Kallis and Haddin to open for Kolkata. Gayle is standing in the slips wearing no particular expression, as always. Zaheer has the new ball.

Joy: "Atleast RCB have a clear strategy now. Bolster your batting and chase down whatever target is set by the opposition. Their bowling is a bit weakened but batting looks the best in the competition, atleast on paper."

Ahsan: "Looking at both teams' top order it seems, two World XIs are facing each other, very impressive batting line-ups!"

The lights have come on at Eden, it is pretty overcast.

Tony: "If Lee isnt injured, this has to be a tactical blunder. The Bangalore top 4 will feast on the mediocre attack that kolkata has. Banking on Yusuf and Shakib alone, well time will tell! Hope Bangalore win, to ensure there is an even competition, being a neutral here!"

Frank: "Don't forget Chris' spin!!" Yeah, especially on this wicket, if it plays anywhere close to how it has in the previous two games. The rain earlier could queer the 'pitch' though. Some moisture is expected to be lurking underneath.

Gayle, looking pretty neat in that RCB uniform, is warming up along with his team-mates. He's switched from what was black-and-gold to what is red-and-gold. Kolkata have left Brett Lee out for Brad Haddin, interesting. So their seam attack today is Unadkat, Balaji and Bhatia. Not exactly threatening, but the spinners have been doing the damage on this Eden pitch.

Considering that, Bangalore have gone for another left-arm spinner in Syed Mohammad.

3.30 pm Daniel Vettori wins the toss and Bangalore will have a bowl

Vettori: "Looking at the Rajasthan game, this wicket got a bit better for batting as the game went on. Chris Gayle comes in." Vettori also thinks the wicket is going to turn, and that it will be a 'bit of fun'.

Gambhir: "I would have loved to bat if I had won the toss. The wicket gets a bit slower as the game goes on. We have got Jaidev in place of Bisla, and Haddin in for Lee."

Contrasting assessments of the wicket from the two captains, then.

It's been raining in Kolkata, and the skies are wearing a gloomy look at the moment. But right now, there is no rain.

Welcome to our coverage of the IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens. Bangalore need to start winning after having not won their last four games; the inclusion of Chris Gayle will help. Have a look at the preview while we wait for the toss.

0.1

Khan to Kallis, FOUR, starts off with a poor delivery on the pads, Kallis casually tickles it fine and gets four

0.2

Khan to Kallis, 5 wides, poorer delivery from Zaheer, Kallis had no chance to tickle or do anything with it, pitches outside leg and moves further down the leg side, no chance for the keeper as well

round the wicket now

0.2

Khan to Kallis, 1 wide, makes no difference, slants it in on a length but it goes wide down leg

0.2

Khan to Kallis, 1 wide, the horror start for Zaheer continues, this time he pitches it back of a length way outside off and it moves further away, lot of movement around but Zaheer is still to control it

goes over the wicket again

0.2

Khan to Kallis, no run, and out of nowhere arrives one that zips back in from a length, catching Kallis on the pads and goes to the keeper, they appeal for leg before, not given, ball would have just shaved off stump

0.3

Khan to Kallis, no run, better from Zaheer, pushed away off the front foot

0.4

Khan to Kallis, FOUR, this one is slanted wide outside off, Kallis reaches out, and throws his bat at it, and gets the ball over covers for a boundary

0.5

Khan to Kallis, FOUR, Zaheer would want to quickly forget this over, when it ends that is, this one is down the pads, and Kallis happily clips it through square leg for another boundary

0.6

Khan to Kallis, no run, gets an inside edge as he tries to drive this one pitched up, ball rolls towards mid on, Zaheer's nightmare over is over

Aravind, the Karnataka seamer, from the other end

1.1

Aravind to Haddin, no run, starts off on a tight length on the stumps, pushed away by Haddin

1.2

Aravind to Haddin, 1 run, walks down the wicket, and flicks this one off his pads, good work from Zaheer running to his left at fine leg

1.3

Aravind to Kallis, 1 run, has him pushing at one that angles across him from a fuller length, thick edge to third man

Prasad: "Zaheer has a peculiar habit of bowling such first over from time to time. India was at the receiving end of WC Final 2003 and now poor RCB." Hey, time to time? That was 8 years ago.

1.4

Aravind to Haddin, 2 runs, Haddin goes reaching out to this one outside off and just gets it in the air over extra cover who runs towards it but it falls just over his shoulder

1.5

Aravind to Haddin, SIX, lovely shot from Haddin, stands in the crease and picks this length ball up with a straight swing, and the ball is collected from somewhere beyond the long on boundary

keeper standing up now

1.6

Aravind to Haddin, FOUR, another boundary, Bangalore will wish they are anywhere expect Eden at the moment, dabs a length ball going across him very late, and it runs away past short third man

Syed Mohammad, the left-arm spinner comes on

2.1

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, tossed up outside off, pushed away off the front foot

2.2

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, flatter on the stumps, played out on the leg side

2.3

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, goes back to punch a back of a length ball, but cannot beat cover

2.4

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, 1 run, angles this in, and he picks it away for a single in front of square leg

2.5

Syed Mohammad to Haddin, no run, waits in the crease and pushes out this one to backward point

2.6

Syed Mohammad to Haddin, no run, slanted in with the arm, he goes back to cut, but cannot time it past point

Some respite for Bangalore after the first two nightmare overs

vivek: "Lots of decent Left arm spinners on view this IPL. Indian LAS cupboard seems pretty full!" Here is a Sri Lankan offspinner though

3.1

Dilshan to Kallis, 2 runs, shortish and turning down leg, helped away in front of square leg, there is a man on the boundary

3.2

Dilshan to Kallis, 1 run, darted in flat and turning in a touch, punches for a single to long on

3.3

Dilshan to Haddin, 1 run, fuller this time, nothing to work with, so HAddin settles for the single to long on

3.4

Dilshan to Kallis, no run, gets him to drive outside off, tossed up just a bit, he cannot beat the infield though

3.5

Dilshan to Kallis, 1 run, swatted away past midwicket for another single

3.6

Dilshan to Haddin, FOUR, drops it short, and he takes toll, shuffles outside the line, lets it turn in and hammers it over square leg for a boundary

4.1

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, slanted in from wide of the crease, pushed back to the bowler

4.2

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, another one angled in flat, pushed back down the track

4.3

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, 1 run, goes deep in the crease to work this one away in front of midwicket

4.4

Syed Mohammad to Haddin, no run, back of a length, he cannot get the punch past extra cover

4.5

Syed Mohammad to Haddin, OUT, gets reward for some tight bowling, tossed this one up a bit, Haddin backed away a touch and went for the big lofted shot over mid off from the crease, this one turned a bit, and he got the edge that settled safely in to the hands of Virat at point

BJ Haddin c Kohli b Syed Mohammad 18 (11b 2x4 1x6) SR: 163.63

4.6

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, fires in another one flat, pushed back hurriedly to the bowler, he has conceded 2 runs in 2 overs, amid all the carnage at the other end

Gambhir will face now

5.1

Dilshan to Gambhir, 1 wide, skips outside the line of one darted in from round the wicket, and earns a wide

5.1

Dilshan to Gambhir, 1 run, drops it short, and he rocks back to cut it wide of sweeper cover

5.2

Dilshan to Kallis, 1 run, driven down the ground with the turn to long on

Jason: "@ Vivek - All the LAS are not good. They excel in the t20 format by bowling flat and fast."

5.3

Dilshan to Gambhir, no run, flat and fast, but touch short, and he cannot the cut past cover

5.4

Dilshan to Gambhir, no run, pushed away on the off side

5.5

Dilshan to Gambhir, 1 run, skips down the track, Dilshan follow him, and he gets it on the leg side off the pads

5.6

Dilshan to Kallis, 2 runs, misfield in covers, driven hard off the front foot, but it slips through the fielder's hands

Natasha: "People have a habit of forgetting a bowler's achievement from time to time even after it happens he happens to be the highest wicker taker on the previous world cup - which also happens to be a month ago!" Virat on for some medium pacers

6.1

Kohli to Gambhir, 1 run, clipped away off the pads from a fuller length to deep square leg

6.2

Kohli to Kallis, 1 run, gets forward and drives a length ball to sweeper cover, there is hardly any pace off the pitch

6.3

Kohli to Gambhir, 1 run, cuts in from round the stumps, he waits and dabs it late towards short third man

6.4

Kohli to Kallis, 1 run, low full toss, he drives it hard in the ground past the bowler

6.5

Kohli to Gambhir, FOUR, Gambhir gets four, scythes hard across the line of a length ball angled in, beats midwicket, and comfortably beats long on

6.6

Kohli to Gambhir, 1 run, steered off the back foot to third man

Dan is the new man to bowl

7.1

Vettori to Gambhir, no run, flat on the stumps, tries to dab it away but can't beat the keeper

7.2

Vettori to Gambhir, no run, tossed up full, he gets close to the pitch and squeezes it back to Vettori

7.3

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 run, tucked away off the pads backward of square leg

7.4

Vettori to Kallis, 1 run, flighted around off, he comes forward and picks up the single to long off with the forcing drive

7.5

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 run, flat, fast and short, Gambhir quickly picks it and pulls it past midwicket, but there is a man in the deep there

7.6

Vettori to Kallis, 1 run, pushed with soft hands in front of point, and Gambhir rushes for the single

kamal: "More on LAS, Ravindra Jadeja has suddenly become an interesting prospect as he bowls decent LAS and blazes down the order...." Gayle in to the attack

8.1

Gayle to Kallis, 1 run, full from wide of the crease, pushed away in front of square leg

8.2

Gayle to Gambhir, 1 run, fires it in full with a seven-step run-up, Gambhir skips out and flicks through midwicket

8.3

Gayle to Kallis, 1 run, pushed away off the back foot in front of point

8.4

Gayle to Gambhir, (no ball) 1 run, high full toss, too high, he swats it away to long on, it is a no-ball as well

8.4

Gayle to Kallis, no run, driven off the front foot to extra cover

8.5

Gayle to Kallis, 1 run, turns in and he flicks it past square leg

8.6

Gayle to Gambhir, no run, comes out, takes this one on the full and drives but straight to extra cover

Vinay Tej: "Can anyone here tel me what happened to Manish Pandey. I knew that he was banned for 4 games. Was he not picked today, or is he not available???" You chose the wrong match, mate, he is in the Pune squad

Sanket: "More on LAS. I think in India today, Pragyan Ojha is the best. The way he deceives the batsmen in flight is a treat to watch."

KK: "Zaheer Khan is VVS Laxman of Bowling. He needs some challenge to get his best out of him. And his body language playing IPL is not same as playing against India. As an Indian fan i don't mind that."

9.1

Vettori to Kallis, 1 run, tossed up and goes straight on, he drives and gets an inside edge backward of square leg

9.2

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 wide, tosses this one down the leg side

9.2

Vettori to Gambhir, no run, comes out and flicks this one, but finds Gayle in the way at shortish midwicket

9.3

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 run, steered behind point for a single

9.4

Vettori to Kallis, no run, loud shout for leg-before, Kallis plays for the turn, this one goes straight to strike him on the pads, turned down by the umpre, would have hit leg, replays show

9.5

Vettori to Kallis, FOUR, tossed up very slowly, KAllis makes room outside leg, and launches it with a big swing over extra cover

9.6

Vettori to Kallis, no run, good delivery, flighted again, not as much as the previous one, and goes straight on outside off, he mistimes the cut to point

Zaheer is back

10.1

Khan to Gambhir, FOUR, and right away, is dispatched over midwicket for four, angled in on a length on the pads, and Gautam launches in to it

10.2

Khan to Gambhir, 3 runs, waits for an instant and drives through extra cover now, Pujara at sweeper cover puts it a desperate dive and saves arun

round the wicket now

10.3

Khan to Kallis, 1 run, kicks up a bit from a length outside off, he is surprised and stabs it away to third man

10.4

Khan to Gambhir, 1 run, this time Gautam hangs back beside the line of this one outside off and steers it to third man

10.5

Khan to Kallis, 1 run, eases this one down the ground to long on

10.6

Khan to Gambhir, FOUR, Gautam with that inside out loft over extra cover, makes room to a fuller one, and times the swing perfectly, gets four in the gap between sweeper cover and long off, Zaheer's nightmare is not over yet

11.1

Gayle to Kallis, 1 run, digs this one in short as he sees him charging out, swatted away to long on in the end

11.2

Gayle to Gambhir, 1 run, full toss low on leg stump, eased away to long on along the ground

11.3

Gayle to Kallis, no run, skips down the track, and flicks a fuller one on the pads, but right to short fine leg

11.4

Gayle to Kallis, 1 run, driven with the turn to long on this time

11.5

Gayle to Gambhir, no run, Gautam tries the late dab to a shortish one, finds short third man in the way

11.6

Gayle to Gambhir, no run, can't get it away again, makes room outside leg, Gayle sees that and fires in a full toss on the pads, Gautam tries to sweep it away but finds short fine leg

Gareth: "I honestly can't understand why people criticise Kallis' strike rate. He plays the perfect anchor for this KKR side, and allows the other hitters to play around him. T20 isn't all smash and giggle." Syed Mohammad is bacl

12.1

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, 1 run, comes slowly off the wicket, he makes room and hits it to sweeper cover

12.2

Syed Mohammad to Gambhir, FOUR, Gautam skips out, sees he is too close to the pitch of a flighted one, and short-arm jabs this one down the ground in the air and in to the boundary

12.3

Syed Mohammad to Gambhir, 1 run, hangs in the crease and tucks this one behind square

12.4

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, no run, stumping chance missed, Kallis rushed out, flailed wildly at a flat one, missed but the keeper fluffed the take

12.5

Syed Mohammad to Kallis, 1 run, this time he stays back and eases this one for a single to long on

12.6

Syed Mohammad to Gambhir, 1 run, now Gautam gets the single, shortish and he slogs it away to deep midwicket

13.1

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 run, Gautam to dance down the track, and now he clips a full one in front of square leg

13.2

Vettori to Kallis, OUT, the big bird goes flying and comes down with the ball, Kallis rocks back to a shortish one and tries to hammer it over extra cover, doesn't time it that well, and Gayle at short extra cover goes leaping to his left, went very fast for the big man he is, and took the screamer cleanly

JH Kallis c Gayle b Vettori 40 (42b 4x4 0x6) SR: 95.23

YK Pathan is the new man in

13.3

Vettori to Pathan, 2 runs, goes hard for the cut to this one outside off, just about cut off by sweeper cover on the boundary

13.4

Vettori to Pathan, no run, darted in with the angle, defended watchfully

13.5

Vettori to Pathan, no run, defends this one down the track off the front foot

13.6

Vettori to Pathan, no run, looks to play a weak dab past slip belatedly, but misses this flat and quicker one outside off

14.1

Syed Mohammad to Gambhir, 1 run, pushes this one in the air down the ground to long off

14.2

Syed Mohammad to Pathan, 1 run, slaps this flat one to sweeper cover off the back foot

14.3

Syed Mohammad to Gambhir, 1 run, comes down the track, doesn't get hold of it well, but swings it wide of deep square leg

14.4

Syed Mohammad to Pathan, SIX, YK takes off out of nowhere, seemed a pretty okay delivery, tossed up a bit on a length, but YK launches in to at the last moment, and once he gets hold of it, it is usually deposited over long on, which is what happened this time

14.5

Syed Mohammad to Pathan, no run, lovely delivery, squares him up, pitches middle and straightens quickly, he gets an outside edge that falls in front of point

14.6

Syed Mohammad to Pathan, 1 run, hangs back in the crease as he fires in a flat and quicker one, and tucks it in front of midwicket

15.1

Vettori to Pathan, 2 runs, swept hard in front of square, Dilshan with some neat work in the boundary, dives and lobs the ball to tiwary who fires in the throw to Vettori

15.2

Vettori to Pathan, 1 run, pushed in front of covers, and YK hobbles through for the single

15.3

Vettori to Gambhir, FOUR, Gautam with some nifty work, gets this one down the pads, and works it with the wrists past short fine leg

15.4

Vettori to Gambhir, 1 run, tucked away through square leg this time

15.5

Vettori to Pathan, no run, cut away in a flash, but can't beat point

15.6

Vettori to Pathan, SIX, YK takes off again, same result, the crowd picks up the ball beyond long on, this one was fuller, and Yusuf got nicely underneath it, and slammed it over long on

16.1

Khan to Gambhir, 2 runs, Zaheer digs this in short, Gautam skips outside the line and pulls this one to fine leg

16.2

Khan to Gambhir, FOUR, Gautam is playing a delightful knock here, Zaheer pitches this one up, and Gautam eases it past extra cover

16.3

Khan to Gambhir, no run, tries to play the cute dab past the keeper, but cannot beat AB

16.4

Khan to Gambhir, 1 wide, fired in short and wide down the leg side

16.4

Khan to Gambhir, no run, steered away from the crease backward of point

16.5

Khan to Gambhir, 1 run, dropped, a cruel thing to say, as Dilshan goes flying in the air at point to his left to a screaming drive from Gambhir off a low full toss

16.6

Khan to Pathan, 1 wide, Zaheer is adding to his horror day, bangs this one in short and wide down the leg side

16.6

Khan to Pathan, 1 run, better line, angles this across close to off stump, pushed away in front of covers

Aravind is back

17.1

Aravind to Pathan, 1 run, on a length outside off from round the stumps, punched hard to long off

goes over the wicket to Gautam

17.2

Aravind to Gambhir, OUT, Gautam falls, slower one from back of the hand, very full, Gautam makes room and tries to hammer it over extra cover, but hits it straight to the man there, it is Dilshan, fine innings from Gautam but good time for Bangalore to strike

G Gambhir c Dilshan b Aravind 48 (38b 6x4 0x6) SR: 126.31

Eoin is in

17.3

Aravind to Morgan, 1 run, gets a short of a length ball and dabs it in front of point

again goes round the stumps

17.4

Aravind to Pathan, FOUR, tries the slower one from back of the hand again, but it is a touch short and YK takes toll and pulls it wide of Tiwary at deep square leg, he could have got closer to it though, but let it slip through on the bounce in to the boundary

17.5

Aravind to Pathan, SIX, no one is getting close to this one though, fuller outside off stump, and YK launches it in to the Kolkata evening, just swats it over long off, brute force

17.6

Aravind to Pathan, FOUR, Aravind has lost it this over, bowls a high full toss way outside off and Yusuf capitalises, bashing it over point and to the left of sweeper cover

18.1

Khan to Morgan, 1 run, this is what he does at the death in ODIs. fires it in the blockhole, and Eoin can only squeeze it away in front of midwicket

18.2

Khan to Pathan, 1 run, looked like the slower one, he wanted to pull it over midwicket, but could not get the timing on it, and gets only the single

18.3

Khan to Morgan, 1 run, low full toss close to off stump, and he squeezes it away to third man, good comeback from Zaheer so far this over

18.4

Khan to Pathan, FOUR, digs this one in short and even as it climbs on YK, he swivels and flicks it away behind square leg, getting the boundary, no violence in that, just presence of mind and timing

18.5

Khan to Pathan, 2 runs, tucked away wide of midwicket, and they come back for the second, YK limps through with that troublesome knee

18.6

Khan to Pathan, 1 run, dismissively pulled away from the crease, but he finds the man at deep square leg on the bounce, Zaheer's horror spell is over for the day

Aravind to bowl the last over with Yusuf on strike

19.1

Aravind to Pathan, 1 wide, angles this one very wide outside off stump, not a good start

19.1

Aravind to Pathan, 2 runs, makes him reach out to a wide and full one, he squeezes it down the track, Aravind gets a hand to it, but the backing up is not good and they come back for two

19.2

Aravind to Pathan, 1 run, sets himself up for the big one down the ground, swings the length ball hard but on the bounce to long off, he is down on one knee Yusuf, that other knee is bothering him

19.3

Aravind to Morgan, 1 run, comes down the track looking to mow this one over midwicket, it is the slower one and he adjusts, one hand comes off the bat as he lifts it over midwicket

19.4

Aravind to Pathan, OUT, YK departs in search of the forcing shot down the ground, this one was slanted across him and cut away too, he had a huge heave and ended up slicing it wide of long off where Virat ran to his left to take a neat catch

YK Pathan c Kohli b Aravind 46 (24b 3x4 3x6) SR: 191.66

19.5

Aravind to Morgan, 2 runs, gets this fuller one wide of long on for a couple

19.6

Aravind to Morgan, OUT, looks to scoop this one on leg stump away, but misses, they try to steal the bye, but AB relays the ball to Aravind who finds Morgan short of his ground

EJG Morgan run out 6 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100.00

Kolkata capitalised on the wayward opening overs from Bangalore to lift themselves to 171 with contributions from Gautam, Yusuf and Kallis. The score will test the powerful Bangalore batting line-up, especially if the new ball moves around as it did in the Kolkata innings, only Zaheer and Aravind could not control it. Join us in for the chase.