And on that note, it's time for us to say goodbye. What a game, what a night. Hope to have your company come Friday for CSK v KKR. Until then, this is Himanshu Agrawal, Shashank Kishore and Venkat Raghav saying goodbye. Cheers everyone. Enjoy the festivities, do stay safe and vaccinate yourself as soon as you can.

Time for the post-match presentations even as Pant and Ponting continue to have a serious, serious discussion just outside the dressing room.

Eoin Morgan: "Should've been a lot easier after the start we got, Venky and Gill set us the platform. Dew came in and all, but hey, we're in the final and we're delighted to get over the line. Would've loved to win convincingly but Capitals are a very good side. Six off two, the odds were probably in favour of the bowling side, but Rahul Tripathi has done superbly well for us. It's a nice insight into our team culture - the young guys coming in feel free to express themselves. The backroom staff have created an environment for them to do this. With the squad we have, there's expectation. Hopefully we can implement all that we've strategised. Venky Iyer idea [his elevation] came from the coach, my god, he's a terrific player. Made the chase easy, looks like he was batting on a different wicket. We would like to keep going, playing against CSK, one of the best franchises in IPL history. Anything can happen."

Venkatesh Iyer is Player of the Match for his 55 off 41 balls. "Doing what has been asked of me, extremely happy to have won the game. There's no difference [domestic] to IPL, have come here and play the way I wanted to play. Happy that the management allowed me to the freedom to play the way I do. For the past couple of games, I was restricting myself, trying to bat till the end, but I realised that wasn't me. I wanted to revert to the way I've been playing. I'm not thinking about the Indian team, have one more game and want to stay fully focused on that."

10pm Phew! What a finish. And just like in 2012, the Chennai Super Kings will face off against KKR. A side that is known to make finals for fun against a side that has never lost a final. What a game we have coming up on Friday.

Tripathi after that match-winning six: "It feels great. The win was very important. One or tough overs, and it would so deep we never thought. The 18th over was a great over by Rabada. I had to just connect one, and luckily I connected today, so I am very happy. The communication with Lockie was that if there is a possible two, then we will run it. It was difficult once you go in. Straightaway to get those boundaries was difficult. The ball was keeping a little low. After the first phase, we were a little down. We were always looking for positive options."

Kiran Kadam : "Rishabh Pant was visibly emotional after last match. Today he'll be shattered!!" --- But he should be proud to have carried his team this far.

Pant after a hurting loss: "Can't change anything after the match. Always we kept on believing, and stayed in the game for as long as possible. The bowlers pulled it back. They bowled really well through the middle overs. We were stuck, and unable to rotate the strike. Hopefully we can come back net year for a stronger season. We played really good cricket throughout the season. We stuck together, and cared for each other. Hopefully we will improve next year and come back strongly."

Ponting lurking around the park to ensure his players are not in the worst of moods. Avesh and Nortje with a dull face in the dugout.

Chandan: "Match of the Tournament Without a doubt!!"

Swapnil : "So no new champion, huh"

Nimesh Roshen: "A SIX FOR THE HAT-TRICK BALL "

9.43pm What a game! Even Ponting can't help but offer half a smile. And we can breathe now. Capitals fought tooth and nail despite posting just 135, and had their opponents under the wood for a good while in the death overs.

19.5
6
Ashwin to Tripathi, SIX, pumped over the bowler's head! Knight Riders make the final. Capitals are eliminated. Gets one on a good length and wide off off, and hammers a blow back for a powerful six to seal the deal. Cool, calm and collected. Cracked away to shatter Capitals' hopes.

Ashwin from over the wicket, but to Tripathi. Hat-trick ball.

Ferguson is the new man.

James : "Did someone say "twists" earlier?"

19.4
W
Ashwin to Narine, OUT, and taken at long-off! Damn! Ashwin gets two in two. He is on a hat-trick. But more than that, Capitals still remain afloat. He bowls with a wide-arm action, and goes full on off. Narine came down the track to try and clear the rope, but toe-ended the shot to lob that right where Axar sat

SP Narine c Patel b Ashwin 0 (3m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Ashwin from around the wicket, but Pant first adjusts the field.

6 to get off 3. Will Narine aim for the boundary?

Pant and Ashwin in a chat...

Narine now... Phew!

Moin: "Drama!"

19.3
W
Ashwin to Shakib Al Hasan, OUT, walks across off trying to scoop, but the ball strikes his back pad! Ashwin is up in a celebr-appeal, and it is given! Oh my, where is this going? The ball was full on middle and off, and replays show the ball would have crashed into middle and off. Bang!

Shakib Al Hasan lbw b Ashwin 0 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

19.2
0
Ashwin to Shakib Al Hasan, no run, goes sweeping to this full ball outside leg after playing by making room, but the ball hits his back thigh

Shakib is the new batter. Ashwin around the stumps.

Capitals taking their time here. Shakib looks around the field too.

19.1
1
Ashwin to Tripathi, 1 run, pulled away to long-on's right, as Ashwin bowls short and wide of off

Ashwin to Tripathi. Over the wicket.

7 required off 6.

NJ: "Only if Iyer did not misfield or Ashwin dit not drop catch"

END OF OVER:
19 | 3 Runs 1 Wkt | KKR: 129/5 (7 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.78, RRR: 7.00)

  • Rahul Tripathi5 (9b)
  • Anrich Nortje4-0-31-2
  • Kagiso Rabada4-0-23-2
18.6
W
Nortje to Morgan, OUT, chopped on! What is going on here? Another Knight Riders batter succumbs. This is a good length ball wide of off, which Morgan looks to hoick away, but gets a bottom edge on to his stumps, which are lit up after the ball lands there on the bounce. Nortje is all pumped up after that, as he leaves his side with a glimmer of hope in the final over

EJG Morgan b Nortje 0 (7m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

SARFAS SACHU: "If only there was few more runs to defend" --- Only if...

18.5
0
Nortje to Morgan, no run, goes slashing at this full and wide ball away from his body, but misses. Pant appeals for a caught behind, but doesn't get any support from his team-mates

7 off 8...

18.4
0
Nortje to Morgan, no run, dot ball! Pushed to cover, where it is Axar now. Morgan makes room and skips down, as Nortje bowls fullish on middle and leg

Nortje to come from over the wicket.

Morgan, the new batter, on strike. He has been short of runs of late.

18.3
1
Nortje to Tripathi, 1 run, pulls at this hard length ball on off to long-on for a single
18.2
0
Nortje to Tripathi, no run, strikes his back pad to arouse some excitement, but that is not leg before for sure. The ball was very full on leg, as the batter got his front leg out of the way and got an inside edge on to his pad

Manu: "What an over Rabada!!!"

18.1
2
Nortje to Tripathi, 2 runs, misfield at cover, and that allows two! Iyer the fielder there. Back of a length ball on off, and Tripathi just punched that off the back foot. Ah, would have been a dot ball otherwise had Iyer not missed

Nortje over the wicket

Ummm, some late drama maybe?

10 required off 12.

END OF OVER:
18 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | KKR: 126/4 (10 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.00, RRR: 5.00)

  • Rahul Tripathi2 (6b)
  • Kagiso Rabada4-0-23-2
  • Avesh Khan4-0-22-1
17.6
W
Rabada to Karthik, OUT, the middle and off stumps are dislodged! Rabada bowls back of a length just outside off, and with seam up. Karthik looks to hoick that away to the on side, but gets an inside edge. There is life left in this game yet, as Capitals take it deep

KD Karthik b Rabada 0 (7m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Remains over the stumps to Karthik

17.5
1
Rabada to Tripathi, 1 run, finally gets one away. Slashes at this short ball just outside off, and plays to deep point
17.4
0
Rabada to Tripathi, no run, four dots in a row now. Dances down to this good length ball outside off, but finds the man at cover, who stops with a little movement to his right
17.3
0
Rabada to Tripathi, no run, another dot ball. This is a touch fuller and outside off, and again stays a little low as he can't bat on ball
17.2
0
Rabada to Tripathi, no run, good change of pace, and beats the batter! Tripathi looks to pull that back of a length ball on off, but misses, as the ball goes over the stumps
17.1
0
Rabada to Tripathi, no run, sharp movement into the batter! Pitches on a good length on middle and darts back in while keeping low. Tapped from deep in his crease

Rabada now over the wicket

Pari: "With Narine still in hut , it's just a matter of two balls."

END OF OVER:
17 | 2 Runs 1 Wkt | KKR: 125/3 (11 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.35, RRR: 3.66)

  • Dinesh Karthik0 (2b)
  • Rahul Tripathi1 (1b)
  • Avesh Khan4-0-22-1
  • Anrich Nortje3-0-28-1
16.6
0
Avesh Khan to Karthik, no run, short and wide of off, and with change of pace. Karthik thinks about jabbing at that, but lets it go as the ball dies to Pant
16.5
0
Avesh Khan to Karthik, no run, yorker length on middle, and clipped to midwicket with the closed face of the bat. Misfield there, but no run conceded

Karthik in now. Avesh stays over the wicket.

16.4
W
Avesh Khan to Shubman Gill, OUT, pocketed by Pant! Gill gets an outside edge to this full ball slightly wide of off, as he plays with a horizontal bat. The ball takes the top edge and takes off, as Pant leaps a little high and to his right, leaving the gloves open for the ball to arrive comfortably

Shubman Gill c †Pant b Avesh Khan 46 (80m 46b 1x4 1x6) SR: 100.00

16.3
1
Avesh Khan to Tripathi, 1 run, he too dances down, as he bunts this good length ball on off to the left of the man at mid-off

Over the stumps to Tripathi

16.2
1
Avesh Khan to Shubman Gill, 1 run, skips down to this short ball on middle and leg, before playing that to deep square leg with a short-arm pull
16.1
0
Avesh Khan to Shubman Gill, no run, goes flashing at this short and wide ball outside off, but doesn't get any connection

Not much remains in the game, as Tripathi walks out to bat. But he will be off strike.

END OF OVER:
16 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | KKR: 123/2 (13 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 7.68, RRR: 3.25)

  • Shubman Gill45 (43b)
  • Anrich Nortje3-0-28-1
  • Avesh Khan3-0-20-0

Srinath Rajaram: "Ariffin has asked the most important question in human history." --- Ummm, so I would like to think I have made a good attempt at providing the solution.

Ponting is still all smiles as he addresses his boys during the break.

Ben Bradshaw: "A bit sad to see Ashwin struggling at this IPL, a long way from his brilliance about a decade ago."

Time-out

15.6
W
Nortje to Rana, OUT, short-arm pull, and taken at long leg! The ball takes off after pitching short outside off, as Rana pulls from deep in his crease and with his back leg outside off. He is not quite able to ride the bounce, as the ball comes off the higher side of the bat to fly to Hetmyer

N Rana c Hetmyer b Nortje 13 (18m 12b 0x4 1x6) SR: 108.33

KKR 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st96VR IyerShubman Gill
2nd27N RanaShubman Gill
3rd2RA TripathiShubman Gill
4th1KD KarthikRA Tripathi
5th3EJG MorganRA Tripathi
6th1Shakib Al HasanRA Tripathi
7th0SP NarineRA Tripathi
8th6RA TripathiLH Ferguson