Daredevils vs KKR, 47th match at Delhi, IPL, May 22 2008 - Ball by Ball Commentary

10:00PM local time: Well despite the assurances from all quarters the match has been called due to the bad outfield conditions, making it the first match to be called off without a ball being bowled. Both the teams get a point each and this result makes Kings XI Punjab the second team to enter the semi-finals. Raymond joins me in wishing you all a good night's sleep

09:35PM local time The groundstaff is busy trying to dry the outfield and drain the water from the covers. Though the rain has stopped, it will take quite a while for the ground to be fit for play. A much-shortened match is the best we can hope for

09:15PM local time Rain has stopped and the soppers are out, so we can expect to umpires to take a decision in a while from now

09:00PM local time It is still raining and there are puddles of water forming on the outfield. We still have two hours more to call it off

08:45PM local time; It is still raining and the hopes of a full match are washed away and now we will have a reduced match. Just how many overs can be bowled is the question

08:00PM local time; It is still raining in Delhi and am afraid that a full match would a little difficult as of now but let me inform you people that the match can be called off only at ten past eleven (11:10 PM). So, five overs a side is three hours away

07:45 PM local time: The bad news is it's still raining. But with five overs-a-side constituting a match, we could still have a result here.

07:30 PM local time: The head groundsman is confident that the game can start when the rain stops and also says that no player would be injured because of the ground conditions

Hello all and welcome to the 47th match of IPL between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils. In absence of your favourite commentators, it will be me, Venkat Raghav holding the reins for a short while in this tournament and aiding me from the scoring table would be Raymond Langham

The ground has been covered because of persistent rain from the morning but the good news is that the rain has stopped and we can expect to have a full game in if the weather gods remain kind, as there is a reserve time of one hour.

A rained-out match will leave Delhi needing to win against Mumbai and hoping Mumbai lose their two other matches and it will eliminate Kolkata from the semi-final race.

Kolkata need to post big wins today and in their other remaining game against Kings XI Punjab to have any chance of making it to the final four. Even then, several other results have to go their way before the net run-rate calculations come in to decide who advances to the next stage. As a wise man once said "All you need to do is to keep winning and the NRR would take care of itself". The Knight Riders would be nodding their heads in affirmation

The last time both these teams met, a returning Shoaib Akhtar blew away the Delhi top order to notch up a facile win but this time around things seem to be a touch different as Shoaib is expected to sit out the match because of an injury.

Glenn "Pidge" Mcgrath reckons that the losses of Mumbai and Chennai yesterday has thrown the door open for them and is pretty excited in anticipation of today's high voltage clash

Virender Sehwag puts things into perspective by saying, "We would win if we play well". Reminds me of Howard Roark from Fountainhead