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Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders stormed into the final of IPL 7 after registering a 28-run win over table toppers Kings XI Punjab in the first qualifier at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Chasing a modest 164-run target, KXIP lost early momentum in bid to match the Duckworth/Lewis par score and were restricted to 135 for eight in twenty overs.
KXIP, who last made to a knockout stage in 2008 when they reached the semis, will get another chance to seal a final berth when they will play the winner of the eliminator between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
Fast bowler Umesh Yadav was KKR's destroyer-in-chief as he claimed vital wickets of Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell and Bailey giving away just 13 runs in his four overs.
Kings XI Punjab lost Manan Vohra and Glenn Maxwell while the batsmen were trying to catch up with the par score. KKR timed their strategic time out to perfection as they took it right after Maxwell's dismissal with KXIP scorecard reading 55 for three in 7.5 overs, the par score being 66 at that stage.
The Saha-Miller partnership which lasted for 25 balls added same number of runs to the team's total until Morne Morkel struck for Kolkata. Morkel got rid of dangerous looking Saha (35 off 31) to tilt the game in favour of KKR.
Legspinner Piyush Chawla then added to KXIP's problems as Miller saw his stumps rattled. A tossed one from Chawla turned sharply and the South African batsman had no clue about it as KXIP were reduced to 82 for five.
Earlier, put in to bat, Kolkata Knight Riders managed to score 163 for 8 in their stipulated twenty overs.
Orange Cap holder Uthappa, who had scores of 47, 65, 47, 46, 80, 40, 67, 83* and 41 before coming into this game, scored a 30-ball 42 before being outfoxed by left-arm spinner Akshar Patel. Patel was rewarded for keeping it simple again when he managed to dislodge Manish Pandey two balls later. With 67 for 3 in the 10th over of the innings, the momentum had clearly swung in favour of KXIP.
Pandey's wicket saw allrounders Yusuf Pathan and Shakib-al-Hasan at the crease. The duo added 41 runs in a partnership that lasted 5.3 over. Legspinner Karanveer Singh was rewarded for his loop as he dismissed Shakib and Pathan in successive deliveries, putting KXIP in the driver's seat.
Akshar was the pick of KXIP's bowlers. Patel also bowled a maiden over in his spell, a rarity in the IPL, and gave away just 11 runs to take two crucial wickets.
All this while, Bailey kept rotating his bowlers pretty well until rain stopped play at the Eden Gardens in the 16th over with KKR at 113 for 5. KXIP's bowlers came in for some stick when play resumed.
Karanveer was carted around 17 runs in the eighteenth over by Ryan-ten-Doeschate and Surya Kumar Yadav. However, Karanveer had the last laugh when he dislodged Yadav after he scored a 14-ball 20.
Earlier, KXIP have won the toss and opted to bowl.
KXIP are unchanged while KKR make one change -- Piyush Chawla in for Vinay Kumar.
Teams
Kolkata: Gautam Gambhir (Capt.), Robin Uthappa (wk), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav
Punjab: Manan Vohra, Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey (Capt.), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Akshar Patel, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh, Parvinder Awana
Briegf scores
Kolkata Knight Riders - 163/8 (Uthappa 42, Karanveer Singh 3-40)
Kings XI Punjab - 135/8 (Saha 35, Umesh Yadav 3-13)
Result - Kolkata Knight Riders won by 28 runs
MOM - Umesh Yadav (Kolkata Knight Riders)
