Chennai Super Kings is unbeaten in the UAE leg of IPL 2021, and so is Kolkata Knight Riders. As the two sides collide in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, one of their streaks ends while we present the live updates.
CSK wins a thriller of the final ball. After Jadeja struck 22 in the 19th over to Krishna, it was four needed off the final six, as Narine got rid of Curran and Jadeja, and brought the equation to one off one, with Chahar hitting the winning run. Read full report here....
OUT! Sam Curran c (sub) Kamlesh Nagarkoti b Narine 4 (4), Jadeja lbw b Narine 22 (8). CSK 172/8 (20). Batting: Deepak Chahar 1 (1), Shardul Thakur 3 (2).
Three more wickets have fallen, as Moeen, Raine and Dhoni have departed.KKr is back at the game, but it could still go either way, as we are in for a close finish. 26 needed off 12.
OUT! Moeen Ali c Iyer b Ferguson 32 (28), Raina run out (Tripathi/Chakaravarthy) 11 (7), Dhoni b Chakaravarthy 1 (4). CSK 146/6 (15). Batting: Ravindra Jadeja 1 (1), Sam Curran 3 (2).
The third wicket falls for CSK as Rayudu is cleaned up by mystery spinner Narine for just ten. It's still not over for KKR, while CSK might be watchful from here. 45 needed off 30.
OUT! Rayudu b Narine 10 (9). CSK 127/3 (15). Batting: Moeen Ali 25 (20), Suresh Raina 7 (3).
The second breakthrough comes for KKR as pacer Krishna gets rid of du Plessis for 43 after being caught by Ferguson at deep extra cover. A couple of more such breakthroughs would bring KKR back into the game, but CSK seems to be on top of its game for now. 66 needed off 48.
OUT! du Plessis c Ferguson b Prasidh 43 (30). CSK 106/2 (12). Batting: Moeen Ali 21 (13), Ambati Rayudu 1 (1).
The first breakthrough is here as pacer Russell gets rid of Gaikwad after edging it to Morgan at mid-off. However, KKR needs more such breakthroughs to stand a chance to win this. 94 needed off 66.
OUT! Gaikwad c Morgan b Russell 40 (28). CSK 78/1 (9). Batting: Faf du Plessis 36 (24), Moeen Ali 1 (2).
CSK openers are going all guns blazing now, exploiting the PP to the fullest. The pitch does not seem slow as it did during the KKR innings? Did the KKR batter misread the pitch? 120 needed off 84.
CSK 52/0 (6). Batting: Ruturaj Gaikwad 23 (18), Faf du Plessis 28 (18).
A slow start by the CSK openers, as Gaikwad and du Plessis, are being watchful, besides occasionally attacking the loose deliveries. KKR needs early breakthroughs to pile pressure on CSK.
CSK 18/0 (3). Batting: Ruturaj Gaikwad 8 (11), Faf du Plessis 10 (7).
KKR manage to sneak past 170 and finish on 171/6. Karthik played a cameo of 11-ball 26 before departing to Hazlewood. The chase would be competitive now, with the pitch slowing down.
OUT! Karthik c Dhoni b Hazlewood 26 (11). KKR 171/6 (20). Batting: Nitish Rana 37 (27), Sunil Narine 0 (1).
CSK keeps getting breakthroughs at the crucial stages, as the big-hitting Russell has played on for 20 to Thakur again. With the pitch slowing down, seems like 150-plus would be competitive.
OUT! Russell b Thakur 20 (15). KKR 139/5 (18). Batting: Nitish Rana 31 (24), Dinesh Karthik 3 (3).
The fourth wicket is down for KKR, as Tripathi has been cleaned up by leg-spinner Jadeja for 45. This marks the arrival of Russell, and we expect some fireworks from him, while he has looked rusty so far.
OUT! Tripathi b Jadeja 45 (33). KKR 118/4 (15). Batting: Nitish Rana 16 (13), Andre Russell 18 (11).
The third setback for KKR happens to be Morgan, who was looking rusty, and an ambitious attempt off pacer Hazlewood saw him getting brilliantly caught by du Plessis at the deep boundary.
OUT! Morgan c du Plessis b Hazlewood 8 (14). KKR 89/3 (12). Batting: Rahul Tripathi 45 (31), Nitish Rana 7 (8).
No harm done to KKr so far in the post-PP session while Tripathi looks promising. However, Morgan is rusty and needs to get going soon.
KKR 70/2 (9). Batting: Rahul Tripathi 33 (22), Eoin Morgan 8 (13).
The second setback for KKR, as Iyer's blitz comes to an end after he edges it behind to Dhoni off pacer Thakur. Nevertheless, KKr continues to be in a strong position following the end of the Powerplay.
OUT! Iyer c Dhoni b Thakur 18 (15). KKR 50/2 (6). Batting: Rahul Tripathi 21 (12), Eoin Morgan 0 (5).
KKR is off to a shaky start, losing Gill off an unfortunate run out. However, as Tripathi has arrived onto the crease, things are going steady, but it is living on the edge, with some close calls going against CSK.
OUT! Gill run out (Rayudu) 9 (5). KKR 26/1 (3). Batting: Venkatesh Iyer 8 (8), Rahul Tripathi 8 (5).
KKR has won the toss and elected to bat.
Eoin Morgan: We are going to bat first. We don't have any changes. It will be a different challenge as it's a day game. There's more pace in the wicket as compared to the last year. In this sort of heat, it might get slower later.
MS Dhoni: We have one change, Curran comes in for Bravo. He had a few niggles in the CPL, so we need to ensure he doesn't develop them further. The support staff is vital. Having experienced players in the side helps. In IPL, it's about managing the combinations.
Playing XI
CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood.
KKR: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan c), Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakaravarthy and Prasidh Krishna.
Hello and welcome to Asianet Newsable's live coverage of the 2021 Indian Premier League's (IPL) Match 38 between former champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. With both teams current unbeaten in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this tie promises to be a thriller, as one of them is going down.
CSK is placed at the top of the table, registering seven wins from nine games, as a win here would nearly seal its playoffs berth. On the other hand, KKR is listed fourth, with four victories from nine and would aim to continue with its new-found mojo.
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LIVE SCORECARD: IPL 2021 - CSK vs KKR
The two teams have faced each other on 26 occasions, with CSK having a lead of 16-9, while in the IPL, in 24 matches, CSK is 15-8 ahead. Both have clashed in the UAE twice, winning a game each, while their only match in Abi Dhabi saw KKR triumphant.
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The Abu Dhabi weather is hot, with 37 degrees of temperature and has a humidity of 55%. The track has been aiding the batsmen of late. Although it is usually known to stay slow, it could well be the case if the strip is changed.Read the match preview here...
Probable XI
CSK: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood.
KKR: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna.
