Kuldeep, Russell push KKR closer to playoffs
The two were instrumental in restricting Rajasthan Royals to 142 after Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi had powered them to 59 for 0 in four overs
The two were instrumental in restricting Rajasthan Royals to 142 after Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi had powered them to 59 for 0 in four overs
Scorer: Thilak Ram | Commentator: Alagappan Muthu
That's all we have for you tonight. Thanks for your company and your comments. We love em. Keep flooding us with em. But for now, off you go.
Kuldeep Yadav is the Man of the Match. "It was a pressure time for me. I was just thikning about taking a wicket, Jos Buttler is a set player, he is playing tremendously but I really wanted to take him out. You have to motivate yourself, you have to think about your strengths, stick to your basics. Not try too much. That's what I try to do. This is T20, so you have to keep changing some things. I knew Buttler would reverse sweep, so I bowled a quicker one. You have to plan for every batsman. Sometimes it goes in your way, sometimes it doesn't."
"They started off brilliantly but it shows our character. When we got a chance in the game, we didn't let go," Dinesh Karthik says. "We have team bonding sessions, keep our smiles, keeping going on in the tournament. He's an international quality player, he's one of the best left-arm chinaman bowlers right now. And all I have to do is make sure he is turned on. Sometimes he slacks off, bowls a bad ball trying too much so I'm just trying to make him do as well as he can and stay consistent. [Qualification is in your hands] You're scaring me."
Gaurav Pathak: "Give all scenario of qualifying for rr mi rcb " --- Eat, pray, love? (Kidding. The stat-o-matic will be churning out that info in due time)
"I think the intent was positive, but when you get a start like, the way Tripathi and Buttler batted, when I went in, I wanted to carry the momentum forward. Jos was batting very well. But it wasn't up to him all the time. The way Jaydev batted with the tail, he showed it was possible. We lost because of our batting," Rahane says. "When we finished our batting, our talk was about forgetting what happened in the middle. IT was important to pick wickets, our bowlers did very well. Unfortunately we got only 142 on the board - we needed 170 or 180. We still have a chance to make the playoffs. So now it's all about learning and moving forward. Last game in Jaipur as well, we know that ground well. We will miss Jos and Stokes, we all know how dangerous they are. But at the same time, I feel really happy for Jos that he's picked for the England Test squad"
Amyn: "K/O for Mumbai tomo! KXIP win would take them to 14points and MI can reach max of 12 then!"
"It was planned. The only way we would've let Rajasthan back in the game was by losing wickets so I wanted to bat through and make sure that didn't happen," Chris Lynn says. "I wanted to be there at the end, I didn't want to leave it to anyone in the end. Wanted to win it quickly as well for the run-rate, which I think will matter in a week's time. My strength is against quicker bowlers, some others can play spin better, it's about batting in partnerships. Good to get some momentum back, it's the business end of the tournament and we're playing exciting cricket. It was a great comeback after the first six overs"
11.25 pm This game was done at the halfway stage, when Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell lassoed Rajasthan Royals down from 59 for 0 in the fourth over to 142 all out. (That's 83 runs in 15 overs for 10 wickets). The pitch was a bit slow, they needed the top order to show stability and Chris Lynn stepped up, scoring at a pace far removed from his image. He fell with only a little bit left to get, and DK and Russell finished things off.
Jmani: "You know the commentator is Al Muthu without even looking when the replies to comments is ridiculous :D" --- I thought it was my typos that set me apart!
Ankit Arora: "I am not in a flight and definitely haven't paid $10 for cricinfo commentary. Not a fan of either of the teams playing. DD supporter. My comment should be published too. This is all I got ! "
Kuldeep Yadav claimed 4 for 20, his best IPL figures, to mastermind a stunning collapse and lead KKR closer to the playoffs
Royals still have a chance if they win final game, though their NRR is -0.403 and their fate could be tied to how Mumbai fare in their last two matches
The two were instrumental in restricting Rajasthan Royals to 142 after Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi had powered them to 59 for 0 in four overs
After rollicking opening against KKR, Rajasthan Royals had the momentum to build a mammoth total. Their captain's batting robbed them of that
Two points separate the five teams vying for the final two playoff spots. KKR and Royals are part of this mid-table muddle. Neither will want to let the other get ahead