single.

10.50

Bowls the arm ball and lands it on a fuller length and into the stumps, Shreyas Iyer looks to keep it out but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

10.40

Fuller and outside off, Shreyas Iyer cuts it to backward point.

10.34

FOUR! That's very sloppy from Kuldeep Yadav! Axar Patel bowls this nicely on a fuller length outside off, Shreyas Iyer just cuts it to the left of short third. Kuldeep Yadav is late on the dive as this one gets through to the fence for another boundary.

10.24

FOUR! Find the gap well! Axar Patel drops the length short and on leg, Shreyas Iyer gets across the line and scoops it past the keeper for a boundary.

10.10

Tosses this one up around off and angles it in, Shreyas Iyer tucks it back to the bowler.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 10 overs : 104/3

V Iyer3 (3)

S Iyer3 (4)

L Williams3-0-38-1

9.62

Oh...just over! Lizaad Williams hurls a fullish delivery, on the pads, Venkatesh Iyer stays rooted in his crease but gets his bat down in time to flick it towards the mid-wicket region. Abishek Porel under the helmet at mid-wicket, flies to his left acrobatically but the ball evades him. Rasikh Dar at deep square leg runs around to cut it off. Two runs taken.

9.51

Angling into the pads, on a good length with a leg gully in place, Shreyas Iyer rolls his wrists and clips it through square leg for a single.

9.41

Lands it on a back of a length, angling away, outside off, Venkatesh Iyer uses his feet and slaps it down the ground to long on for a single to open his account.

9.30

This is on a hard length, on off, Venkatesh Iyer gets on top of the bounce and defends it on the off side.

Venkatesh Iyer walks out to bat next for Kolkata.

9.2W

OUT! TAKEN! Finally, something to cheer for Lizaad Williams! It has been a tough night for the pacer from South Africa but he is finally off the mark in the Indian T20 League. Williams hits the deck hard and bowls it around middle, Rinku Singh gets on his toes for the pull shot. He fails to roll his wrists on the ball and does not manage to control the pull. Gets a top edge that goes high in the air towards deep third. Kuldeep Yadav misjudged it initially but eventually manages to settle under the skier and takes it tumbling in front.

9.10

Steams in from over the wicket and bowls it on a good length, on off, Rinku Singh plays it right under his eyes and stabs it back to the bowler.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 9 overs : 100/2

R Singh11 (9)

S Iyer2 (3)

A Patel2-0-9-2

8.61

Sliding onto the pads, short in length, Rinku Singh turns this one through mid-wicket for a single. 100 comes up for Kolkata.

8.51

This is short and flat, on off, Shreyas Iyer plays it with an angled bat to deep point for a single.

8.40

Short and a bit of extra bounce, on off, Shreyas Iyer gets on the back foot and dabs it towards backward point.

8.31

Fuller in length, on middle, Rinku Singh pats it in front of point and rotates the strike.

8.21

Tosses it up does Axar, full and on off, Shreyas Iyer gets forward and drives it wide of cover and gets off the mark with a single.

The skipper, Shreyas Iyer walks out to bat at number 4 for Kolkata.

8.1W

OUT! TIMBER! Axar Patel strikes on the first ball of the over, yet again! Gets rid of the dangerous Phil Salt, but the damage has already been done, and the muted celebration from the Delhi players tells it all. Gets the ball to come in with the arm from around the wicket, on a nagging length, on the off-stump line, Phil Salt stays leg side of the ball and shapes up for the square cut. The ball skids off the deck and sneaks under the angled bat to rattle into the off-stump. The Kolkata crowd stand up to applaud a special knock by Salt.

Runs Scored 12 Runs

Score after 8 overs : 96/1

P Salt68 (32)

R Singh9 (7)

K Yadav1-0-12-0

7.61

Slips in the googly, full and around off, Phil Salt gets on the front foot and drives it down to long off to keep the strike with a single.

7.56

SIX! In the arc and that has disappeared! Kuldeep gets the ball to turn back in but errs in line and length, in the slot, on middle and leg, Phil Salt clears his front leg and swings it with the turn. Deposits it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.

7.41

Offers flight, full and on middle, Rinku Singh works it down to long on and gets to the other end.

7.30

Pushes it through, full and at the stumps, Rinku Singh covers the line of the ball and plays it back to the bowler.

7.24

FOUR! Skillfully done! Googly from Kuldeep, short and a bit of extra bounce, on off, Rinku Singh adjusts well to the bounce and runs it down to the right of short third. Rasikh Dar gives it a chase and dives but in vain.

7.10

Gives the ball air first up, full and turning away, on off, Rinku Singh presses forward and drives it to cover.

It will be spin from both the ends as Kuldeep Yadav is introduced into the attack now.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 7 overs : 84/1

R Singh4 (3)

P Salt61 (30)

A Patel1-0-5-1

6.61

Floats it up, full and on off, Rinku Singh knocks it in front of cover for a single.

6.50

This is flat again, short and outside off, dabbed down to backward point by Rinku Singh.

6.41

Short and flat, on off, Phil Salt backs away and punches it to deep cover for a single.

6.30

On a fullish length, on off, Phil Salt stabs it down towards point.

6.23

Uh oh! A wayward throw from Jake Fraser-McGurk! Angling in, on a nagging length, on middle, Rinku Singh tucks it with soft hands in front of square on the leg side and the batters scamper across for two. Jake Fraser-McGurk runs into his left from deep mid-wicket and releases a wayward throw at the batting end. Rishabh Pant dives away to his right but only manages to get a glove on it. The ball rolls wide of short third for another run.

Rinku Singh is promoted up the order and walks out to bat at number 3 for Kolkata.

6.1W

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Axar Patel strikes with his first delivery! Delhi would have wanted to see the back of Phil Salt but they will take this. Starts from over the wicket and bowls it at the stumps, it is there in the arc for the batter to put away, Sunil Narine stays put and goes for a heave across the line. Does not get the desired connection and it goes flat and only as far as deep mid-wicket where Jake Fraser-McGurk reverse cups it over his head.

Strategic break! Kolkata has exploded out of the gates, racing to a phenomenal start as both Phil Salt and Sunil Narine showcase their impeccable form, propelling the side to a staggering 79 runs by the conclusion of a mere six overs. It's been a whirlwind performance from this opening pair, leaving Delhi struggling to find their footing in the match. With the match slipping away, Delhi's hopes now hinge on their spin maestros conjuring up something truly magical to turn the tide in their favour. With that, Axar Patel is introduced into the attack.

Runs Scored 18 Runs

Score after 6 overs : 79/0

P Salt60 (28)

S Narine15 (9)

K Ahmed3-0-28-0

5.64

FOUR! Not in control, but the region is the same, and so is the result! Low full toss, outside off, Phil Salt throws his hands at it but he is late on the shot. Gets an outside edge that goes right in the gap between backward point and short third for four more runs. 18 runs off Khaleel's third over. At the end of the Powerplay, Kolkata are absolutely flying at 79/0.

5.54

FOUR! Easy pickings! Low full toss, angling away, outside off, Phil Salt opens the face of his bat and threads it between backward point and short third for yet another boundary.

Looks like the ball is lost! The fourth umpire is on the field and there will be a change of ball.

5.46

SIX! BANG! Phil Salt gets to his FIFTY with a cracking shot! The purple patch continues for Salt in this edition of the Indian T20 League. Khaleel Ahmed comes from around the wicket and continues to take pace off. Ends up serving it right in the slot, on off, Phil Salt picks the slower delivery and swings through the line with ease. Thumps it back over the bowler's head for a maximum to get to his half-century off just 26 balls. Salt pumps the badge on his chest and raises his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dugout.

5.30

Into the wicket by Khaleel and without much pace behind it, on off, Phil Salt stays leg side of the ball as he shapes up for the pull. Toe-ends the shot towards mid-wicket for a dot.

5.24

FOUR! Phil Salt continues to find the boundaries! Off-pace delivery, on a hard length, around off, Phil Salt gets on his toes and rises with the bounce. Punches it with an angled bat face between cover and point for a boundary.

5.10

Takes pace off and bowls it on a length, on middle and leg from over the wicket, Phil Salt reads the change up well and stabs it down on the off side.

Runs Scored 15 Runs

Score after 5 overs : 61/0

P Salt42 (22)

S Narine15 (9)

R Dar1-0-15-0

4.61

Gets this one into the pads on a fuller length, Phil Salt tucks it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

4.54

FOUR! Width and punished again! Rasikh Dar bowls this on a shorter length and outside off, Phil Salt thumps it over covers for four more runs.

4.41

Takes pace off and bowls it on a shorter length and on middle, Sunil Narine pulls it to wide long on for a single.

4.34

FOUR! Oh, dear! Rasikh Dar gifts a juicy full toss, outside off and Sunil Narine cuts it square of the wicket on off for four more runs.

4.24

FOUR! Width on offer and Sunil Narine pounces on it! Rasikh Dar takes pace off and bowls it on a fuller length, outside off, Sunil Narine just drives it up and over cover for a boundary.

4.11

Starts from over the wicket and bowls it nicely on a length just around off, Phil Salt slaps it to cover for a single.

Rasikh Dar comes into the attack as the first change, with the keeper, Rishabh Pant, standing up to the stumps.

Runs Scored 6 Runs

Score after 4 overs : 46/0

P Salt36 (19)

S Narine6 (6)

K Ahmed2-0-10-0

3.61

Bowls a full toss on off, Phil Salt is caught off guard but manages to whip it to mid on for a single.

3.54

FOUR! Up and over! Khaleel Ahmed hurls this on a length and bowls it outside off with no real pace behind it, Phil Salt just waits back and cuts it over covers for a boundary.

3.40

Angles this one across on a fuller length, outside off, Phil Salt looks to heave it downtown but misses out on any connection.

3.30

Takes pace off and bowls it on a back of a length, at the stumps, Phil Salt waits on it and punches it along the ground to cover.

3.21

Misses out on that one does, Sunil Narine! Ahmed looks for the yorker and lands a full toss, on leg, Narine flicks it straight to deep square leg for just a single.

3.10

Comes from around the wicket and bowls this on a shorter length, on leg, Sunil Narine ducks and leaves this one alone.

Runs Scored 13 Runs

Score after 3 overs : 40/0

P Salt31 (15)

S Narine5 (4)

L Williams2-0-34-0

2.60

Another good over for Kolkata! Hits the length right around off and gets the ball to nip back in a bit, Phil Salt looks to hoist this one out of the park too but is beaten on the inside edge.

2.56

SIX! Two-in-two and Phil Salt is putting on a show! Williams bowls this full and into the stumps, Salt clears his front leg a bit and whips it over mid-wicket for another maximum.

2.46

SIX! Just a flick off the wrist and this is a beautiful shot! Williams bowls this full and on off, Phil Salt stays deep in the crease and just lofts it over mid off for a maximum.

2.30

Takes pace off and bowls it at 116.4 kph, on a shorter length and into the body, Phil Salt looks to pull but is way too early on the shot.

2.21

Goes fuller and attacks the stumps, Sunil Narine drives it to mid off and steals a quick single.

2.10

Gets some inward movement on this one! Williams bowls this nicely into the pads on a fuller length and gets the ball to shape back in, Sunil Narine opens up and looks to flick but gets beaten as the ball goes through his legs.

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 2 overs : 27/0

P Salt19 (11)

S Narine4 (2)

K Ahmed1-0-4-0

1.60

A dot to end the over! Bowls this wider on off and on a fuller length, Phil Salt jams it to cover.

1.52

Pitches this on a shorter length and over middle, Phil Salt clips it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

1.40

Full and outside off, Phil Salt drives it straight to cover point.

1.30

Pitches this on a good length and on leg, Phil Salt looks to flick it but gets brushed on the pads. The umpire calls it wide and Delhi send it upstairs for a review to overturn the wide call. The replay confirms that there was a spike as the ball went past the pad and the on-field call is overturned.

1.20

On a back of a length just around off stump line, Phil Salt blocks it to the off side.

1.12

DROPPED! Oh dear, it just got from bad to worse for Lizaad Williams as he drops a simple catch! Khaleel Ahmed bowls this fuller and around off, Phil Salt looks for a big hoick and toe ends it up in the air and straight over mid on where Williams backtracks and settles under it and tries to take a reverse cup catch. The ball just spills off his hands, hits him on the chest and the batters scamper for two runs as the ball rolls behind him.

It will be the left-arm seamer, Khaleel Ahmed to operate from the other end.

Runs Scored 23 Runs

Score after 1 overs : 23/0

S Narine4 (2)

P Salt15 (5)

L Williams1-0-21-0

0.64

FOUR! Kolkata are off to a flier! Williams lands this short and over middle, Sunil Narine picks the length right and pulls it away over square on the leg side for a boundary. Not the ideal start for Delhi! 23 runs off it, the most expensive opening over of this edition of the Indian T20 League.

0.51lb

LEG BYES! Angles this into the right-hander on a good length and into the pads, Phil Salt looks to tuck it fine but misses out. The ball clips him on the pads and rolls over to the leg side for a single.

0.44

FOUR! Timed to perfection! Williams drops the length a bit outside off, Phil Salt waits back and punches it through cover for four more runs.

0.36

SIX! Absolutely smoked that one! Lizaad Williams bowls this on a length and around off, Phil Salt clears his front leg and hoist this one into the night sky over deep mid-wicket for a biggie!

0.31wd

WIDE! Bowls a full toss but down leg, Phil Salt looks to pull it away but misses out. The Free Hit will now carry on to the next delivery!

0.32nb+lb

NO BALL! Lizaad Williams oversteps and bowls this on a fuller length into the pads, Sunil Narine opens up his stance and looks to flick it away but gets no connection on it. The ball thuds him on the pads and trickles to the leg side for a single. A Free Hit will now follow.

0.21

Nearly chopped that back onto the stumps! Williams drops the length short over middle and off, Phil Salt looks for the pull but gets it off the inside edge and past the leg stump toward short fine leg for a single.

0.14

FOUR! Kolkata are up and running with that boundary! Lizaad Williams comes from over the wicket and balls it on a shorter length and into the pads, Phil Salt just tucks it sweetly past short fine leg for a boundary to get off the mark.

Commentary

We are back for the second essay. The two umpires have made their way out to the middle as have Rishabh Pant and his men. It will be the explosive left-hand right-hand combination of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt to open the innings for Kolkata. Lizaad Williams has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then, despite how the back end of the innings panned out for them, Kolkata will be the happier of the two sides. Yes, the wicket is on the slower side, and 154 is a tricky target, but Kolkata have the batting depth to get over the line. Kuldeep Yadav has given Delhi something to bowl at, and given the help that Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy got, Kuldeep and Axar Patel will relish bowling on this surface. Wickets in the Powerplay will be the key for Delhi to put Kolkata on the back foot early. Join us in a bit to see how the chase unfolds.

Vaibhav Arora is in for a chat. He says that he had gotten a chance against Delhi previously and got a chance here again. On Shai Hope's wicket, he says he perfectly executed the outswing which pitched on that perfect length and got him the wicket. Adds that his strength is with the new ball and he likes to swing it both ways. Says that the wicket is on the slower side and they have done well to restrict them to a smaller target and should be able to get it done

As for Kolkata, they would have loved to bowl Delhi out but they will still be happy with where they are at this stage in the game. At the start, Mitchell Starc in his quest to get the new ball to swing, erred in the first over but soon fought back in his second over. His new ball partner, Vaibhav Arora was much more disciplined and was rewarded with two wickets in the Powerplay. Having conceded more runs than they would have wanted to in the first six overs, the onus was on their spinners to put a leash on the scoring rate in the middle phase. Harshit Rana gave them an opening and soon Varun Chakaravarthy came through for his side, picking the big wickets of Pant and Stubbs. Chakravarthy ruled the roost with support from Narine to pile the misery on Delhi. Despite having Delhi on the ropes in the 15th over, Kolkata failed to clean up the tail, conceding 41 runs in the last five overs.

Delhi have limped their way to a respectable total! Tottering at 111-8 at one stage, this has been a good recovery from Delhi to end up with 153 on the board. After Rishabh Pant called it right and opted to put runs on the board, Prithvi Shaw got off the blocks quickly with three boundaries in the first over. He fell in the second over and the young Aussie sensation, Jake Fraser-McGurk had a rare short stay at the crease. Shai Hope could not do much either but Rishabh Pant and Abishek Porel batted with intent and made the Powerplay count. Porel failed to kick on as a poor shot selection led to his downfall. Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel began a rebuild job but the Delhi skipper, having dropped on 18, could not capitalise on the reprieve. Patel and Stubbs failed the trial by spin as did the Impact Player, Kumar Kushagra. Being reduced to 111-8 in the 15th over, Delhi were in danger of being bowled out inside the 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav joined hands with Rasikh Dar, adding valuable runs. Kuldeep batted through for his side when the chips were down and remained unbeaten on 35 to take them past 150.

Runs Scored 10 Runs

Score after 20 overs : 153/9

K Yadav35 (26)

L Williams1 (2)

A Russell1-0-10-0

19.64

FOUR! Manages to get a boundary off the last ball and Delhi have reached a decent total at the end of the innings. Russell bowls a back-of-a-length delivery, angling it across outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to pull but is way too early on the shot yet manages to get a top edge that flies over the keeper for four runs.

19.50

Drops the length short and bowls it wider on off, Kuldeep Yadav looks for the cut over point but misses out. Kuldeep Yadav sends it upstairs for a wide call review. The replay confirms that the ball was well within the tramline and will be a fair delivery.

19.42

Lands the yorker right outside off, Kuldeep Yadav jams it just short of backward point where Ramandeep Singh dives ahead and collects it on the bounce. The batters set off for a run and Ramandeep Singh throws it at the nonstriker's end with nobody backing up. The batters scamper across for the second run.

19.30

Digs it in short but does not offer any pace, on off, Kuldeep Yadav swings for the pull but connects with thin air.

19.20

Slower and into the wicket, around off, Kuldeep Yadav shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball comes on slower onto the bat and only manages to push it off the toe-end back to the bowler.

19.14

FOUR! Streaky but worth it! Russell bangs the deck on a shorter length outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to fend it out and manages to get an outside edge past the third man for a boundary.

Who will bowl the last over? It will be the birthday boy, Andre Russell. Can he bowl Delhi out under 150?

Runs Scored 4 Runs

Score after 19 overs : 143/9

K Yadav25 (20)

L Williams1 (2)

H Rana4-0-28-2

18.61

Bowls this on a length and outside off, Kuldeep Yadav just nudges it to the off side and gets a single and will retain the strike for the final over.

18.61wd

WIDE! Tries another bouncer but sprays it down leg for an extra.

18.50

A well-directed bouncer that! Hits the deck over middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks to dab it on the on side but fails to make connection.

18.41

On a shorter length and around middle and leg again, Lizaad Williams tucks it to deep mid-wicket region for a single.

18.30

On a length and around middle and leg, Lizaad Williams looks for the flick but misses. The ball brushes the pads and goes straight back to the keeper.

Lizaad Williams is the last man in for Delhi.

18.2W

OUT! CAUGHT! Rana makes up for the dropped catch and Delhi lose another one. Comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a length and into middle with pace off, Rasikh Dar gets deceived by the pace off and lobs it straight into the hands of Shreyas Iyer at mid off who takes the easiest of catches.

18.11

On a back of a length outside off, Kuldeep Yadav backs away and cuts it to deep cover for a single.

Runs Scored 3 Runs

Score after 18 overs : 139/8

K Yadav23 (17)

R Dar8 (9)

V Arora4-0-29-2

17.61lb

LEG BYES! A loud appeal by Vaibhav Arora for LBW and the umpire turns it down. Shreyas Iyer sends it upstairs. Arora bowls this full and angling in around middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks for the swing but misses out and it hits his pads. The UltraEdge reconfirms that there was no inside edge but the Ball Tracking shows that the wickets were missing as the ball was drifting down leg. The on-field call stays and the batters get a run.

17.50

Bowls this full and into middle and off, Kuldeep Yadav gets on a knee and looks for a lofted drive but is beaten.

17.41

Goes full and into the stumps, Rasikh Dar jams it to deep square leg for a single.

17.31

Pitches it on a good length and into middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks to flick it away but gets an inside edge off his pads and to the leg side for a single.

17.20

Beaten again! Lands this perfectly on that length just outside off and gets the ball to angle back in, Kuldeep Yadav looks to drive it through off but is beaten on the outside edge again.

17.10

Angles this one in on a hard length and outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to cut it square but is beaten.

Runs Scored 8 Runs

Score after 17 overs : 136/8

R Dar7 (8)

K Yadav22 (12)

H Rana3-0-24-1

16.64

FOUR! Not where he intended to send it but gets enough on this one. Rana bowls this on a back of a length outside off, Rasikh Dar looks to ramp but the ball is not too short. He manages to get a cue end on it sending it past the keeper for a boundary.

16.51

Hurls this on a length and into the pads, Kuldeep Yadav tucks it away to deep backward square leg for one.

16.40

Digs the short one over off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to ramp it over the keeper but misses out.

16.31

Goes full and into the stumps, Rasikh Dar flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

16.21

Angles this one back in again on a good length and around middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav manages to get an inside edge onto his pads and towards the off side for a single.

16.11lb

LEG BYES! An appeal for LBW by just the bowler. Rana comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a back of a length, pitching outside off and gets the ball to jag back into the right-hander. Rasikh Dar looks to keep it out but misses and gets hit high on the front pad. The batters cross as the ball trickles away to the off side.

Strategic break! Kolkata have dominated the middle phase on the back of a three-wicket haul by Varun Chakaravarthy. Both Narine and Chakaravarthy have finished their quota of 4 overs and the onus is now on the pacers to knock off the remaining two Delhi wickets. Kuldeep Yadav needs to bat through for Delhi and give them something to bowl at.

Runs Scored 16 Runs

Score after 16 overs : 128/8

K Yadav20 (9)

R Dar2 (5)

M Starc3-0-43-1

15.64

FOUR! Adding gold to the scorecard is Kuldeep Yadav! Mitchell Starc misses the yorker yet again and bowls a low dipping full toss into the stumps, Kuldeep Yadav flicks it well this time and gets it in the gap at deep square leg for four more runs.

15.65wd

FIVE WIDES! A low full toss drifting down leg side. Kuldeep Yadav looks to flick it away but misses out. The ball evades Phil Salt behind the stumps too and races away to the fence for a boundary.

15.56

SIX! Starc almost had his plan perfectly executed but Harshit Rana drops this one. Mitchell Starc angles this one in on a shorter length and into the bodyline, Kuldeep Yadav pulls it straight to deep backward square leg where Rana gets under it moving to his left and tries to catch it with both hands and spills it out and palms it over the ropes for a maximum.

15.40

Looks for the yorker and lands a low full toss tailing back into the left-hander, on off, Kuldeep Yadav punches it to mid off.

15.31

Goes fuller and into the stumps, Rasikh Dar flicks it well to deep mid-wicket and gets to the other end.

15.20

Digs this short and hits the deck hard at 140.5kph, over middle and leg, Rasikh Dar ducks and leaves this one alone.

15.10

Steams from around the wicket and bowls a full toss outside off, Rasikh Dar looks to push it through off but is beaten.

Varun Chakaravarthy is done for the night as he finishes with figures of 3 for 16 from his four overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi comes in as the Impact Player for Kolkata, replacing Chakaravarthy. A change in bowling as Mitchell Starc comes back into the attack.

Runs Scored 6 Runs

Score after 15 overs : 112/8

K Yadav10 (6)

R Dar1 (2)

V Chakaravarthy4-0-16-3

14.60

Bowls this on a fuller length just outside off, Kuldeep Yadav with soft hands just pushes it to the off side.

14.51

Tosses this one up and into middle and leg, Rasikh Dar pushes it to long on for a single.

14.40

Another loud appeal for LBW and the umpire turns this one down. Varun Chakaravarthy convinces the skipper Shreyas Iyer to send it upstairs for a review. Chakaravarthy darts this one fuller and into the stumps, Rasikh Dar gets low on a knee and looks to sweep it square of the wicket on the leg side but misses out. The ball crashes onto his front pad. The replays roll on and the impact was outside off and the onfield call stays as NOT OUT!

Rasikh Dar comes to bat at number 10 for Delhi

14.3W

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Varun Chakaravarthy has his third wicket now! The Impact Player departs without any impact for Delhi. This is on a nagging length, on off, turning in a bit, Kumar Kushagra gets half-forward to stab it down the deck. Gets an inside edge onto the flap of the front pad. It lobs over the batter but the keeper, Phil Salt is aware where the ball is and grabs it with ease over his head with his left hand.

14.21

At the stumps, fuller and quicker, Kuldeep Yadav reverse sweeps it towards backward point for a single.

14.14

EDGED AND FOUR! Fortuitous boundary for Kuldeep Yadav! Googly by Varun Chakaravarthy, on a nagging length, around off, Kuldeep Yadav has a poke at it and gets an outside edge that goes past the left thigh of the keeper and beats the dive of Shreyas Iyer at first slip to his right for a boundary.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 14 overs : 106/7

K Yadav5 (3)

K Kushagra1 (2)

S Narine4-0-24-1

13.61

Loops it up again, full and around off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to work it through the off side but it comes off the inner half of the bat and rolls on the leg side for a single.

13.54

FOUR! Streaky but a boundary nonetheless for Delhi after 23 balls. Tosses it up, full and on middle, Kuldeep Yadav goes for the sweep but fails to roll his wrists to control the sweep. Gets a top edge that lands in the vacant short fine leg region and races away for a boundary.

13.40

Bowls this straight and into the stumps, Kuldeep Yadav blocks it back to the bowler on the front foot.

Kuldeep Yadav walks out to bat at number 9 for Delhi.

13.3W

OUT! DRAGGED ON! It was just a matter of time before Sunil Narine got into the act! Delhi slip further. Comes from over the wicket and bowls it short and around off, Axar Patel gives himself room and tries to play it through the off side with an angled bat. Turns in a touch, enough to catch the inside edge and it goes back onto the stumps.

13.20

Beaten! Slower and shorter, outside off, Axar Patel frees his arms and goes for the cut but connects with thin air.

13.10

Good stop! Short and around off, Axar Patel hangs back and punches it from right under his eye line towards cover where Shreyas Iyer dives to his right and saves at least a couple of runs.

Runs Scored 2 Runs

Score after 13 overs : 101/6

K Kushagra1 (2)

A Patel15 (18)

V Chakaravarthy3-0-10-2

12.60

This one goes straight, short and on off, Kumar Kushagra whips towards deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike with a single.

12.51

This is on a nagging length, on off, Axar Patel waits on the back foot and drops it with soft hands in front of point for a single.

12.40

Fuller delivery, slanting in, on middle, Axar Patel turns this one from the crease to mid-wicket.

12.30

Sliding in, at the stumps, short as well, Axar Patel covers the line of the ball and keeps it out.

12.21

Turning into the batter, short and on middle, Kumar Kushagra plays it with the turn towards long on for a single to get off the mark.

Kumar Kushagra the impact substitute replacing Prithvi Shaw walks out to bat at number 8 for Delhi.

12.1W

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! The dreaded finger goes up and this is a massive wicket for Kolkata. Varun Chakaravarthy prizes out another big scalp and Delhi are in more trouble now. Varun Chakaravarthy pushes it through to the right-hander, on a nagging length, outside off, Tristan Stubbs stays on the back foot and shapes up to cut this one away but the ball is not short enough. The ball skids off the deck and catches the cue-end of the bat. The keeper, Phil Salt gets his gloves in the correct position and lets the ball nestle into the gloves.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 12 overs : 99/5

T Stubbs4 (6)

A Patel14 (15)

S Narine3-0-19-0

11.61

Gives the ball air and slows it up as well, full and on off, Tristan Stubbs gets a good stride in and knocks it with a straight bat to long off. Retain the strike with a single.

11.50

Keeps the length short and around off, Tristan Stubbs rocks on the back foot and pats it in front of backward point.

11.41

Short and just outside off, Axar Patel gives himself room and cuts it hard towards backward point where Rinku Singh lets it through his legs and concedes a single.

11.31

Floats it up, on a fullish length, on off, Tristan Stubbs turns it towards wide long on. The batters think about the second but Rinku Singh gets to the ball quickly and keeps it down to one.

11.21

Sliding onto the pads, short as well, Axar Patel tucks it through square leg and rotates the strike.

11.11

On a nagging length, on off, Tristan Stubbs stays back in his crease and stabs it down on the off side.

Runs Scored 1 Runs

Score after 11 overs : 94/5

A Patel12 (13)

T Stubbs1 (2)

V Chakaravarthy2-0-8-1

10.60

Swing and a miss! Tossed up nicely, inviting the big shot from the batter, outside off, Axar Patel swings to go down town but misses. Phil Salt takes the bails off but Axar has his back leg grounded inside the crease.

10.50

Fuller in length, around off, Axar Patel presses forward and defends it solidly on the off side.

10.40

Pushes it through, short and on off, Axar Patel gets on the back foot and steers it to backward point.

10.31

Looped up, low full toss, on off, Tristan Stubbs drives it to long off and gets off the mark with a single.

10.20

Turning into the right-hander, slower through the air, on a nagging length, on middle and leg, Tristan Stubbs looks to play at it but it spins in to hit him on the thigh pad.

Tristan Stubbs walks out to bat next for Delhi.

10.1W

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Shreyas Iyer makes no mistake and Varun Chakaravarthy has finally got his man! Rishabh Pant fails to make his second life count and this is a big blow to Delhi. Chakaravarthy comes from around the wicket and floats it up nicely, full and on middle, Rishabh Pant gets down on one knee and goes for the slog sweep. The ball is too full to play the slog sweep and it catches the top edge. It goes high in the night sky towards cover where Shreyas Iyer settles under it and takes it near his chest.

Runs Scored 13 Runs

Score after 10 overs : 93/4

A Patel12 (10)

R Pant27 (19)

V Arora3-0-27-2

9.60

A touch shorter and outside off, Axar Patel dabs it to point.

9.54

FOUR! This is even better! Arora continues to bowl short and gets punished! Hits the deck hard over off and gets the ball to climb up on the left-hander, Axar Patel this time makes some room and cuts it over backward point for another boundary.

9.44

FOUR! Beats the man at deep third and gets the second off the over. Arora bowls this shorter and over off, Axar Patel rocks back and gets on top of his toes before ramping it fine of deep third for a boundary.

9.31

Just short of Andre Russell! Arora continues to drop it short and bowls this on a back of a length and into the stumps, Rishabh Pant pulls it off the upper half of the bat aerially falling short of Andre Russell at deep mid-wicket for a single.

9.20

Switches from around the wicket and drops the length short over middle and off, Rishabh Pant looks for the pull but misses out as the ball crashes into his abdomen off an inside edge.

9.14

FOUR! Picks the gap beautifully! Arora comes from over the wicket and bangs this on a length and just outside off, Rishabh Pant waits back and cuts it past backward point and short third for four runs.

Runs Scored 7 Runs

Score after 9 overs : 80/4

A Patel4 (7)

R Pant22 (16)

V Chakaravarthy1-0-7-0

8.62

A tad shorter in length and outside off, Axar Patel punches it to left of deep cover and gets two runs to end the over.

8.50

Pushes it through, short and on off, Axar Patel pats it from the crease to extra cover.

8.41

Sliding in, short and on middle, Rishabh Pant punches it down to long on for a single.

8.32

Slants this one in on a shorter length drifting on leg, Rishabh Pant gets on a knee and sweeps it over short fine leg for a couple of runs.

8.21

Fuller and into the pads, Axar Patel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

8.11

DROPPED by Harshit Rana! How costly can that turn out to be? Varun Chakaravarthy starts from around the wicket and pushes this one on a fuller length and into the stumps, Rishabh Pant covers the line and looks for the flick but gets a top edge, lobbing the ball straight towards Rana at short third who settles underneath it but spills it out.

Time for spin from both ends as Varun Chakaravarthy comes on to bowl.

Runs Scored 5 Runs

Score after 8 overs : 73/4

R Pant18 (13)

A Patel1 (4)

S Narine2-0-14-0

7.61

Tosses this one up, into the pads, Rishabh Pant slips on one knee and looks to sweep it over but only manages to get inside edge onto the pads and it loops over the keeper for a single.

7.51

Drags the length short and bowls it just outside off, Axar Patel punches it to long off for a single.

7.40

Turning away from the left-hander, on a nagging length, on off, Axar Patel reads it well and stabs it down on the off side.

7.31

Bowls this fractionally fuller and outside off, Rishabh Pant cuts it well to deep cover for a single.

7.22

Shorter in length, outside off, Rishabh Pant whips it to deep mid-wicket for a brace.

7.10

Bowls this nicely on a fuller length around off and gets the ball to grip and turn back into the left-hander, Rishabh Pant is cramped in the crease but manages to keep it out as the bat falls off his hands.

Runs Scored 1 Runs

Score after 7 overs : 68/4

A Patel0 (2)

R Pant14 (9)

H Rana2-0-17-1

6.60

A great over this from Harshit Rana conceding just one run and getting a wicket! On a back of a length and angling into the left-hander around middle and off, Axar Patel rocks back and stabs it down the pitch.

6.50

Bowls this fuller and wider on off, Axar Patel leans on it and drives it to cover.

Axar Patel is in at number 6 for Delhi.

6.4W

OUT! TIMBER! Yet again, a strategic break resulted in a lapse of concentration. Abishek Porel falls prey to the change in field and Delhi lose their fourth wicket. Rana bowls this nicely on a length and into the stumps, Abishek Porel with the short fine leg in the circle gets across the line and looks to scoop this one over but makes an absolute mess of it. He misses the line completely and the ball zips through to rattle the stumps off.

6.30

Another well-directed bouncer! Hits the deck on a shorter length over off, Abishek Porel backs away a bit and looks to ramp it over the keeper but the ball climbs on him as he misses to connect.

6.20

Digs this short and hits the deck hard at 138kph, over middle and leg, Abishek Porel swivels in the crease looking for the pull but leaves this one go through to the keeper.

6.11

Comes from around the wicket and hits the length right and gets the ball to angle back into the left-hander, Rishabh Pant punches this one crisply to deep cover for a single.

Strategic break! It has been an eventful start to the game. Despite the loss of three wickets, Delhi have managed to maintain a good tempo to their innings and will look to bat in the same fashion in the middle overs. A lot will rest on the shoulders of Rishabh Pant against the Kolkata spinners as Delhi look to dominate the middle phase. As for Kolkata, they did well to pick three wickets but have not quite been able to dry up the boundaries. With the ease in field restrictions, they would want to stem the flow of runs and put Delhi on the back foot with a couple of wickets more.

Runs Scored 9 Runs

Score after 6 overs : 67/3

R Pant13 (8)

A Porel18 (12)

S Narine1-0-9-0

5.61

Too straight this time and into the stumps, Rishabh Pant flicks it well off his pads to deep square leg and gets a single to end the over and the Powerplay with 67 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets.

5.51

Lands this fuller and into the stumps, Abishek Porel goes deep in the crease and punches it to mid on for a single.

5.40

Digs this short and wider on off, Abishek Porel cuts it well but straight to point.

5.31

Pushes this one quicker and fuller on off, Rishabh Pant eases it to cover and gets a single.

5.26

SIX! Great shot that from the skipper! Narine bowls this shorter in length and into the bodyline, Rishabh Pant gets low and pulls it away beautifully over deep square leg for a biggie!

5.10

Starts from over the wicket and bowls this wider on off and on a fuller length, Rishabh Pant extends his arms and carves it straight to the fielder at point.

Runs Scored 16 Runs

Score after 5 overs : 58/3

R Pant5 (4)

A Porel17 (10)

H Rana1-0-16-0

4.61

Angling in, around the off-stump line, on a good length, Rishabh Pant taps it with soft hands in front of Shreyas Iyer at extra cover and scampers across for a single.

4.51

Switches to around the wicket and serves it on a good length, on off, Abishek Porel punches it with a straight bat to mid off and calls Rishabh Pant through for a quick single.

4.44

FOUR! Intelligent batting! Arora takes pace off and goes fuller in length this time, outside off, Abishek Porel waits for the ball to arrive and plays it late to get it past short third and beats deep backward point to his right for another boundary. 14 runs off the first four balls.

4.36

SIX! Hit with real authority! Length delivery, outside off, Abishek Porel gets down the track quickly and extends his arms to smack it over cover for a maximum. 50 comes up for Delhi.

4.24

FOUR! Nicely done! Lands it on a hard length, outside off, Abishek Porel gets on his toes and allows the ball to come to him before playing the upper cut over the keeper for a boundary.

4.10

Angled across the left-hander from over the wicket, at 140.1 kph, full in length, Abishek Porel's eyes lit up as he goes for the drive away from the body but fails to connect.

Harshit Rana comes into the attack.

Runs Scored 12 Runs

Score after 4 overs : 42/3

R Pant4 (3)

A Porel2 (5)

V Arora2-0-14-2

3.64

FOUR! Width offered and Rishabh Pant obliges! Too full and wide on off, Rishabh Pant gets low and latches onto the width in a flash. Hits it along the ground and gets it through covers for a boundary to get off the mark.

3.50

Comes from around the wicket now does Arora and slants it back in, full and outside off, Rishabh Pant caresses the drive but it goes straight to cover.

3.40

Keeps it full and around off, Rishabh Pant drives it straight but can't get it past mid off.

3.41wd

WIDE! Full but it goes down leg, Rishabh Pant misses the tickle and it is called as a wide by the umpire.

The skipper, Rishabh Pant walks out to bat at number 5 for Delhi.

3.3W

OUT! CASTLED! An absolute peach by Vaibhav Arora! The decision to bring Arora back into the mix is doing wonders for Kolkata. Arora stays over the wicket and bowls it on a good length, angling into the right-hander, at the top of the off-stump, Shai Hope hangs on the back foot and tries to cover the line of the ball. He plays for the ball angling into him but the ball nips away slightly and whizzes past the outside edge to clip the off-stump. The left bail comes off and the crowd erupts. Delhi in early trouble.

3.26

SIX! Not the most convincing shots but Shai Hope is away! Vaibhav Arora digs it in short and aims it at the helmet of the batter, Shai Hope gets himself into a tangle and hops to get the pull shot away. Takes his eyes off the ball but still goes through with the shot. Helps it over the fine leg fence for a maximum.

3.11

This is on a back of a length, on off, Abishek Porel punches it in front of mid off and gets to the other end quickly.

Runs Scored 12 Runs

Score after 3 overs : 30/2

S Hope0 (1)

A Porel1 (4)

M Starc2-0-27-1

2.60

On a fullish length, outside off, Shai Hope is late on the drive and fails to get any bat on it. End of a wicket-taking over from Starc.

Shai Hope walks in at number 4 for Delhi.

2.5W

OUT! TAKEN! Mitchell Starc has the last laugh! After being hit for a maximum and a boundary, Starc fights back to win the Aussie battle. Starc comes from around the wicket and cramps the batter for room. Bowls it on a length and at the batter, Jake Fraser-McGurk gets his front leg out of the way again and has a heave across the line. The bat twists in his hand and it comes off the bottom part of the bat. It goes flat and low towards deep square leg. Venkatesh Iyer seems to have misjudged it initially but does well to dive low and takes the catch near his shoe laces. Both Delhi openers back in the hut inside the first three overs.

2.44

FOUR! Easy pickings! Starc looks to go full but ends up serving a full toss, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk uses the angle to his advantage and opens the bat face to slice it between backward point and short third for a boundary. This is turning out to be another expensive over from Starc.

2.36

SIX! Not a wise option by Starc and he gets punished by Jake Fraser-McGurk! Starc attempts a bumper, on off and middle, Jake Fraser-McGurk gets this one at a good height and moves away to the leg side nice and early. Slaps it over long on for the first maximum of the night.

2.21

Superb effort in the deep! Starc gets the line wrong as he strays on the pads, Abishek Porel clips this full delivery behind square on the leg side. Ramandeep Singh at deep square leg, sprints across to his left and puts in a full-length dive to save three runs for his side.

2.11

Almost sneaked through! Starc nails the yorker, on middle and leg, tailing back into the right-hander, Jake Fraser-McGurk clears his front leg but does well to adjust to the delivery and jabs it out on the leg side for a single.

Runs Scored 3 Runs

Score after 2 overs : 18/1

A Porel0 (3)

J Fraser-McGurk1 (3)

V Arora1-0-2-1

1.60

Swing and a miss! Switches to around the wicket and delivers it full in the channel on off, Abishek Porel shimmies down the track and swings to go down town but connects with thin air.

1.50

Fuller in length, on off, Abishek Porel leans into the drive and hits it towards cover.

1.40

A mix-up but no harm done! Sees the batter back away and follows him with a full delivery, Abishek Porel gets hit on the pads and the ball rolls to mid-wicket. Jake Fraser-McGurk sets off for the run but gets sent back in the nick of time by his partner.

1.41wd

WIDE! Going down leg, on a length, Abishek Porel looks to help the ball on its way but fails to get any bat on it.

Abishek Porel walks out to bat at number 3 for Delhi.

1.3W

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! A confident review by Kolkata and they have it spot on! Vaibhav Arora strikes in his first over on his return to the side. Not the best of deliveries by Arora as this is on a length, on the pads, it is there for Shaw to help it away towards fine leg. Prithvi Shaw attempts the tickle but only manages to get a feather on it and Phil Salt dives to his left to take it. Salt goes up in appeal but the umpire is unmoved. As soon as Kolkata send it upstairs, Shaw starts walking and the UltraEdge shows a spike.

Is that out? There's a huge appeal for caught behind and the umpire turns it down! Kolkata sends it upstairs for the review. The replays roll on and the UltraEdge confirms that there was a spike and the onfield call is asked to be overturned to OUT!

1.20

Arora bowls it on a hard length, on off, Prithvi Shaw gets on his toes and dabs it to the left of backward point where the fielder makes a good stop.

1.11lb

Leg bye! Hooping inswinger by Arora, on a fullish length, at the toes, Jake Fraser-McGurk shapes up for a hoick across the line but the ball is too full and the ball brushes his toes and rolls to the left of the keeper for a single.

1.11nb

NO BALL! Uh oh! False start for Vaibhav Arora! Goes into the wicket and it is angling down leg, Jake Fraser-McGurk goes for the pull but connects with thin air. The ball dies down and Salt collects it on the bounce diving away to his left. Arora has overstepped and a Free Hit will follow now.

It will be Vaibhav Arora to share the new ball from the other end.

Runs Scored 15 Runs

Score after 1 overs : 15/0

J Fraser-McGurk1 (1)

P Shaw13 (5)

M Starc1-0-15-0

0.61

A big, big shout for LBW but turned down! Shreyas Iyer indicates that there might have been bat involved and they do not take the review. Starc errs in length and ends up bowling a low full toss, on leg, Jake Fraser-McGurk clears his front leg and goes for a swipe across the line. Gets an inside edge back onto the back leg and the batters cross as the ball rolls on the leg side. End of an eventful first over.

0.51

Another one from Starc that slides onto the pads on a good length, Prithvi Shaw clips it through square leg for a single.

0.40

Play and a miss! Full and angled across the right-hander, Prithvi Shaw frees his arms and goes for a drive away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.

0.34

FOUR! As good as it gets! Starc continues his search of swing and gets a hint of inward shape, full and at the stumps, Prithvi Shaw shows the full face of his bat and drives it to the left of the bowler. Starc sticks out his left boot but fails to cut it off and it goes past the stumps for a boundary.

0.24

FOUR! Prithvi Shaw does not miss out this time! Too full and shaping back into the pads, Prithvi Shaw stays balanced in the crease and allows the ball to come to him. Flicks it over square leg for the second boundary of the over.

0.21wd

WIDE! Slips down leg in search of swing, fuller in length, Prithvi Shaw misses the tickle and it is called a wide.

0.14

FOUR! Just a push and it races away! Lovely start for Prithvi Shaw and Delhi. Starc steams in from over the wicket and goes full, around off, gets the ball to swing back in, Prithvi Shaw gets half-forward and times the drive between cover and mid off for a boundary.

We are on the brink of the game's commencement as the two umpires stride out to the centre followed by the Kolkata team who march out to take their positions on the field. It will be Prithvi Shaw and Jake Fraser-McGurk who stride confidently to the crease as the designated openers for Delhi. Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand and is poised to unleash the first delivery. Away we go..

Sunil Narine is in for a chat. When asked about the loss in the last game, he replies that it was a tough loss but it was an exciting game. Adds that they learnt a lot from that game and hopes to execute the plans better. Feels that they need to minimize the amount of big overs and restrict the opposition. States that he always tries to execute as best as he can and looks to find ways to contribute positively to the team. He says that if either he or Phil Salt get going, it sets a positive tone for the team.

The captain of Kolkata, Shreyas Iyer says they would have bowled first anyway. Adds that the team had some chat in the break and they try to keep things simple, especially after a loss like the previous one. Mentions that they have two changes to the squad and Mitchell Starc along with Vaibhav Arora come into the squad.

The captain of Delhi, Rishabh Pant says that they will bat first. Mentions that the way their team is poised, they would like to put a good score on the board. Feels that the wicket is on the slower side and he expects the ball to stick in the wicket later in the game. Informs that Prithvi Shaw comes in for Kumar Kushagra and Rasikh Dar will start in place of Mukesh Kumar. States that the confidence is high in the group and the talk has been to take one match at a time

Impact substitutes nominated by Delhi - Mukesh Kumar, Sumit Kumar, Pravin Dubey, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui.

Delhi (Playing XI) - Prithvi Shaw (In for Kumar Kushagra), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rasikh Dar (In for Mukesh Kumar), Lizaad Williams, Khaleel Ahmed.

Impact substitutes nominated by Kolkata - Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Kolkata (Playing XI) - Phil Salt (WK), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc (In for Dushmantha Chameera), Vaibhav Arora (In for Angkrish Raghuvanshi), Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana.

TOSS - Rishabh Pant wins the coin flip and Delhi elects to BAT first.

PITCH REPORT - Daren Ganga and Simon Katich are near the deck. Ganga starts by saying that out of the 5 games played here so far, teams have crossed 200 on 8 occasions. Feels that teams have gone with the left-hand right combination at this venue due to the unequal boundaries. Tells that 59 metres and 71 metres are the dimensions of the square boundaries, with the straight hit being 79 metres. Katich joins him and says that this wicket is rock hard and the ball will come on nicely onto the bat. He adds that the bowlers will have their work cut out once again and says that there will not be much dew tonight. Katich opines that Delhi bowlers will have to replicate what Bengaluru bowlers did against Sunil Narine, which was to bowl full and wide. He mentions that pitch number 4 is the same surface where Rajasthan chased down 223 on the back of a Jos Buttler hundred and feels that batters will enjoy batting out here.

Delhi had a slow start to the season, managing just one win from their first 5 matches, but they have turned things around, winning 4 of their next 5 games. Currently placed sixth in the standings, a victory against Kolkata will help Delhi leap to the second spot. Jake Fraser-McGurk, in his debut Indian T20 League season, has taken the tournament by storm. Alongside Tristan Stubbs and Rishabh Pant, he has played a crucial role in Delhi's resurgence. Featuring as the Impact Player, Rasikh Dar has impressed, and Mukesh Kumar has led the pace attack well in the absence of Ishant Sharma. While Lizaad Williams may have had a tough debut, the team will rely on him to deliver with the new ball. Earlier in the season, when these two sides met at Visakhapatnam, Kolkata came out on top in an absolute run-fest. Can Shreyas Iyer and his men do the double over a resurgent Delhi? Let's find out. Toss and team news coming up in a bit.

Kolkata are coming off a tough defeat where they failed to defend a formidable total of 261 runs on the board. Nonetheless, they find themselves in a strong position, holding the second spot with 5 wins from 8 games. While Sunil Narine has been stellar, his spin partner Varun Chakaravarthy is yet to hit his stride, and Harshit Rana's form has dipped after a promising start to the season. The possible return of Mitchell Starc will bolster their bowling attack. With the bat, Sunil Narine and Phil Salt have put the opposition bowlers under the pump from the get-go, a key factor in Kolkata's success so far. Although the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer are yet to fully fire, the explosive opening pair has made up for any shortcomings.

Hello and a warm welcome, everyone, to our coverage of match number 47 of the Indian T20 League between Kolkata and Delhi at the iconic Eden Gardens. As we enter a new week in the 17th edition of the Indian T20 League, we have an exciting encounter ahead of us. Two teams, both known for their batting prowess, will clash at a venue that recently witnessed the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket. With such batting firepower on display, another high-scoring thriller could be on the cards.

... MATCH DAY ...

The dawn of a new week in the 2024 Indian T20 League and a crucial one at that too. We are firmly in the second half of the group stage fixtures and in Match 47, a couple of teams vying for the playoff places will go up against each other with Kolkata welcoming Delhi at the Eden Gardens Stadium to kickstart the new week. Both teams have 10 points on the board thanks to five wins but Kolkata have just played 8 games whereas Delhi have played 10 games and have only four more group stage games remaining. The home side, Kolkata have been pretty solid throughout the tournament but come into this game on the back of a gutting loss against Punjab in which they failed to defend 261 runs. Delhi on the other hand were very shaky to begin with but have won 4 out of their last 5 games and seem to be on a roll. Kolkata started off with three wins in a row but since then they have gone on to lose three out of their next five games, the latest one being against Punjab. They are still in a very good position to qualify for the playoffs but would want to bring some control back with a win. The opening pair has been nothing short of phenomenal for Kolkata with Sunil Narine and Phil Salt firing on all cylinders and Kolkata have managed to go past the 200-run mark with ease in multiple games and the middle order has also been able to contribute with the likes of skipper Shreyas Iyer playing handy cameos when required. It is their bowling that has really hurt as you would never think that a team scoring 260 plus in a T20 game would not end up on the winning side but that did happen and the pacers really have been very inconsistent. Narine has not only been their best batter but he has been excellent with the ball as well. Varun Chakaravarthy has had a fairly lacklustre season and their big-money purchase in the auction, Mitchell Starc has gone for plenty of runs and hasn't found any rhythm. Starc was benched in the last game with Dushmantha Chameera coming in and that literally made no difference. On the other hand, Delhi, who conceded 272 runs against this very opposition early in the season, seem to be a completely different side now. A few changes in the batting personnel has worked wonders as Jake Fraser-McGurk has come in and taken the tournament by storm, not even sparing the great Jasprit Bumrah in the last game. Skipper, Rishabh Pant is amongst the leading run-scorers this season and the consistent hitting from Tristan Stubbs towards the end of the innings has really been the hallmark. The bowlers have been hit and miss but the two spinners, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have remained fairly consistent, with Axar keeping things tight and Kuldeep picking up wickets. Khaleel Ahmed has been able to get big wickets in the Powerplay and Mukesh Kumar has done a reasonable job at the death. Th addition of Rasikh Dar as the Impact Player in their last two games has made a big difference as the young pacer has come in and bowled difficult overs and has picked up wickets as well. Delhi are on a roll but those early losses mean, they cannot afford to lose more than a game or two. This is certainly a big game given the nature of the points table right now but that makes it all more worth watching for the neutrals. Who are you backing for the win?