Live Report: Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2022, DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

For 34 games, nobody dared. But today, Gujarat Titans did. They defend a below-par total on a tacky surface, all thanks to the powerplay bowling effort from Shami, Dayal and Ferguson. Russell dared to make Knight Riders dream, but from 34 for 4, a target of 157 proved too steep. Titans go back to #1. KKR's top-four prospects take another hit. The post-match presentation will not appear right away since the second game - RCB vs SRH - is already underway. Why don't you head over there? Thanks for your company.

Russell smacks Yash Dayal for a six in the 19th, but manages to go 2, 1, 1, 1, 0 for the other five balls.

That means the equation is 18 off six. Alzarri Joseph to bowl to his countrymate. Doubt Russell is running for singles. Here we go...

ball 1: over long on! Make that 12 off 5. Low full toss on middle, and Russell sends him packing for missing the yorker.

ball 2: a sensational Lockie catch at fine leg has Russell walking back for 48, and it is advantage Titans.

balls 3 and 4: three more. Nine needed off two.

ball five: And that's the money ball. A short ball that Umesh can't get to. Titans will win this.

ball six: only mathematical. Umesh thumps it to mid off. Gujarat Titans rampage on...win by eight runs

With an over each left for Shami, Lockie, Dayal and Alzarri - the Titans go for Shami for the 17th. With Russell on strike, he opts for the around the stumps angle that will get the ball to angle across Russell. Most of them work out well, but he slaps one for a six over backward point anyway.

Hardik then goes with Lockie, but Umesh hits him for a six in another otherwise solid over. Hardik wanted Russell's wicket from Shami and Lockie, but didn't get it.

Now it's the young Joseph and Dayal with Knight Riders needing 29 off 12. Umesh on 12 off 10, Russell on 32 off 19.

It remains Titans' game to win, but they'll know that while Russell is out there they can't count the two points yet.

Venkatesh Iyer fell after our last update to the deep to a Rashid googly, but Lockie Ferguson bowls a quiet-ish over despite getting hit for a six by Dre. Russell punished Lockie after he bowled a full toss, presumably while trying to find the yorker, and once Lockie missed that, he never bowled full again. Short ball after short ball followed, and then Rashid has Mavi's wicket too from the other end.

Knight Riders need 49 in 28 balls with three wickets in hand. It's also the time-out. Rashid nearly has Umesh lbw too after the break, but DRS saves him, and he Afghan leggie finishes his quota with 2-22. OK, so he's out of the way for the Knight Riders and they need 45 in 24. Shami, Dayal, Lockie, Alzarri - each have 1 over left.

Russell takes two balls to find his first four of the evening, but Dayal comes back beautifully to cramp Dre with the short ball. The bouncer surprises him, and he gets his bat in front of his helmet to protect his head. But the ball hits the bat, and flies away to fine leg and Russell is out caught!

It's a front-foot no ball. A marginal no-ball, but that stands. Russell survives, and the next time he's on strike, he thumps Dayal for back to back sixes! Russell is a deadly batter, but he'll be extremely high on confidence following his four-wicket haul in one over just an hour ago. How much will Dayal's no-ball hurt?

PS. As soon as Russell hit that six on the last ball, Shreyas was seen gesturing Venkatesh to ask Russell to stay in the middle. He is key for them now.

With Rinku on 35 and the partnership 45, this stand could prove dangerous but the wicket has come in the form of the left-arm seamer. Bowls a length ball that Rinku opts to give a charge to, and his swipe has taken the bottom edge to a diving Wriddhiman Saha. That's a big ball to reduce Knight Riders to 79 for 5.

But like those 90s video games, after beating all the little opponents, you face the BOSS of the game. And that is the new batter Andre Russell. Needs very few balls to start making a big impact, and with the required run-rate still under 10, Titans still need to get him out.

Rinku Singh has enjoyed most of the strike since Shreyas' wicket. Two more overs of pace, and he has grown in confidence by finding the boundary. They've been risky a few times, but he is still alive.

Rashid is introduced in the ninth over. Rinku and Venkatesh play just one dot and milk seven runs off the other five balls. But Rashid did get a wicket chance, just falling short of the substitute fielder at deep backward square leg.

Despite the four wickets, the runs have come, and that's going to frustrate Hardik Pandya. Venkatesh scoops Shami for another boundary to close the tenth over out, and at the halfway mark of the second innings, Knight Riders are 63/4. They need 94 off 60

So how do they approach the last 10 overs? The required run-rate is 9.40, which is manageable, but there's three overs of Rashid to navigate. After the next batter Andre Russell, the other batters can hit big sixes but aren't really known for that. So what Knight Riders need is this partnership of 30+ to grow even more.

Knight Riders could not have started the power-powerplay stage any worse. Shreyas looked comfortable against the short ball that Ferguson and Alzarri Joseph were offering, finding the boundary in Rinku Singh's company.

But Yash Dayal, the left-arm seamer, gets the first ball of the seventh over to angle across Shreyas, and he ends up edging the length ball to Saha. The change in angle does the trick, and Shreyas can make only 12.

Two left-handers in the middle as V Iyer replaces S Iyer.Knight Riders at 34 for 4 after 6.1 overs. Does Rashid Khan come in now to for the kill? Can Rinku and Venkatesh make this an evening to remember? ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster has Titans as 72% favourites.

Billings was out to the short ball, and every team knows that Narine does not like short balls aimed at his body either. Shami troubles him with a few more short balls in his next over, and when Shami offers Narine length on his hip, the pinch-hitter fails to capitalise, instead flicking to the diving Lockie Ferguson at short fine leg.

Nitish Rana comes in at No. 4, and he is not a fan of the short ball either, and is very nearly caught after slicing an Alzarri Joseph bouncer. Shreyas, meanwhile, gets off the mark after eight dots, with a four over cover.

*Update: As soon as I pressed send, there's another Knight Rider making his way back. It's Nitish Rana, caught behind for 2, as Lockie Ferguson comes around the stumps and gets a length ball outside off to entice Rana to poke at it. The umpire had said not out for caught behind, but Titans took their chances with a review and ultra edge showed the spike. Knight Riders 16/3 in 4.2 overs with Rinku Singh in the middle with S Iyer.

Sam Billings walks out with Sunil Narine. The Englishman starts off with a scintillating straight drive off Shami, but the bowler has the last laugh, bowling a short ball that Billings mistimes while pulling. The top edge is taken by the wicketkeeper Saha and Titans have got what they needed: an early wicket. Shreyas Iyer walks in at No. 3.

BTW, this is the fourth opening combination in eight games for the Knight Riders. Before Billings-Narine, we've seen Finch-Narine, V Iyer-Finch and V Iyer-Rahane.

Knight Riders 5 for 1 with Narine and S Iyer still looking to get off the mark.

Innings Gujarat Titans 156 for 9 (Hardik 67, Russell 4-5, Southee 3-24) v Kolkata Knight Riders

Would you believe it. Andre Russell hasn't bowled all day. Iyer summons him for the 20th. And he ends up taking 4! Three of them were caught at the big boundary where Rinku Singh was lurking for each of them, and the fourth was a diving catch from Dre himself, jumping forward for a C&B after Yash Dayal toe-ended a straight shot back.

Titans needed a big over, and they failed to do so. Dre concedes just five. Titans make 29 for the last five overs and stutter their way to a 156 for 9. The Titans made the bold call of being the first team to bat first at the toss, and at the halfway stage, it looks to be a below par score. They lost their last six wickets for 18.

Below represents the last 4 overs. Too many reds, too few greens, and absolutely no purples (sixes).

The Southee decision pre game, whether it was forced (injury related) or strategic, is paying off. The experienced man brings the cutters, and Hardik - two minutes after getting treatment for a muscle pull/cramp - holes out to a length ball to deep midwicket. Hardik hadn't hit it well, so the ball did not have the distance, and it took a massive running and diving effort from Rinku Singh to send him back for a 49-ball 67.

Three balls later, the new batter Rashid Khan is out to a similar ball, his pull to the offcutter coming off the top-half of the bat, and the slice was taken comfortably at midwicket. Manohar finally comes in at No. 7 and Southee concedes just three in his final over to finish with 3-24. Titans 140/5 after 18 with two new batters out there.

Just one boundary in 2.2 overs since our last update as Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine bowl two quiet overs, and as Shivam Mavi stepped up to bowl the 17th over, you felt like something was going to give.

Hardik hacks the first ball to long on and Mavi knows Miller will attack the youngster so he bowls the offcutter. Miller is deceived, and he holes out to the leg side for a 20-ball 27.

Left-hander replaces left-hander with Tewatia joining Hardik, with Manohar getting pushed down. Mavi has a tendency to be expensive at the death, but he has started his second spell well here. Just five off the 17th and Titans are 137/3 with three overs to go.

We'll analyse KKR's bowling at the end of the innings, but it's been a better day out for Varun, who has gone for just one four and one six in his first three overs. Has one over left, as do Mavi and Southee.

Miller rides a bit of luck to earn a six in Narine's second over after his toe-ended shot did go to Venkatesh Iyer at long off, but he had stepped over the rope. In Narine's third over, Miller slams him for a six over long on... and his motor is well and truly on.

Hardik meanwhile reached his third fifty of IPL 2022 in 36 balls, and appears to be settling in as the man who will bat till the 20th over. Expect Miller to keep hitting, more so with Rashid, Manohar, Tewatia still to go.

Gujarat Titans 115 for 2 in 14 overs (Hardik 55*, Miller 22*)

31 runs in the four overs after the powerplay, with some risk-free batting right upto the 11th over, with Hardik continuing to be the aggressor.

Saha - strike-rate hovering around 90 - kickstarted the 11th by running across to the off side and finding the small-ish fine leg boundary with a paddle, but Umesh adjusts, goes wide outside off next, and Saha ends up cutting to point for a 25-ball 25.

David Miller joins Hardik at No. 4 and Titans are 86 for 2 after 11. Interestingly, Iyer has bowled Umesh out (4-0-31-1), finishing him well before the slog overs. Hardik on 49 in 35 balls, and now second on the orange cap list.

Tim Southee struck off his first ball in the second over with a ball angling down leg that Shubman Gill (7) edged to the wicketkeeper.

Jitters were expected, but Hardik - walking in at No. 3 - has been positive despite the early wicket. In his very first over in the middle, he struck Southee for back to back fours and Wriddhiman Saha has crunched Umesh Yadav for a six and four over the leg side.

Most importantly, just the 13 dots despite a packed infield and the early wicket, and they have rather safely motored along to to 47 for 1 after six overs (Hardik 22*, Saha 16*).

How will the Titans approach the next four overs, especially if no wicket falls? 20 or so more runs to confirm the setting of a solid base, and then change gears? The two teams meet their coaches as the time out is also taken.

What's interesting is that the Titans had made a double-swap in their last game to accommodate the extra bowler when Hardik did not play. But now that Hardik's back, it's not a double swap. Vijay Shankar goes out, which means Alzarri Joseph keeps his place. That allows five bowlers + Tewatia + Hardik, which probably protects him from more niggles/strains while also allowing him the opportunity/option to bowl without having to commit four overs.

As for their batting, there's no question that Shubman Gill is the lynchpin of the batting, so an early dismissal will put the pressure on a line-up that has promise but not a lot of runs for Wriddhiman Saha, Abhishek Manohar and the rotating door of the No. 3, which may just be occupied by one of Hardik/Manohar today. Titans will also want David Miller to show that he's not just a one-innings-a-season kind of player, and will hope he follows up the 94* with another significant middle-order score.

Against a hard-hitting line-up like KKR, their scoring rates will also be under the scanner. One thing holding Titans back is their top-order as they average just 19.1 between their top-3 batsmen, which is the lowest for any team and even their run rate of 7.2 is the lowest for any team. The Titans have also hit the fewest sixes all season (32), which in a way shows that you can win T20 games on the back of fewer sixes, but against KKR, those big hits may be needed. KKR are a side that concede plenty of runs (two 200+ totals conceded in their last three games), but they definite score a lot too.

A day game makes for a great time for the toss winner to bat first - keeping the fielders/bowlers away from the heat, and making first use of a deck that won't have much dew later. And yes Hardik Pandya thinks just like me. Gujarat Titans win toss, bat first, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN IPL 2022! The heat is a factor, Hardik confirms. He replaces Vijay Shankar in the XI.

Titans XI: Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya(c), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami

Shreyas Iyer says that batting first seems like a good idea in a day game. He says he learnt it the hard way in their last day game. "Spirit is high, we have rectified our mistakes," he says. "Energy is flowing well. Matter of one over or individual brilliance. We have few niggles: Tim Southee, Rinku Singh and Sam Billings are in.. Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins and Sheldon Jackson are out.

KKR XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings(wk), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

From briefly being table toppers in the first fortnight, a hat-trick of losses has made life difficult for the Knight Riders trying to finish in the top four in a 10-team tournament. Form is not on the side of many members of the XI: Venkatesh Iyer - retained as an opener - is now batting in the lower-middle order, Varun Chakravarthy appears low on confidence and high on the economy rate, Nitish Rana is unreliable, Pat Cummins is expensive, the Indian wicketkeeper isn't giving much runs, and Umesh Yadav's powerplay wickets have dried up.

That's too many holes to fill for a team too reliant on Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. Aaron Finch's return to form is a positive, but Cummins - the bowler - may find his spot in the XI up for grabs. Tim Southee offered control in his first two games at the start of the season, and could make a case for a return.

There are three things I am personally interested to see. Where does Venkatesh Iyer bat? Was Narine - the opener - an experiment only because KKR were chasing 218 against Rajasthan Royals, or will he open again? And how will ex-KKR boys Shubman Gill and Lockie Ferguson do today? Don't forget, the exes have been ruling games against the Knight Riders - both Kuldeep Yadav (Capitals) and Rahul Tripathi (Sunrisers) produced player-of-the-match performances!

Anyway, looks like Ajinkya Rahane has spoken to the broadcasters pre-game: Talks have been about backing the individual gameplan. It's important to not lose morale in a tournament like this. Advice to youngsters Just stay in the present and focus at things at hand. The focus is on winning small moments. Brendon asked me to back my game and it's important to find the right combination. I am trying to improve in the nets too.

The two captains know each other very well. There will be banter but there will also be moments where both Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya will want to one-up the opposite number. Here's our preview content for the game:

1. Ben Cutting and Wasim Jaffer answer the big questions for GT vs KKR.

2. Text preview: Misfiring KKR up against purple patch Titans

3. Feature: How unfancied Titans have proven their doubters wrong

4. Fantasy picks: Back the allrounders, Dre and Hardik

Do remember: Those of you in the USA can watch the action live on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi.