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Rahmanullah Gurbaz, filling in for the injured Jason Roy, scored 81 off 39 against his former franchise Gujarat Titans, but Kolkata Knight Riders managed to score just 179, which GT overhauled with 13 balls to spare despite a scare in the middle overs.
Gurbaz was sensational especially in his takedown of Rashid Khan, who went for 50 or more for only the second time in the IPL, but the only support he received was from Andre Russell, who scored 34 off 19 at the death. Josh Little tied them down in the middle overs, resulting in wickets, and Noor Ahmad registered the Afghan presence with 4-0-21-2, including the wicket of Gurbaz.
Shubman Gill, a former Knight Rider, set up the chase, and Vijay Shankar and David Miller finished it off in style after two quick wickets in the middle overs threatened to turn this into a thriller.
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You don't always have to take it deep
This is a great example of trying to finish off chases with time to spare. It doesn't get spoken about. Only the ones taken deep do. David Miller started the charge, but Vijay Shankar took over to unleash a flurry of sixes, five of them, and reach his fifty too. They have won with 13 balls to spare.
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Vijay Shankar takes apart Varun Chakravarthy
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Earlier Gurbaz laid into fellow Afghan Rashid, and now Vijay Shankar has taken on CV Varun from Tamil Nadu. big slog sweeps, then a pull, and now the game is all but over. Just 14 required off the last three.
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Not taking it deep
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For a bit it almost seemed like GT were going to wait for the return of pace and take the game deep, but David Miller has laid into Suyash Sharma. Suyash began the 15th over with 69 required. Three overs of spin were left. Miller clearly decided taking it deep is not the only way to chase. Two sixes down the ground ensued, and the equation now is 51 off five.
Will this force KKR to recall pace sooner? Yes it will. Andre Russell is back. That means more spin towards the end.
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One brings two
Sunil Narine has gone five matches without a wicket, but now he beats Shubman Gill in the flight, gets some turn, and the toe end settles with long-on. The quiet crowd has come back to full life. It is 93 for 3 with two new batters at the wicket.
Gill was 40 off 24. Not only did he managed just nine off the next 11 balls he faced, he was starved of strike a bit: hw faced 11 of the last 27 balls.
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Harshit Rana gets Hardik Pandya
The burly fast bowler from Delhi, who is yet to play T20 for his state, has bowled with serious gas and was one feather away from getting Shubman Gill out lbw with the new ball. He has managed to find some seam movement with a 10-over-old ball - or is it reverse? - to trap Hardik Pandya right in front. GT 91 for 2 in 10.4 overs. Gill still unbeaten on 49 off 34. KKR just about hanging in.
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Russell gets Saha
16 Andre Russell's bowling strike-rate in the IPL, behind only Kagiso Rabada among bowlers who have taken at least 50 wickets. He has taken Wriddhiman Saha out, and came close to getting Hardik Pandya but the top edge fell short of the keeper. GT 47 for 1 in five overs.
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Gill off to a flier
He doesn't field, but this former KKR opener has silenced the home crowd with gun shots coming off his bat. He is timing them so well the sound of ball on bat is almost echoing. He has raced away to 27 off 13 as GT reach 32 for 0 in three overs. Pretty quickly, KKR are resorting to spin.
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GT need 180
One way to look at it ids that GT have dodged a bullet here. Between them, two batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Andre Russell have scored 115 off 58 balls. Their premier spinner Rashid Khan has gone for 0 for 54. And yet they are chasing only 180.
However, if the pitch conditions are more consistent with the scoring rate of the rest of the batters, GT might be in for a chase.
Russell, though, says he is not happy with the total. He says they are 20 short.
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Fifty up for Rashid Khan
Andre Russell takes Rashid Khan for two sixes in his last over, which makes it only the second time that Rashid has gone for 50 or more in an IPL match. That in his 100th match. It is 151 for 5 in 17 overs.
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Out to a full toss
After doing well against GT's best-laid plans, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has mis-hit a full toss from Noor Ahmad straight to Rashid Khan at deep midwicket. It has been a superb innings of 81 off 39 out of 135 for 5 in 15.2 overs. That means others, including extras, have managed just 54 off 53. Can Andre Russell change that state of affairs?
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With friends like these...
30 Number of runs Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored off fellow Afghan Rashid Khan. He has picked him beautifully thanks no doubt to the hours he must have spent keeping to him in the nets. Gurbaz 81 off 38 our of just 134 for 4 in 14 overs.
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Rinku's struggles against spin
98 Rinku Singh's strike rate against spin in the IPL as against167 against pace. He has come in at the fall of Nitish Rana's wicket, and has struggled against Noor Ahmad. Four more overs of spin remain in the innings. Should they have promoted Narine or Russell?
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Gurbaz vs rest
52 Number of runs Gurbaz has scored in 28 balls. The rest, including extras, amount to 32 off 33 with three wickets lost.
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Josh Little stifles KKR
This is definitely not as easy a pitch as Rahmanullah Gurbaz has made it look like. Josh Little has extracted the most out of it via spongy bounce. Just bowling little offcutters. Just 10 off the first two overs, and he has Venkatesh Iyer playing a low-percentage ramp, and he is out plumb lbw. Two plumb lbws, and KKR have wasted two reviews. KKR 84 for 3 in 10.1
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Mohit Sharma takes a stunner
A sensational catch running back from Mohit Sharma has sent back Shardul Thakur for a four-ball duck. This is among the most difficult kind of catches. He is running back from mid-on, watches it come from over his shoulder, and then makes a dive to catch it. Shami has two, but Gurbaz is not slowing. A four and a six in Rashid KHan's next over as KKR end the powerplay at 61 for 2.
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Gurbaz breaks free
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From the start of the fourth over to the middle of the fifth, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has made sure KKR are not missing Jason Roy. Not yet. He is 27 off 11, KKR 47 for 1 in 4.3.
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Shami gets Jagadeesan
The pitch is a little spiced up, and Mohammed Shami is getting most out of it. N Jagadeesan, who came in for criticism for his slow innings last match, has been trying to move around and hit. Eventually he moves too far across, Shami stays at the wicket, gets a bit of nip, and has him lbw for 19 off 5.
Big surprise: Shardul Thakur is in at No. 3.
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Russell declares the match open
On his birthday, playing his 100th match for KKR, Andre Russell rings the two-minute bell. It is bright and sunny, and we are ready to go. It is still a 20-over game. Mohammed Shami will take the new ball against Rahmanullah Gurbaz and N Jagadeesan.
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Taking longer than expected
The ground staff has told the umpires they can clear the ground by 4.15pm. Remember if they starts by 4.30pm, there won't be any overs lost.
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Rain has stopped
The sun is out, the covers are being removed. It was just a passing shower. Remains to be seen if it results in a delayed start. Yes it will be delayed by a bit.
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Some rain already
It has begun raining at Eden Gardens, and they have covered the whole ground Sri Lanka style. Let's hope it blows away and doesn't delay the start.
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GT field; Roy injured, Thakur back
The toss takes place under then flood lights, cloud cover and some wind. Hardik Pandya wins the toss, looks overhead and says they have changed their mind. They wanted to bat first but with the weather around, GT have decided to chase. Their XI is the same, says Pandya.
Unfortunate news for KKR. Jason Roy has back spasms, Umesh Yadav has a hamstring strain. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Harshit Rana come in for them. Nitish Rana says he would have batted anyway.
There is some good news as well for them. Shardul Thakur is back, replacing Vaibhav Arora. The XIs below suggest Shubman Gill will come in for Josh Little, and Suyash Sharma for one of the two KKR openers who are both wicketkeepers.
Kolkata Knight Riders N Jagadeesan†, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, VR Iyer, N Rana*, AD Russell, RK Singh, SP Narine, D Wiese, SN Thakur, Harshit Rana, CV Varun
Gujarat Titans WP Saha†, A Manohar, HH Pandya*, V Shankar, DA Miller, R Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami, MM Sharma, JB Little
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Humid in Kolkata
Match 39, IPL 2023. It is Kolkata Knight Riders hosting Gujarat Titans. If GT win, they claim the No. 1 spot exclusively. If KKR win, they move up to No. 5. GT stand at 10 points from seven matches, KKR 6 from eight. Two great T20 spinners coming up against each other: Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine.
Eden Gardens has conceded 200 or more to the side batting first in all games so far this season. The pitch to be used is the centre pitch so there is no bigger side. It is overcast and humid but the forecast doesn't suggest we won't have a game. At worst, a brief interruption.
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