IPL 2016, KXIP vs DD: KXIP beat DD by 9 runs

AS it happened

2338 hrs IST: All over! What a turnaround for KXIP. They beat Delhi by 9 runs. Excellent death bowling

2333 hrs IST: An excellent over from Mohit Sharma. Delhi need 25 from the last over

2331 hrs IST: Delhi need 25 runs off 8 balls

2327 hrs IST: WICKET! Is this the match? Carlos Brathwaite holes out. Delhi need 29 off 13 balls

2322 hrs IST: WICKET! Miller takes a superb catch to dismiss Nair. Delhi losing plot here

2315 hrs IST: 17 runs off the 14th over and Delhi need 54 from 36 balls

2308 hrs IST: FOUR, FOUR and OUT! Sanju Samson fails to clear long-on  and it is time for the time-out

2305 hrs IST: The last two overs have produced only 14 runs for Delhi

2255 hrs IST: Sandeep Sharma goes for only 8 runs and Delhi are 105/1

2250 hrs IST: Axar has been excellent today! Another over and only 5 off it

2244 hrs IST: 10 overs gone and this one goes for 15 runs. Delhi 91/1

2236 hrs IST: Axar with a tidy over. 5 from it. Time for the time-out

2231 hrs IST: WICKET! De Kock falls. He holes out in the deep

2228 hrs IST: FIFTY! De Kock once again leading the chase here for Delhi

2226 hrs IST: Another productive over for Delhi. 11 off it

2221 hrs IST: End of powerplay. Delhi are 51/0

2216 hrs IST: Stoinis over goes for 12 runs and Delhi are picking up the pace now

2211 hrs IST: Mohit Sharma’s over goes for seven runs

2206 hrs IST: Six runs off the third over and Delhi are slowly pacing up

2201 hrs IST: 2 overs gone and Delhi are 10/0

2155 hrs IST: A slow start for Delhi. Only 3 runs off the first over

2137 hrs IST: The last over goes for 13 runs and KXIP post 181/5 against Delhi

2127 hrs IST: WICKET! Shami with the first ball of the 19th over has dismissed Saha. A simple catch to mid-off

2125 hrs IST: WICKET! Maxwell falls. Tries the scoop but Morris is dead on target to castle him

2122 hrs IST: FIFTY! Saha has accelerated. He was on 24 off 19 balls but he has scored a fifty off just 29 balls 

2120 hrs IST: Another productive over for KXIP. 12 runs off it and KXIP are 147/3 with 3 overs to go

2115 hrs IST: FOUR! Saha finishes the over with another four

2114 hrs IST: FOUR! Short again on the leg-side and Saha just places it behind square

2113 hrs IST: FOUR! Saha pulls a short one from Zaheer for four

2110 hrs IST: Amit Mishra goes for 13 runs and KXIP reach 119/3 after 15 overs

2104 hrs IST: 14 overs gone and KXIP are 106/3

2102 hrs IST: WICKET! Zaheer breaks the stand. Stoinis is caught in the deep and he falls for 52

2058 hrs IST: Mishra with another tidy over. 8 runs off it and KXIP are 101/2 after 13 overs

2054 hrs IST: KIngs XI take 13 runs of the Brathwaite over and the run-rate is slowly going up

2049 hrs IST: Amit Mishra with an economical over. Only 4 runs off it

2045 hrs IST: At the half-way mark, KXIP are 76/2. Stoinis and Saha in the middle

2044 hrs IST: Stoinis is into the 30s and it’s important he sticks around for the KXIP

2038 hrs IST: Stoinis dances down the track and launches Nadeem into the stands. Top footwork by the right-hander there. Got to the pitch of the ball and timed it to perfection

2032 hrs IST: WICKET! Amla is run-out for just one on his IPL 2016 debut. Easy decision for the third umpire. KXIP 48/2

2030 hrs IST: Kings XI Punjab are off to  steady start. They have lost Vijay early but have a decent platform to capitalise on

2029 hrs IST: Making his debut, Hashim Amla walks out to bat

2026 hrs IST: WICKET! Morris draws first blood as he gets rid of Murali Vijay who departs after scoring a 16-ball 25

2019 hrs IST: Vijay looking in good touch. Has already hit four boundaries

2015 hrs IST: So only one over for Zaheer Khan. He takes himself out of the attack after conceding four in the first over

2012 hrs IST: Stoinis has been quiet so far. Important he keeps it ticking from his end. KXIP badly need the openers to fire today

2000 hrs IST: KXIP openers are out in the middle. Zaheer Khan with the new ball for DD

1940 hrs IST: Hashim Amla will make his IPL debut for the Kings XI

1934 hrs IST: Zaheer Khan is back in the Delhi team and will be leading the squad

1930 hrs IST: Delhi Daredevils win toss, elect to bowl against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali

The build-up

DD look to get back on track vs KXIP

Led by Zaheer Khan and mentored by Rahul Dravid, DD have shown remarkable turn over in their performance. (Source: BCCI/IPL)

After a below-par effort against Pune Supergiants, the Delhi Darevils will be looking to hit the straps rightaway with their prime players set to comeback in the playing XI as they take on wooden spooners Kings XI Punjab in an IPL encounter on Saturday.

After a point, non-violent openers need to be kamikaze monks

In IPL 9, KKR openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa have ensured that there are no early wickets. (Source: BCCI)

The IPL is nine this year, still a child as leagues around the world go, but one where you can now see changes popping up here and there, especially in the way it is played. Indeed, every couple of years you see something that makes you wonder: is this how it is going to be? And then, bowlers and batsmen get wiser and everyone has to discover newer subtleties in this frenetic game.