PICS: Captain Morgan keeps Knight Riders hopes alive

Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, in Dubai.

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Captain Eoin Morgan excelled with the bat and Pat Cummins justified his multi-million dollar price tag with a devastating performance with the ball to keep Kolkata Knight Riders's slender play-off hopes alive in the Indian Premier League after a resounding 60-run victory over Rajasthan Royals, in Dubai, on Sunday.

Morgan stole the limelight with a power-packed 68 not out off 35 balls, which included six sixes and five boundaries, as he rallied the Knight Riders from a precarious position to 191 for 7 after they were put in to bat.

Then, it was the Cummins show. The Australian pacer came up with a deadly opening spell that rattled the Royals.

He finished with figures with figures of 4 for 29 as Rajasthan Royals mustered just 131 for 9 and failed to qualify for the play-offs, finishing eighth with 12 points below Chennai Super Kings, who beat Kings XI Punjab in the day’s earlier match in Abu Dhabi.

Kolkata Knight Riders finished the league stage with 14 points from 14 games, with a net run-rate of -0.214, which put them in fourth spot in the league table for a day.

Their entry into the play-offs depends on the result of the matches between Delhi Capitals (-0.159) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (-0.145), as well as the one where SunRisers Hyderabad (+0.555) take on defending champions Mumbai Indians, who have already qualified.

In case, SunRisers Hyderabad wins, KKR's chances of qualification will hinge on a huge defeat for either Delhi Capitals or Royal Challengers in their match.

Varun Chakravarthy (2-20 in 4 overs), buoyed after his India call-up, produced another noteworthy performance while Jos Buttler (35) and Rahul Tewatia (31) were the only notable contributors for the Royals.

One of the day’s highlights was a spectacular airborne take by Dinesh Karthik to dismiss Royals' premier player Ben Stokes off Cummins's bowling. Karthik had four catches on the day.

Earlier, Morgan smashed a scintillating 68 off 35 balls to rally the Knight Riders to a challenging 191 for 7.

His top-notch knock was studded with six maximums and five fours as the Knight Riders amassed 59 in the last five overs.

Shubman Gill (36) and Rahul Tripathi (39) shared a 72-run stand for the second wicket, while Andre Russell had a 11-ball-25 to his credit.

For Royals, leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia (3 for 25) and Kartik Tyagi (2 for 36) were the most successful bowlers.

Sent in to bat, Nitish Rana fell for a first-ball duck after he edged a Jofra Archer delivery and was caught behind. The opener went for a review only to waste it early.

Shubman Gill (36), however, looked in good touch as he blasted three boundaries off Varun Aaron and then sent spinner Shreyas Gopal soaring over the ropes twice.

Rahul Tripathi (39), who looked uncomfortable against pace early on, also got into the act, smashing Gopal for a couple of fours as KKR scored 17 runs in the fourth over.

Ben Stokes then went for 11 runs, Tripathi pulling him for a six off the last ball.

The two batsman hit one four each off Aaron as KKR scored 55 for one in the powerplay.

Rahul Tewatia then struck twice, dismissing Gill and Sunil Narine (0) to reduce the Knight Riders to 74 for 3 in 9 overs.

While Gill holed out to Jos Buttler at deep mid-wicket, Narine's miscued shot landed safely in the hands of Stokes at long-on.

In the 13th over, Gopal returned to remove Tripathi, who was caught by Robin Uthappa at deep square leg.

Dinesh Karthik (0) then became Tewatia’s third victim after his inside edge was caught by Steve Smith at short mid-wicket as KKR slumped to 99 for 5.

Morgan then exploded, smashing Gopal for two fours and as many as sixes as KKR piled up 21 in the 14th over. Thereafter, their innings regained momentum.

Russell blasted successive sixes before being sent back by Kartik Tyagi. In the 19th over, KKR racked up 24 runs off Stokes, with Morgan picking up two sixes and a four. He then ended the innings with another six off the last ball.