IPL 2021 Eliminator | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders highlights: KKR win by 4 wickets, to play against DC in Qualifier-II

DH is covering every match of the Indian Premier League 2021. Follow our live ball-by-ball updates from the eliminator between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.

With that it is the end of the road for RCB in IPL 2021. KKR continue to impress and they now take on DC in Qualifier-II for a place in the grand final. Join us for the coverage of the Qualifier-II between DC and KKR. For now it is time to say goodnight!

Player of the Match

The Player of the Match award goes to KKR's Sunil Narine for his spell of 4/21 and blistering knock of 26 from 15 balls.

Sunil Narine:Any good performance in a match-winning game is always good. Today was my day and made the best use of it. All wickets I enjoy. I'm not that close to what I was before but I'm getting there. Hard work is paying off. Always get some heart beats before the game. But cool and calm during the game. Prefer to have the ball in hand which you can control.

Eoin Morgan, KKR captain:He makes it look very very easy (Narine). On an improved wicket in Sharjah he bowled outstandingly. Throughout the innings we continued to take wickets post the first six overs. Then in the chase, being in control the whole time doesn't allow you to breathe as a defending side. Don't have to do a lot of moving (so many spinners). Huge privilege. When it comes off like that it looks quite strong and deep. The way the wicket played we thought we have to bat quite deep. Onwards and upwards for us. For us it's a matter of coming back, adjusting and seeing what the wicket does. Looking forward to it. The cricket that we have played and the consistency we have shown has surprised everybody. He's a true legend of T20 cricket and we're delighted to have him (Narine).

Virat Kohl, RCB captain:I think those middle overs where their spinner dominated the game was the difference. They kept bowling in tight areas and kept picking wickets. We had a great start and it was about quality bowling and not bad batting. They thoroughly deserve to win this one and be in the next round. The fight till the end with the ball has been the hallmark of our team. That one big over (22 runs) in the middle deflated our chances. We fought till the last over and made an amazing game out of it. 15 runs less with the bat and a couple of big overs with the ball cost us. Sunil Narine has always been a quality bowler and today he once again showed it. Shakib, Varun and him created pressure and didn't allow our batsmen to get away in the middle. [On him leaving captaincy at RCB] I have tried my best to create a culture here where youngsters could come in and play with freedom and belief. It is something I have done with India as well. I have given my best. I don't know how the response has been, but I have given 120% to this franchise every time, which is something I will now do as a player. It is a great time to regroup and restructure for the next three years with people who will take this ahead. [On him staying with RCB] Yes definitely, I don't see myself playing anywhere else. Loyalty matters more to me than worldly pleasures. I would be in the RCB till the last day I play in the IPL.

Result

KKR win by 4 wickets.

KKR 139/6 after 19.4 overs.

Christian to bowl the last over. KKR need 7 runs from 6 balls.

19.1 Christian to Shakib, FOUR! Full ball wide of off stump, Shakib moves to the off side and scoops the ball down to fine leg for a boundary.

19.2Christian to Shakib, 1 run, slow short ball on off stump, Shakib steps out and mishits the ball to the leg side, Shakib takes a single.

19.3Christian to Morgan, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, Morgan cuts the ball to backward point and takes a single.

19.4Christian to Shakib, 1 run, slow full ball on off stump, Shakib digs the ball out and takes a single. KKR are through to Qualifier-II

KKR 132/6 after 19 overs.

Garton to bowl the nineteenth over. KKR need 12 from 12 balls.

18.1Garton to Shakib, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Shakib works the ball to the leg side for a single.

18.2Garton to Morgan, 2 runs, full ball on off stump, Morgan works the ball to square-leg for a couple of runs.

18.3Garton to Morgan, no run, slow back of the length ball wide of off stump, Morgan looks to cut but fails to connect.

18.4Garton to Morgan, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Morgan cuts and sends the ball down to third-man for a single.

18.5Garton to Shakib, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Shakib plays the ball to fine leg for a run.

18.6Garton to Morgan, no run, slow back of the length ball on off stump, Morgan is early in the pull shot and fails to connect, the ball flies to keeper Bharat.

KKR 127/6 after 18 overs

Siraj to bowl the eighteenth over.

17.1Siraj to Karthik, 1 run, full ball on middle stump, Karthik guides the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

17.2Siraj to Narine, WICKET! CLEAN BOWLED! Good length ball on off stump, Narine looks to play the ball across the line as he aims a wild slog, Narine misses the ball completely and the ball hits the off stump.

Narine b Siraj 26(15)

Eoin Morgan walks out to bat.

17.3 Siraj to Morgan, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Morgan works the ball to mid-on, an overthrow gives Morgan a chance to get a single.

17.4Siraj to Karthik, WICKET! CAUGHT BEHIND! Slow good length ball wide of off stump, Karthik looks to cut, the ball takes an outside edge and dips before going to keeper Bharat, Bharat puts in his best efforts and takes a catch, Karthik is walking back but the on field umpire is unsure about how clean the catch is so he has referred the call for the third umpire, the third umpire gives that as OUT!

Karthik c Srikar Bharat b Siraj 10(12)

Shakib Al Hasan walks out to bat.

17.5 Siraj to Shakib, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Shakib drives the ball to cover for a single.

17.6 Siraj to Morgan, no run, full ball on off stump, Morgan pushes the ball to point.

KKR 124/4 after 17 overs.

Harshal to bowl the seventeenth over.

16.1Harshal to Narine, DROPPED! Slow full ball on middle and leg stump, Narine looks to play the ball to the leg side, the ball takes a leading edge and the ball lobs in the air, Padikkal runs backwards but drops the ball, Narine takes a single.

16.2Harshal to Karthik, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Karthik works the ball to midwicket for a single.

16.3Harshal to Narine, no run, slow full ball on off-stump, Narine digs the ball out.

16.4Harshal to Narine, 1 Leg Bye, slow full ball on leg stump, the ball hits the pads and goes to the leg side, Narine takes a single.

16.5Harshal to Karthik, no run, slow full ball on off stump, Karthik digs the ball out.

16.6Harshal to Karthik, 1 run, slow full ball on off stump, Karthik drives the ball down to third-man for a run.

KKR 120/4 after 16 overs.

Maxwell to bowl the sixteenth over.

15.1 Maxwell to Karthik, FOUR! Short ball wide of off stump, Karthik makes room and pounds the ball over cover for a boundary.

15.2Maxwell to Karthik, no run, short ball on middle stump, Karthik goes for pull but fails to connect.

15.3Maxwell to Karthik, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Karthik works the ball to the leg side for a single.

15.4Maxwell to Narine, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Narine works the ball to deep mid-wicket for a run.

15.5Maxwell to Karthik, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Karthik guides the ball to deep midwicket for a run.

15.6Maxwell to Narine, short ball on off stump, Narine pulls and sends the ball to square-leg for a single.

KKR 110/3 after 14 overs.

Harshal to bowl the fourteenth over.

13.1Harshal to Rana, no run, slow full ball on off stump, Rana defends.

13.2Harshal to Rana, no run, slow full ball on off stump, Rana works the ball to backward point.

13.3Harshal to Rana, 1 run, slow back of the length ball wide of off stump, Rana steps out and hits the ball from the toe end of the bat down to third-man for a single

13.4Harshal to Narine, 1 run, short ball wide of off stump, Narine guides the ball to sweeper cover for a single.

13.5Harshal to Rana, no run, bouncer on off stump, Rana is early in his pull shot and the ball hits him high on the body.

13.6Harshal to Rana, 1 run, slow short ball wide of off stump, Rana dabs the ball down to third-man for a single.

KKR 107/3 after 13 overs.

Chahal to bowl the thirteenth over.

12.1Chahal to Narine, 1 Leg Bye, slow ball on leg stump, the ball raps on the pads and goes to the off side, Narine takes a single.

12.2Chahal to Rana, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Rana guides the ball to the leg side for a run.

12.3Chahal to Narine, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Narine dabs the ball to cover for a run.

12.4Chahal to Rana, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Rana plays the ball to the leg side for another run.

12.5Chahal to Narine, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Narine slogs the ball to square-leg for a single.

12.6Chahal to Rana, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Rana works the ball to square-leg for another single.

KKR 101/3 after 12 overs.

Daniel Christian to bowl the twelfth over.

11.1Christian to Rana, no run, good length ball on leg stump, Rana works the ball to the leg side.

11.2Christian to Rana, 1 run, good length ball wide of off stump, Rana hits the ball down the ground for a single.

11.3Christian to Narine, SIX! STYLISH WAY TO GET OFF THE MARK! Short ball on off stump, Narine slogs and the ball sails over fine-leg.

11.4Christian to Narine, SIX! ONE MORE! Full ball on off stump, Narine slogs and the ball clears the deep mid-wicket fence.

11.4Christian to Narine, WIDE! Good length ball fired way outside the line of off stump.

11.5Christian to Narine, SIX! THIRD MAXIMUM OF THE OVER! Full ball on off stump, the ball is in Narine's range, Narine swings and connects, the ball flies over de Villiers at long-on for a huge hit!

11.5Christian to Narine, WIDE! Full ball bowled down the leg side.

11.6Christian to Narine, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Narine hits the ball down to long-on for a single.

KKR 79/3 after 11 overs.

Harshal to bowl the eleventh over.

10.1Harshal to Iyer, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Iyer drives the ball down to long-on for a single.

10.2 Harshal to Rana, 1 run, slow full ball on off stump, Rana pushes the ball through cover for a run.

10.3Harshal to Iyer,1 run, slow ball on off stump, Iyer drives the ball to mid-off for another single.

10.3 Harshal to Rana, WIDE! Short ball bowled down the leg side.

10.4Harshal to Rana, 1 run, slow full ball on off stump, Rana gets an inside edge and the ball goes to the leg side, Rana takes a quick single.

10.5Harshal to Iyer, no run, slow full ball wide of off stump, Iyer drives the ball to the fielder at extra cover.

10.6Harshal to Iyer, WICKET! CAUGHT! Slow short ball bowled down the leg side, Iyer goes for a pull, the ball kisses the gloves, Bharat standing behind the wickets puts in a dive and takes a good catch.

KKR 74/2 after 10 overs.

Maxwell to bowl the tenth over.

9.1Maxwell toIyer, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Iyer hits the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

9.2Maxwell to Rana, SIX! Good length ball on leg stump, Rana plays a reverse hit for a maximum!!!!

9.3Maxwell to Rana, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Rana guides the ball to the leg side for a single.

9.4Maxwell to Iyer, DROPPED! Full toss on leg stump, Iyer flicks the ball to backward square-leg where Shahabaz drops the ball, Iyer takes a single.

9.5Maxwell to Rana, no run, full ball on off stump, Rana defends.

9.6Maxwell to Rana, FOUR! Good length ball on off stump, Rana plays a reverse sweep once more for yet another boundary.

KKR 61/2 after 9 overs.

Chahal to bowl the ninth over.

8.1Chahal to Rana, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Rana drives the ball to point for a single.

8.2Chahal to Iyer, 1 run, full ball on middle and leg stump, Iyer slogs the ball down to deep midwicket for a single.

8.3Chahal to Rana, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Rana works the ball to backward square-leg for a single.

8.4Chahal to Iyer, 1 run, short and wide, Iyer hammers the ball to sweeper cover for a run.

8.5Chahal to Rana, no run, full ball on off stump, Rana defends.

8.6Chahal to Rana, no run, full ball on leg stump, Rana tries to sweep the ball but fails.

KKR 57/2 after 8 overs.

Glenn Maxwell to bowl the eighth over.

7.1 Maxwell to Iyer, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Iyer plays the ball for a single.

7.2 Maxwell to Rana, no run, full ball on off stump, Rana leans and defends.

7.3Maxwell to Rana, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Rana guides the ball to the leg side for a run,

7.4Maxwell to Iyer, no run, good length ball on leg stump, Iyer sweeps the ball to the field at short fine.

7.5Maxwell to Iyer, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Iyer works the ball for a single.

7.6Maxwell to Rana, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Rana steps out and drives the ball wide of the man at extra cover for a single.

KKR 53/2 after 7 overs.

Yuzvendra Chahal to bowl the seventh over.

6.1 Chahal to Iyer, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Iyer guides the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

6.2 Chahal to Tripathi, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Tripathi drives the ball down to long-on for a run.

6.3 Chahal to Iyer, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Iyer steps out and drives the ball down to long-off for a single.

6.4 Chahal to Tripathi, 1 run, fullish ball on off stump, Tripathi sweeps the ball behind square on the leg side for another run.

6.5 Chahal to Iyer, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Iyer rocks back and punches the ball to sweeper cover for a single.

6.6 Chahal to Tripathi, WICKET! LBW! Good length ball on middle stump, Tripathi produces his front foot forward to defend the ball, the ball raps on the pads, there is a loud appeal but the umpire gives that as not out, Kohli takes the review, the review shows that the ball is hitting the stumps, the on field umpire is asked to reversehis call, Tripathi has to walk back.

Tripathi lbw b Chahal 6(5)

KKR 48/1 after 6 overs.

Harshal Patel to bowl the sixth over.

5.1Patel toI yer, 1 run, slow full ball on off stump, Iyer drives the ball for a single.

5.2 Patel to Gill, WICKET! CAUGHT! Slow good length ball on middle stump, Gill steps out and slogs the ball, the ball comes off from the bottom the bat and lobs high in the air, de Villiers has his eyes on the ball and takes an easy catch.

Shubman Gill c de Villiers b Harshal Patel 29(18)

Rahul Tripathi walks out to bat.

5.3 Harshal to Iyer, 2 runs, slow good length ball wide of off stump, Iyer drives the ball through extra cover for a couple of runs.

5.4Harshal to Iyer, 1 run, slow full ball wide of off stump, Iyer pushes the ball through off side for a single.

5.5 Harshal to Tripathi, no run, good length ball on off stump, Tripathi dabs the ball to the fielder at backward point.

5.6Harshal to Tripathi, FOUR! GREAT SHOT! Harshal bowls full and Tripathi smashes the ball through cover for a boundary.

KKR 19/0 after 3 overs.

Siraj to bowl the third over.

2.1Siraj to Gill, no run, full toss wide of off stump, Gill takes two steps out of the crease and hits the ball to mid-off.

2.2Siraj to Gill, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, Gill cuts the ball to backward point for a single.

2.3Siraj to Iyer, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Iyer dabs the ball to backward point, an overthrow gives Iyer a chance to get a single.

2.4Siraj to Gill, 1 run, good length ball wide of off stump, Gill slashes the ball through cover for another single.

2.5Siraj to Iyer, no run, full ball wide of off stump, Iyer drives the ball to the fielder at backward point.

2.6Siraj to Iyer, no run, slow full ball on off stump, Iyer works the ball to mid-on.

KKR 16/0 after 2 overs.

George Garton to bowl the second over.

1.1 Garton to Gill, 1 run, short ball on middle and leg stump, Gill hops and works the ball off his hips down to backward square-leg for a single.

1.2Garton to Iyer, 1 rin, full ball on middle and leg stump, IYer looks to play the ball to the leg side, the ball takes a leading edge and goes to cover, Iyer takes a single.

1.3Garton to Gill, 1 run, full length ball on off stump, Gill punches the ball to mid-off and takes a run.

1.4Garton to Iyer, no run, good length ball on off stump, Iyer drives the ball to the man at point.

1.5Garton to Iyer, no run, full ball on off stump, Iyer pushes the ball to the fielder at extra cover.

1.6Garton to Iyer, SIX! HIGH AND HANDSOME! Short ball on off stump, Iyer rocks back and pulls to send the ball flying over fine-leg fence.

KKR 7/0 after 1 over.

Mohammed Siraj to bowl the first over of the innings.

0.1 Siraj to Gill, 1 run, full ball on middle and leg stump, Gill guides the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

0.2 Siraj to Iyer, 1 run, full length ball wide of off stump, Iyer drives the ball to the man at sweeper cover for another run.

0.3 Siraj to Gill, FOUR! Good length ball sliding on the leg stumps, Gill guides the ball to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

0.4Siraj to Gill, no run, full ball on off stump, Gill punches the ball to mid-off.

0.5 Siraj to Gill, 1 run, good length ball on middle and leg stump, Gill works the ball to Chahal at short fine-leg, Gill takes a quick single.

0.6 Siraj to Iyer, no run, full ball on off stump, Iyer drives the ball to mid-off.

Welcome back for the second half of the match. KKR's chase is about to begin. The players and the two umpires are back on the field.

RCB 138/7 after 20 overs.

Mavi to bowl the last over.

19.1 Mavi to Harshal, 1 run, full toss on middle stump, Harshal hits the ball down the ground for a single.

19.2 Mavi to Christian, 1 run, slow full ball wide of off stump, Christian moves to the off side and hits the ball down the ground for a run.

NO BALL! Mavi has overstepped.

FREE HIT!

19.2 Mavi to Harshal, FOUR! Full toss wide of off stump, Harshal steps out and smacks the ball through cover for a boundary.

19.3 Mavi to Harshal, an appeal for LBW! Full toss which dips as the ball reaches the batter, Harshal goes for a wild slog but fails to connect and the ball hits the back pad, Mavi appeals and the umpire raises his finger, Harshal takes the review, the review shows that the ball has taken the edge, so Harshal survives.

19.4 Mavi to Harshal, WICKET! RUN OUT! Full toss on off stump, Harshal hits the ball to square leg, there is a misfield from Ferguson, but there is a complete miscommunication between the two batters and Christian is run out.

Christian run out (Ferguson/Shivam Mavi) 9(8)

George Garton walks out to bat.

19.4 Mavi to Harshal, WIDE!Full ball wide of off stump.

19.5Mavi to Harshal, 2 runs, full ball, Harhal hits the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

19.6Mavi to Harshal, 1 bye, slow full ball wide of off stump, Harshal steps out for a big shot but fails to hit but completes a single.

19.6

RCB 126/6 after 19 overs.

Ferguson to bowl the nineteenth over.

18.1Ferguson to Christian, no run, slow back of the length ball wide of off stump, a swing and a miss from Christian.

18.2Ferguson to Christian, FOUR! Full ball on off stump, Christian smacks the ball over cover for a boundary.

18.3Ferguson to Christian, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Christian drives the ball down to long-off for a run.

18.4Ferguson to Shahbaz, 1 run, slow good length ball wide of off stump, Shahbaz mishits the ball to mid off and takes a sharp single.

18.5Ferguson to Christian, 1 run, slow back of the length ball wide of off stump, Christian edges the ball down to fine-leg for a single.

18.6Ferguson to Shahbaz, WICKET! CAUGHT! Full toss on middle stump, Shahbaz slogs the ball, the ball goes miles high in the air, Mavi runs in and takes a good catch at deep midwicket.

Shahbaz Ahmed c Shivam Mavi b Ferguson 13(14)

RCB 119/5 after 18 overs.

Mavi to bowl the eighteenth over.

17.1Mavi to Shahbaz, 1 run, full ball wide of off stump, Shahbaz hits the ball to sweeper cover for a single.

17.2Mavi to Christian, no run, slow good length ball wide of off stump, a swing and a miss from Christian.

17.3Mavi to Christian, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Christian works the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

17.4Mavi to Shahbaz, 1 run, slow full ball wide of off stump, Shahbaz makes room and pushes the ball through cover for a run.

17.5Mavi to Christian, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Christian drives the ball down the ground for a run.

17.6Mavi to Shahbaz, 2 runs, yorker on off stump, Shahbaz digs the ball out to square-leg for a couple of runs.

RCB 113/5 after 17 overs.

Narine to bowl the seventeenth over.

16.1Narine to Shahbaz, DROPPED! Full ball wide of off stump, Shahbaz slogs the ball down to deep mid-wicket, Gull drops an easy chance as Shahbaz takes a single.

16.2Narine to Maxwell, no run, good length ball on off stump, Maxwell tries a reverse hit but fails.

16.3Narine to Maxwell, no run, good length ball on off stump, Maxwell plays a reverse hit but the ball goes to the man at midwicket.

16.4Narine to Maxwell, WICKET! CAUGHT! Slow good length ball on off stump, Maxwell tries to reverse hit but gets a top edge and Ferguson takes an easy catch.

Maxwell c Ferguson b Narine 15(18)

Daniel Christian walks out to bat.

16.5Narine to Shahbaz, no run, good length ball on off stump, Shahbaz hits the ball to cover.

16.6Narine to Shahbaz, 1 run,

RCB 108/4 after 15 overs.

Narine to bowl the fifteenth over.

14.1 Narine to de Villiers, 2 runs, good length ball on off stump, de Villiers guides the ball to the leg side for a couple of runs.

14.2Narine to de Villiers, WICKET! CLEAN BOWLED! STRAIGHT THROUGH de VILLIERS DEFENSES!!!! Good length ball on leg stump, the ball spins back in sharply, de Villiers looks to guide the ball to the leg side but the ball goes through the gap between the bat and the pad and hits the stumps.

Shahbaz Ahmed walks out to bat.

14.2Narine to Shahbaz, WIDE! Short ball bowled down the leg side.

14.3Narine to Shahbaz, EDGE AND FOUR! Good length ball on off stump, Shahbaz edges the ball and the ball goes through the gap between the keeper and the man at slip down to third-man for a boundary.

14.4Narine to Shahbaz, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Shahbaz works the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

14.5Narine to Maxwell, no run, good length ball on middle and leg stump, the ball raps on the pads.

14.6Narine to Maxwell, no run, back of the length ball wide of off stump, Maxwell cuts the ball to point.

14.6

RCB 100/3 after 14 overs.

Chakaravarthy to bowl the fourteenth over.

13.1 Chakaravarthy to Maxwell, 1 run, ful ball wide of off stump, Maxwell drives the ball through cover for a run.

13.2 Chakaravarthy to de Villiers, 1 run, full toss on off stump, de Villiers comes down the track and knocks the ball to mid-wicket for a run.

13.3 Chakaravarthy to Maxwell, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Maxwell slogs the ball down to deep mid-wicket for another single.

13.4 Chakaravarthy to de Villiers, 2 runs, full ball on off stump, de Villiers slogs the ball to square-leg for a couple of runs.

13.5 Chakaravarthy to de Villiers, no run, full and fast ball fired wide of off stump, de Villiers leaves the ball for the keeper.

13.6 Chakaravarthy to de Villiers, 1 run, short ball on off stump, de Villiers guides the ball to mid-wicket for a run.

RCB 94/3 after 13 overs.

Narine to bowl the thirteenth over.

12.1Narine to Maxwell, 1 run, short ball on leg stump, Maxwell rocks back and pulls the ball to the fielder at short fine for a run.

12.2 Narine to Kohli, WICKET! CLEAN-BOWLED! Good length ball on leg stump, Kohli goes on one knee to slog over deep mid-wicketball but misses the ball completely and the ball hits the stumps.

Kohli b Narine 39(33)

AB de Villiers walks out to bat.

12.3 Narine to de Villiers, 1 run, short ball on off stump, de Villiers punches the ball through cover and takes a single.

12.4 Narine to Maxwell, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Maxwell punches the ball through cover for a run.

12.5Narine to de Villiers, no run, good length ball on off stump, the ball spins back in and raps on the pads.

12.6Narine to de Villiers, FOUR! Good length ball on middle and off stump, de Villiers plays a reverse hit to get a boundary.

RCB 83/2 after 12 overs.

Ferguson to bowl the twelfth over.

11.1 Ferguson to Maxwell, WIDE! Full ball fired down the leg side.

11.1Ferguson to Maxwell, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, the ball takes the inside edge of the bat and then raps on the pads before rolling to cover, Maxwell takes a single.

11.2Ferguson to Kohli, no run, good length ball on off stump, Kohli works the ball to the man at mid-wicket.

11.3Ferguson to Kohli, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Kohli swings his bat, the ball takes the inside edge and rolls down to fine leg and Kohli settles for a single.

11.4Ferguson to Maxwell, 1 run, full ball on middle stump, Maxwell works the ball to leg side for another single.

11.5Ferguson to Kohli, no run, back of the length ball wide of off stump, Kohli steps out and swings his bat but fails to connect.

11.6Ferguson to Kohli, FOUR! MUCH NEEDED BOUNDARY FOR RCB! Full ball on off stump, Kohli makes the use of his bottom hand as he flicks the ball and sends it racing down to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

RCB 79/2 after 11 overs.

Shakib to bowl the eleventh over.

10.1Shakib to Maxwell, 1 run, back of the length ball on leg stump, Maxwell taps the ball down the ground for a single.

10.2Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Kohli hits the ball to the leg side for a run.

10.3Shakib to Maxwell, FOUR! Full ball on leg stump, Maxwell plays a reverse hit for a boundary.

10.4Shakib to Maxwell, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Maxwell drives the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a run.

10.5Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, short ball wide of off stump, Kohli rocks back and slashes the ball through cover for a run.

10.6Shakib to Maxwell, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Maxwell guides the ball to the leg side for another run.

RCB 70/2 after 10 overs

Sunil Narine to bowl the tenth over.

9.1 Narine to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Kohli works the ball to the leg side for a run.

9.2Narine to Bharat, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Bharat slogs the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a run.

9.3Narine to Kohli, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, Kohli dabs the ball to backward point for another run.

9.4l Narine to Bharat, WICKET! CAUGHT! Good length ball wide of off stump, Bharat goes for a wild shot, the ball takes the toe end of the bat and flies to long off where Iyer takes an easy catch.

Bharat c Venkatesh Iyer b Narine 9(16)

Glenn Maxwell walks out to bat.

9.5 Narine to Maxwell, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Maxwell drives the ball through cover and opens his account with a single.

9.6 Narine to Kohli, no run, full ball on off stump, Kohli pushes the ball to the fielder at cover.

RCB 66/1 after 9 overs.

Shakib to bowl the ninth over.

8.1Shakib to Bharat, no run, good length ball on off stump, Bharaty works the ball just around the corner.

8.2Shakib to Bharat, 1 run, short ball wide of off stump, Bharat hits the ball over cover for a run.

8.3Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, back of the length ball on leg stump, Kohli makes room and works the ball to mid-wicket for a run..

8.4Shakib to Bharat, no run, full ball wide of off stump, Bharat leaves the ball for the keeper.

8.5Shakib to Bharat, 1 run, short ball on leg stump, Bharat knocks the ball to the leg side for a single.

8.6Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, full ball wide of off stump, Kohli drives the ball down the ground for a run.

RCB 62/1 after 8 overs.

Chakaravarthy tobowl the eighth over.

7.1 Chakaravarthy to Bharat, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Bharat drives the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a run.

7.2 Chakaravarthy to Kohli, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Kohli drives the ball through cover for another single.

7.3 Chakaravarthy to Bharat, misses stumpping, good length ball on off stump,Bharat steps out for a big shot but fails to hit the ball, Karthik fails to collect the ball and the ball rolls down to fine leg, Bharat takes a single.

7.4 Chakaravarthy to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Kohli knocks the ball to the leg side for a single.

7.5 Chakaravarthy to Bharat, no run, full ball on off stump, Bharat goes for a wild slog, the ball takes the inside edge of the bat and then raps on the pads.

7.6 Chakaravarthy to Bharat, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Bharat drives the ball to deep mid-wicket for a single.

RCB 57/1 after 7 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan to bowl the seventh over.

6.1 Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, full ball on leg stump, Kohli steps out and drives the ball to cover for a single.

6.2Shakib to Bharat, 1 run, good length ball on leg stump, Bharat hits the ball over the in field and takes another run.

6.3Shakib to Kohli, no run, full ball on leg stump, Kohli nudges the ball to the leg side, he wants a single but Bharat turns down the offer, Kohli runs back and dives to make it in time,

6.4Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, back of the length ball on leg stump, Kohli taps the ball down the ground for a run.

6.5Shakib to Bharat, no run, back of the length ball on off stump, Bharat edges the ball to cover.

6.6Shakib to Bharat, 1 run, short ball wide of off stump, Bharat slaps the ball through cover and takes a run.

RCB 53/1 after 6 overs

Ferguson to bowl the sixth over.

5.1 Ferguson to Padikkal, WICKET! BOWLED! FERGUSON STRIKES! Good length ball wide of off stump, Padikkal swings his bat for a huge shot but unfortunately for him the ball takes the inside edge of the bat and rolls back to hit the stumps.

Padikkal b Ferguson 21(18)

KS Bharat walks out to bat.

5.2 Ferguson toBharat, no run, good length ball on off stump, Bharat goes back and pushes the ball to the leg side.

5.3Ferguson toBharat, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Bharat knocks the ball to the leg side and is off the mark.

5.4Ferguson to Kohli, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Kohli works the ball to the on side for another run.

5.5Ferguson toBharat, 1 run, full ball wide of off stump, Bharat drives the ball to cover and takes another run.

5.6Ferguson to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Kohli drives the ball to the man at sweeper cover and takes another one.

RCB 49/0 after 5 overs

Mavi to bowl the fifth over.

4.1Mavi to Kohli, FOUR! GOOD START TO THE OVER FOR RCB! Good length ball on leg stump, Kohli moves away and hits the ball over the top of cover for a boundary.

4.2Mavi to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on off-stump, Kohli punches the ball to mid-off and takes off for a single.

4.3Mavi to Padikkal, FOUR LEG BYES! Good length ball on leg stump, the ball raps on the pads and rolls down to fine-leg for a boundary.

4.3Mavi to Padikkal, WIDE! Good length ball fired down the leg side.

4.4Mavi to Padikkal, 1 run, good length ball wide of off-stump, Padikkal makes room and hits the ball to mid-off for a run.

4.5Mavi to Kohli, 1 run, slow low full toss wide of off stump, Kohli steps out and hits the ball to cover for a run.

4.6Mavi to Padikkal, 1 run, good length ball on off-stump, Padikkal hammers the ball to the man at sweeper cover for a single.

RCB 17/0 after 2 overs.

Shivam Mavi to bowl the second over.

1.1Mavi to Padikkal, no run, good length ball on off-stump, Padikkal goes on backfoot and blocks the ball with a straight bat.

1.2Mavi to Padikkal, no run, full ball on off-stump, Padikkal nudges the ball to the man at short mid-wicket.

1.3Mavi to Padikkal, 1 run, fuller ball on off-stump, Padikkal pushes the ball to mid-off and takes a quick single.

1.4Mavi to Kohli, no run, good length ball on off-stump, Kohli drives the ball to the fielder at mid-on.

1.5Mavi to Kohli, no run, slow fuller ball on off-stump, Kohli deliberately edges the ball to the fielder at short third-man.

1.5 Mavi to Kohli, FOUR! CLASSY! Full ball wide of off-stump, Kohli goes on one knee and plays a great cover drive for a boundary.

OH NO! Mavi has overstepped. It is a NO-BALL!

FREE HIT!

1.6Mavi to Kohli, FOUR! Full toss wide of off-stump, Kohli throws his bat, the ball takes a thick edge of the ball and flies past backward point for the second boundary of the over.

RCB 8/0 after 1 over.

Shakib Al Hasan to bowl the first over of the innings. Devdutt Padikkal is on strike.

0.1Shakib to Padikkal, 1 run, back of the length ball on off-stump, Padikkal goes back in the crease and punches the ball down to long-on for a run.

0.2Shakib to Kohli, 1 run, good length ball on middle and leg stump, Kohli drives the ball down the ground for another run.

0.3Shakib to Padikkal, 1 run, good length ball on off-stump, Padikkal drives the ball down the ground for another single.

0.4Shakib to Kohli, no run, short ball on off-stump, Kohli cuts the ball to cover.

0.5Shakib to Kohli, no run, full ball on leg stump, Kohli nudges the ball to the leg side.

0.6Shakib to Kohli, FOUR! Short ball, Kohli rocks back and pulls the ball to square-leg for the first boundary of the match.

Right then! The umpires make their way to the field. Eoin Morgan leads the KKR team on the field. KKR players are followed by Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal the two RCB openers. We are ready for the action.

Teams

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan(c), Dinesh Karthik(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat(w), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Virat Kohli, RCB captain at toss:

We are going to bat first, looks like a great wicket, nice and hard. It gets tougher to bat here in Sharjah as the game progresses. No changes. A youngster steps up and wins you a game against a top side like Delhi. Very happy for KS. This is what this tournament is all about. Meetings have been pretty short and sharp. We have the ability to win games, nothing changes this being an Eliminator.

Eoin Morgan, KKR captain at toss

We would have loved to bowl first anyways. The toss doesn't bother us. We are feeling confident within the group, we are starting to come good as a team. We are playing with the same team..

Toss

RCB captains Virat Kohli wins the toss and opts to bat first.

Pitch Report

A much better track than any other pitch that has been on offer at Sharjah earlier in the season. The pitch has good shine and there are not many cracks on it. This pitch could assist batters so a expect a high-scoring match.

Conditions

The evening is predicted to be clear and warm. The temperature would be around 29° C and the humidity level will be 31%.

KKR's top performers in IPL 2021

KKR's top run-scorer in IPL 2021: Rahul Tripathi (377 runs)

KKR's top wicket-taker in IPL 2021:Varun Chakaravarthy (16 wickets)

RCB's top performers in IPL 2021

RCB's top run-scorer in IPL 2021: Glenn Maxwell (498 runs)

RCB's top wicket-taker in IPL 2021:Harshal Patel (30 wickets)

Form Guide

RCB: W-L-W-W-W

KKR: W-W-L-W-L

What transpired between the two teams in their league phase face-offs this season?

When the two teams squared off against each other for the first time this season, RCB blanked KKR by 38 runs at MA Chidambaram Stadium. KKR were looking out of form at that time and the Virat Kohli-led side was flying high.

But once the seasonresumed in the UAE, Eoin Morgan’s team was a refreshed unit. At Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, KKR avenged their early-season loss as they defeated RCB by 9 wickets. Heading into the eliminator, it is one game apiece this season for the two sides.

RCB vs KKR Head to Head

Matches played: 28

RCB wins: 13

KKR wins: 15

A look at where KKR are strong

KKR’s bowling unit is a well-rounded one. ‘Mystery’ spinner Varun Chakaravarthy leads the bowling attack. He is the team’s leading wicket-taker this season with 16 scalps to his name. He is very well complemented by Sunil Narine, who tends to stop the flow of runs from his end. Narine has picked only 10 wickets but has an impressive economy of just 6.52. Both Andre Russell and Shakib Al Hasan have done a fair job when asked to bowl. In the pace attack, Lockie Ferguson has ensured that KKR did not miss Pat Cummins in the UAE leg of the tournament. Ferguson is quick and has picked 10 wickets at an average of 11.20. The Indian pace pair of Prasidh Krishna and Shivam Mavi have been neat too. Krishna has picked 12 wickets and Mavi has 9 wickets to his name.

Here's a look at RCB's strengths

RCB’s batting line-up packs a punch. The openers Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal have paired well for the side. Padikkal has hit one fifty and one hundred this season. Kohli has had a humble season, by his high standards, but has still churned out three fifities. Glenn Maxwell is the team’s top run-getter this seasons with 498 runs. Maxwell's presence has strengthened the middle order by a big margin. The Australian has been so good that he has hogged lime limelight the legendary from AB de Villiers. The South African is still reliable and has hit two fifties. Wicketkeeper-batsman, KS Bharat has also hit the top form as evidenced in his match-winning knock of 78* against Capitals.

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