Match 56: In the only dead rubber of the 56-match league, Kolkata Knight Riders beat a second-rung Mumbai Indians side to end the 3rd season on a high note. This win was Kolkata’s first against Mumbai in all three editions of IPL. Although KKR’s performance has improved over the last 2 seasons they still remain the only team to have not made the semi-finals in any of the IPLs.
Kolkata Knight Riders Innings
Match 53: Kolkata Knight Riders outclassed the Rajasthan Royals to win the game comprehensively by 8 wickets. After having seen the outcome of the Bangalore match both the teams were in with an outside chance to make it to the semis and in the end one team kept their hopes alive while Rajasthan Royals became the 2nd team to crash out of IPL 3. It was total domination by Kolkata bowlers as they restricted the Royals to a below par score of 132. Half the job was done and the remaining half was completed thanks to a solid 3rd wicket partnership between Sourav Ganguly and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Match 48: Ganguly lashing out at his team after losing to RCB a few days ago certainly didn’t do any good as Kolkata were thrashed by the Super Kings. The man who changed the face of Indian cricket a decade ago has been found wanting when it comes to ideas and with this loss his job is only going to get tougher. If the same show continues in the remaining 2 matches then you can be rest assured the KKR won’t be going into the semis for the 3rd time in IPL. It does not do any justice to the budding talent that they possess.
Delhi would have been floating in the clouds having won their last 4 games but just like an aircraft can only float in the sky until the fuel lasts, Daredevils were forced to land as they ran out of ammunition against Kolkata Knight riders. Maybe complacency cost them the game. First their bowlers could not stop the flow of runs giving away 181 and when it came to their batting they kept losing wickets regularly to give Kolkata a 14 run victory.
Delhi Daredevils Innings
Having lost 7 out of their 8 matches, Kings XI needed something special if they had to put an end to their miserable run in this IPL and Mahela did just that with an unbeaten ton 110(59) and quite deservingly hit the winning runs which stunned the Knight riders who had earlier made 200. Coincidentally Mahela Jayawardene was included in the playing XI just minutes before the match as Marsh injured himself. Perhaps it was this bit of luck which they needed to get back to winning ways.
Kings XI Punjab Innings
Kolkata Knightriders had no answer to a blistering hundred from Warner as they were beaten comprehensively by 40 runs. The Daredevils by virtue of this emphatic win have moved back into the top 4. Maybe it would be better off if KKR stops taking advice from the whole nation as part of the promotion that they are doing along with Nokia 
. Kolkata’s chase had no life at any stage after Warner powered Delhi to 177
Knight Riders Innings
Mumbai Indians Zoomed to the top of the IPL Standings for the first time ever in IPL as they dismantled Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets keeping their unbeaten streak against KKR intact after five clashes. Mumbai bowlers did well to restrict the Knight Riders to 155 and then Sachin and Co chased down the score with 9 balls to spare.
Mumbai Indians innings
Rajasthan Royals finally managed to open their account in the IPL when they thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by 34 runs. Having lost 3 matches in a row, Shane Warne couldn’t have asked for a better performance from his boys. Although it has to be said that it was a intent-less chase from Kolkata as they gift wrapped the game for the royals.
KKR Innings
It’s amazing to see what a win can do to a team. KKR who ended up in 6th and 8th positions in last 2 seasons of IPL have begun their campaign this year with 2 consecutive wins and what is more important to note is that they have beaten the last year ‘s finalists. If it was DC in the tournament opener it was Royal Challengers today who were beaten black and blue. Angelo Mathews once again showed why he is such a good all-rounder. The other day he smashed the DC bowlers around the park and today he followed up with the ball to pin down Royal Challengers. Once the bowlers did their job it was the turn of the openers who batted splendidly to make the job easy for the batsmen to follow. PHOTOS
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