IPL 7 T20 KKR vs KXIP: Punjab beat Kolkata by 23 runs

Kings XI Punjab maintained their unbeaten run in IPL 7 by defending a small total of 132-9 to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 23 runs at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Chasing a modest target of 133, KKR's big guns failed to fire being bowled out for 109 with 10 balls remaining.

Only a brilliant cameo of 34 from 17 balls with three boundaries and a six by Suryakumar Yadav kept alive their hopes.

KXIP produced a superb bowling performance with Sandeep Sharma having figures of 4-1-21-3 and left arm spinner Akshar Patel returning figures of 4-0-16-2.

Johnson bowled menacingly to claim two for 22 while Balaji and Dhawan bowled well within themselves to contain Kolkata.

Earlier, KXIP were restricted to 132-9 by spin duo Piyush Chawla (3 for 19) and Sunil Narine (3 for 24) after being put into bat.

Sehwag top scored with 37 off 30 balls hitting three boundaries and a six.

Punjab lost five wickets for 25 runs in 31 balls with Narine claiming three wickets in four balls in a sensational spell.

KOLKATA INNINGS

Johnson clatters the stumps of Umesh as Kolkata are all out for 109 in 18.2 overs.

Umesh Yadav b Johnson 2 (4b 0x4 0x6)

Kolkata need 26 from the last two overs with Morkel and Umesh Yadav in the middle. KKR 107-9 in 18 overs.

Yadav's brilliant cameo comes to an end shattering Kolkata's hopes after hammering two consecutive boundaries off Sharma. KKR 103-9 in 17.3 overs.

Suryakumar Yadav c Johnson b Sandeep Sharma 34 (17b 3x4 1x6)

Yadav is keeping alive Kolkata's faint hopes by lashing a boundary off Balaji. KKR 95-8 in 17 overs need 38 from 18 balls.

Johnson strikes shattering the leg stump of Narine. KKR 85-8 in 16 overs.

Sunil Narine b Johnson 6 (8b 0x4 0x6)

Yadav lifts Kolkata's faint hopes by hoisting Johnson over midwicket for a six.

The game is slipping away from Kolkata who need 58 from 30. KKR 75-7 in 15 overs.

Kolkata are 66-7 after 14 overs and are staring at defeat.

Kolkata are imploding as Chawla is stumped off Patel. KKR 65-7 in 13.4 overs.

Piyush Chawla st Saha b Patel 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)

Uthappa is run out by a brilliant throw from Bailey after being sent back by Yadav. KKR 62-6 in 13 overs.

Robin Uthappa run out 19 (27b 2x4 0x6)

Pathan fails again as Dhawan traps him plumb in front. KKR 59-5 in 12.3 overs.

Yusuf Pathan lbw b Dhawan 3 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Uthappa gets a boundary with a lovely reverse flick off Patel who was unlucky not to have Pathan surviving a leg before appeal. KKR 57-4 in 12 overs.

Patel strikes a major blow clattering the stumps of Lynn. KKR 50-4 in 11.1 overs.

Chris Lynn b Patel 13 (18b 2x4 0x6)

Lynn pulls around Balaji for a boundary to square leg. KKR 50-3 in 11 overs.

Kolkata are struggling at 43-3 at the halfway stage which is the lowest 10-over score in this year's competition.

Lynn gets cracking with a well timed off drive to the fence. KKR 39-3 in 9 overs.

Patel bowls a tight opening over conceding just three runs. KKR 31-3 in 8 overs.

Uthappa opens his account by clipping the first ball from Balaji to the fine leg fence. KKR 24-3 in 6 overs.

Balaji strikes with his first delivery claiming the prized wicket of Kallis who slams him straight to Maxwell. KKR 19-3 in 5.1 overs.

Jacques Kallis c Maxwell b Balaji 9 (11b 2x4 0x6)

Gambhir does not last long miscuing Sharma to mid-off. KKR 19-2 in 4.1 overs.

Gautam Gambhir c Patel b Sandeep Sharma 1 (5b 0x4 0x6)

Gambhir finally opens his account in his fourth innings while Kallis steps backs and whacks Johnson inside out for a boundary over extra cover. KKR 19-1 in 4 overs.

Gambhir survives offering Sharma a return of the first ball. KKR 13-1 in 3 overs.

Sharma draws first blood trapping Pandey leg before. KKR 13-1 in 2.4 overs.

Manish Pandey lbw b Sandeep Sharma 8 (10b 1x4 0x6)

Kallis hits his first boundary driving Johnson through the covers. KKR 11-0 in 2 overs.

Pandey hits the first boundary of the innings jabbing Sharma through extra cover. KKR 7-0 in 1 over.

Kolkata open with Pandey and Kallis as Gambhir steps down the order after failing to score in his last three innings.

PUNJAB INNINGS

Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 132-9 by spin duo Piyush Chawla (3 for 19) and Sunil Narine (3 for 24) after being invited to bat first by Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP lost Pujara early but got off to a decent start with Sehwag stroking the ball fluently to hit a top score of 37 off 30 balls with three  boundaries and a six.

Saha (14) looked promising while Maxwell (15) was yorked by Morkel.

Chawla changed the complexion of the game with Miller (14) and Bailey (11) falling to catches by Morkel in the deep.

It triggered a collapse which saw Punjab lose five wickets for 25 runs in 31 balls with Narine claiming three wickets in four balls in a sensational spell.

Punjab manage only five runs in the last over from Yadav as they finish on 132-9 in 20 overs after being put into bat.

Narine went for 14 in the first over but finishes with excellent figures of 4-0-24-3.

Punjab have gone from 101-4 to 126-9 losing five wickets in 31 balls. KXIP 127-9 in 19 overs.

Balaji denies Narine a hat-trick but is trapped leg before. KXIP 126-9 in 18.4 overs.

Lakshmipathy Balaji lbw b Narine 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)

Narine is on a hat-trick as he castles Johnson for a golden duck. KXIP 126-8 in 18.2 overs.

Mitchell Johnson b Narine 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Patel tries to go after Narine only to be stumped. KXIP 126-7 in 18.1 overs.

Akshar Patel st Uthappa b Narine 7 (10b 0x4 0x6)

Dhawan slaps Morkel over mid-on for a boundary. KXIP in 18 overs.

Narine bowls a tight over. KXIP 118-6 in 17 overs.

Chawla completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-0-19-3. KXIP 114-6 in 16 overs.

Chawla strikes a double blow as he beats Sehwag through the gate with a wrong 'un. KXIP 103-6 in 14 overs.

Virender Sehwag b Chawla 37 (30b 3x4 1x6)

Chawla picks up another wicket as Bailey miscues straight to Morkel. KXIP 101-5 in 13.4 overs.

George Bailey c Morkel b Chawla 11 (15b 1x4 0x6)

Sehwag sizzles backing away and cutting Chawla past point for another boundary. KXIP 94-4 in 12 overs.

Bailey and Sehwag hit a boundary apiece off Yadav. KXIP 87-4 in 11 overs.

Morkel takes a brilliant catch on the boundary as Miller tries to go after Chawla. KXIP 74-4 in 9.4 overs.

David Miller c Morkel b Chawla 14 (10b 2x4 0x6)

Miller hits consecutive boundaries off Kallis, lofting over mid-on followed by a classic cover drive. KXIP 71-3 in 9 overs.

Morkel strikes getting the big wicket of Maxwell who gets into a tangle going across the line and is bowled. KXIP 58-3 in 7.4 overs.

Glenn Maxwell b Morkel 15 (12b 2x4 0x6)

Sehwag launches Narine over midwicket for the first six of the match while Maxwell gets a boundary with a reverse sweep. KXIP 51-2 in 6 overs.

Maxwell survives being caught off a bouncer and finishes the over by cracking a boundary through the cover off Kallis. KXIP 37-2 in 5 overs.

Kallis strikes with his first ball trapping Saha leg before. KXIP 28-2 in 4.1 overs.

Wriddhiman Saha lbw b Kallis 14 (10b 1x4 1x6)

Saha survives a dropped catch by Yadav, then cracks a boundary and a towering six off Morkel. KXIP 28-1 in 4 overs.

Sehwag nearly hits the first six of the match with a glorious shot off Yadav over extra cover. KXIP 15-1 in 3 overs.

Pujara does not last long being run out by a brilliant direct hit from Pandey. KXIP 9-1 in 1.4 overs.

Chesteshwar Pujara run out 8 (8b 1x4 0x6)

Pujara survives after being caught behind off a no-ball from Morkel's first ball.

Pujara drives the fourth ball of the match from Yadav through the covers for a boundary. KXIP 7-0 in 1 over.

Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and opted to bowl in Match 15th of IPL 7 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

PLAYING XI

Kolkata: Jacques Kallis, Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey, Chris Lynn, Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav

Punjab: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey, MG Johnson, W Saha, Akshar Patel, L Balaji, Rishi Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma

Unbeaten Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 15th match of IPL 7.

KXIP are comfortably perched at the top with six points while KKR are riding high after snatching a two win against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

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