IPL 7 T20 Qualifier 1 KXIP vs KKR: Kolkata roar into final

Kolkata Knight Riders booked their berth in the final of IPL 7 with a comprehensive 28-run win over table toppers Kings XI Punjab at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 164, Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 135-8 in 20 overs.

KKR, champions in 2012, won their eighth match in a row to book their berth in the IPL for the second time in three years.

KXIP will get another chance to qualify for the final when they meet the loser of the Eliminator between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

This is the first time Punjab have lost chasing despite fluent knocks at the top from Vohra (26) and Saha (35).

After Maxwell and Miller fell cheaply, Bailey (26) tried to keep the run-chase alive with some help from the tail but with the asking rate mounting it was a tough chase.

Yadav claimed three for 12 and Morkel two for 23 while Shakib and Chawla struck at crucial intervals.

Kolkata owner Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is overjoyed and hugs the players.

KINGS XI PUNJAB INNINGS

Eden Gardens roars as Bailey hammers Yadav straight to Pandey. KXIP 134-8 in 19.1 overs.

George Bailey c Pandey b Umesh Yadav 26 (17b 1x4 2x6)

Narine bowls an excellent over to choke Punjab. KXIP 134-7 in 19 overs need 30 off the last over to be bowled by Yadav.

Johnson hits the first ball for a six while Bailey smashes his second, KXIP 130-7 in 18 overs need 34 from 12 balls.

Dhawan is stumped after carting Shakib over midwicket for a six the previous ball. KXIP 117-7 in 17.3 overs.

Rishi Dhawan st Uthappa b Shakib Al Hasan 14 (15b 0x4 1x6)

Bailey keeps alive Punjab's faint hopes cracking a boundary and smashing Narine for a six over midwicket. KXIP 109-6 in 17 overs need 55 from 18 balls.

Shakib bowls a good over. KXIP 97-6 in 16 overs need 67 from 24 balls.

Punjab need 72 from the last five overs. KXIP 92-6 in 15 overs.

Kolkata tighten their grip as Patel is run out by a superb throw from Chawla. KXIP 87-6 in 13.3 overs.

Akshar Patel run out 2 (2b 0x4 0x6)

Punjab need 78 from 42 balls with skipper Bailey in the middle. KXIP 86-5 in 13 overs.

Chawla strikes knocking back the middle stump of Miller. KXIP 82-5 in 12.2 overs.

David Miller b Chawla 8 (12b 0x4 0x6)

Morkel finishes with superb figures of 4-0-23-2.

Morkel strikes as Saha lofts straight to Yadav at mid-off. KXIP 80-4 in 12 overs.

Wriddhiman Saha c Umesh Yadav b Morkel 35 (31b 2x4 2x6)

Saha is on song sweeping Chawla for his second six. KXIP 77-3 in 11 overs.

Saha hits a boundary off Yadav. KXIP 68-3 in 10 overs with rain having gone away.

Miller survives a confident appeal for leg before off Chawla. KXIP 60-3 in 9 overs.

Punjab are 12 runs behind the D/L par score of 67 after 8 overs.

Yadav traps the big-hitting Maxwell leg before. KXIP 55-3 in 7.5 overs.

Glenn Maxwell lbw b Umesh Yadav 6 (9b 1x4 0x6)

Maxwell gets going by slamming Narine for a boundary. KXIP 53-2 in 7 overs 2 runs behind the D/L par score of 55.

The D/L par score after 6 overs is 49. KXIP 46-2 in 6 overs.

Vohra departs miscuing Morkel to Yadav as the rain gets heavier. KXIP 45-2 in 5.5 overs.

Manan Vohra c Umesh Yadav b Morkel 26 (19b 0x4 3x6)

Vohra swings Morkel over long-on for his third six.

Vohra smashes two consecutive sixes off Shakib as Punjab go past the D/L par score of 37 after 5 overs. KXIP 39-1 in 5 overs.

Saha sweeps Narine over square leg for a boundary. Punjab are 24-1 in 4 overs with the D/L par score being 37 after 5 overs.

Saha whips the final ball from Morkel over backward square leg for a maximum. KXIP 17-1 in 3 overs.

Saha survives being adjudged caught behind after appearing to have got a faint nick of Yadav. KXIP 8-1 in 2 overs.

Yadav draws first blood removing the dangerous Sehwag who cuts straight to Shakib at point. KXIP 5-1 in 1.1 overs.

Virender Sehwag c Shakib Al Hasan b UT Yadav 2 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Morkel bowls a good opening despite a fluent start from Sehwag. KXIP 5-0 in 1 over.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS

Kolkata made a competitive 163-8 after being put into bat.

Uthappa led the way with a brisk 42 off 30 balls hitting four boundaries and two sixes after Gambhir fell cheaply.

Pandey (21) figured in a 65-run stand for the second with Uthappa.

Their innings failed to gather momentum despite contributions from Shakib (18), Pathan (20), ten Doeschate (17) and Yadav (20) losing two wickets in one over twice.

Chawla (17) cracked three boundaries in the final over to help them post a challenging total.

Patel (2-11) and Johnson (2-31) were the pick of the bowlers while Singh claimed three for 40.

Kolkata finish with a flurry of three boundaries from Chawla in the final over to finish on 163-8 in 20 overs.

Sunil Narine run out 0 (0b 0x4 0x6)

Johnson strikes deceiving ten Doeschate with his slower delivery. KKR 147-7 in 18.4 overs.

Ryan ten Doeschate c Vohra b Johnson 17 (10b 0x4 2x6)

Yadav swats Singh for a boundary but is bowled attempting a similar shot. KKR 145-6 in 18 overs.

Suriyakumar Yadav b Karanveer Singh 20 (14b 3x4 1x6)

Ryan ten Doeschate clobbers two consecutive sixes off Singh.

Yadav turns it on clubbing Dhawan for a six and boundary off consecutive balls. KKR 128-5 in 17 overs.

Patel completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-1-11-2. KKR 114-5 in 16 overs.

Play is about to restart with no deduction in overs.

The covers have come onto the field as a shower halt play with KKR 113-5 in 15.4 overs.

Double blow for Kolkata as Pathan perishes in similar fashion. KKR 108-5 in 14.3 overs.

Yusuf Pathan c Miller b Karanveer Singh 20 (18b 2x4 1x6)

Shakib hammers a boundary but is out next ball hitting straight Miller. KKR 108-4 in 14.2 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan c Miller b Karanveer Singh 18 (16b 2x4 0x6)

The lights are on early at Eden Gardens with six overs to go in the Kolkata innings.

Pathan begins firing to the delight of the Edens Garden crowd slamming Dhawan over long-off for his first six. KKR 104-3 in 14 overs.

Pathan hits his first boundary using the pace of Johnson to punch a short ball to third man. KKR 81-3 in 11 overs.

It looks like Kolkata need another big knock from Yusuf Pathan. KKR 73-3 in 10 overs.

Patel has struck a double blow with Pandey being bowled off his pads. KKR 67-3 in 8.5 overs.

Manish Pandey b Patel 21 (20b 3x4 0x6)

Uthappa's enterprising knock comes to an end holing out in the deep. KKR 67-2 in 8.2 overs.

Robin Uthappa c Miller b Patel 42 (30b 4x4 2x6)

Pandey lofts Singh over extra cover for a boundary after miscuing an earlier delivery. KKR 67-1 in 8 overs.

Pandey gets into the act after surviving a stumping attempt by hitting Dhawan straight down the ground for a boundary. KKR 55-1 in 6 overs.

Orange cap holder Uthappa is in the form of his life lofting the first ball from Dhawan into the sightscreen for a straight six.

Uthappa cracks a couple of boundaries off Awana through off and hoick to square leg which nearly goes for a six. KKR 42-1 in 5 overs.

Uthappa hits the first maximum of the match clobbering a bouncer from Johnson for a six over square leg followed by a scorching boundary on the off. KKR 31-1 in 4 overs.

Bailey nearly pulls off another stunning catch as Pandey drove Johnson uppishly for a boundary towards mid-off.

Uthappa gets cracking flicking Patel through fine leg for the first boundary of the match. KKR 14-1 in 3 overs.

Gambhir survives a confident appeal for leg before but departs next ball pulling a bouncer from Johnson to mid-ont where Bailey pulls off a stunning catch. KKR 2-1 in 1.2 overs.

Gautam Gambhir c Bailey b Johnson 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

Awana opens the attack against Uthappa with Gambhir the non-striker.

Kings XI Punjab have won the toss and opted to bowl in IPL 7 Qualifier 1 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.

PLAYING XI

Punjab: Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra, Wriddhiman Saha, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey, Akshar Patel, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh, Parvinder Awana

Kolkata: Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Sunil Narine

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