HIGHLIGHTS Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2020: RR stay afloat with 7-wicket win against KXIP

Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2020: That is it from our coverage of KXIP vs RR live IPL match from Abu Dhabi. Both sides will be eyeing the playoffs with Kings XI Punjab slightly better off than Rajasthan Royals. Kings XI have been in a red-hot form in the second half of the league having won five in a row since finishing bottom after their first seven games. The invincible run so far have made them almost certain for the playoffs. The Royals, however, will have to win both the games to survive in the contest. Here you can follow all the updates of KXIP vs RR live IPL match from Abu Dhabi. (LIVE SCORECARD)

HIGHLIGHTS : Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2020: RR win by seven wickets

23:05 IST: A wide ball from Jordan seals the win for the Royals. They win by seven wickets, their second straight victory and that keeps them alive in the contest. Kings have lost their first game in six matches

23:02 IST: Jordan to Buttler, SIX! Smoked over the bowler's head. 3 to win

22:55 IST: Shami to Smith, BACK-TO-BACK FOURS! Lofted the first one over mid-off and the other over mid-wicket. And then another scooped behind for a third four in the 17th over. Buttler joins the party as Shami's over goes for 19 runs. Royals need 11 runs to win off two overs

22:54 IST: Jordan to Buttler, SIX! Launched over long-on for a maximum. The Royals require 30 more off 24 balls

22:48 IST: RR need 40 runs in the final five overs with seven wickets in hand. Can they pull off the heist?

22:42 IST: OHHH THAT'S THE LAST THING YOU WANT DURING A CHASE! Samson run-out for 48. He was looking strong. Over to Jos Buttler now

22:38 IST: A six and four against Ashwin by Samson off back-to-back balls before he added another off Jordan. 

22:24 IST: Ashwin to Uthappa, OUT! Goes for the six in the first ball. Ashwin places the next up a little up. Uthappa executes the same slog sweep but finds Jordan waiting in the deep.  

22:19 IST: Bishnoi to Samson, SIX! Launched over deep cover for a maximum. 100 up for the Royals as well.

22:10 IST: Arshdeep to Samson, FOUR! Overpitched ball and Samson cheekily drift the ball behind off the outside edge for a four

22:10 IST: Arshdeep to Samson, SIX! Pulled high and over deep mid-wicket for a six. Just like Rohit Sharma

22:09 IST: Crucial period for the Royals. Having gone for 11 runs per over in the powerplays, the leggies have coneced only 13 runs in the two overs since then. They need to stay in the chase.

21:57 IST: Jordan to Stokes, OUT! Little uppish and Stokes looks for the same shot. Lacks power and height and Hooda takes it at mid-off. 

21:56 IST: Jordan to Stokes, SIX! In his arc and Stokes smacks it over mid-off for a six. Fifty up for the opener.Just 24 balls. And powerplay is yet to be over

21:51 IST: Shami to Stokes, FOUR! WOOOOAH!!! Well punched stroke. Takes the risk to make room and gets the boundary in style.

21:48 IST: Ashwin to Stokes, SIX! On one leg and powers it over the bowler for a six. Sweeps the next one over square leg for another six.

21:47 IST: Ashwin to Stokes, FOUR! Gets the reverse sweep right and off it went for a boundary. 

21:44 IST: Arshdeep to Stokes, FOUR! Follows him, shuffles down to the leg and tucks it behind for a four to fine leg.

21:41 IST: Arshdeep to Stokes, FOUR! Short and pulled through square leg for a four. 

21:39 IST: Shami to Uthappa, SIX! Short and Uthappa pulls it stylishly over backward square leg for a six. 

21:38 IST: Shami to Stokes, DROPPED! Just hung back a little against the shortish ball. Maxwell makes an excellent dive, but falls inches short. Stokes survives. 

21:36 IST: Shami to Stokes, FOUR! Angled across, length ball and Stokes punches it through cover for a four

21:35 IST: Michael Vaughan all praise for The Universe Boss

21:34 IST: Arshdeep to Stokes, FOUR! Charges down the ground and smacks it over mid-on for a four. 

21:30 IST: Robin Uthappa and Ben Stokes are in the middle. Stokes scored a century in the last game and that will provide him some confidence tonight. Arshdeep Singh will open the attack for KXIp. 

21:26 IST: Chris Gayle: It was a good knock, I thought 180 is a good total and it's a good wicket. It will get better in the second innings. getting out yo 99 is unfortunate, these things will happen but it was a good ball, still feeling good. To be honest, it's all about the mental aspect of my game and that's what keeps me going. I'm enjoying the cricket the same way. I'd love to have the IPL trophy under my belt, but still a long way to go. It's an important game for us. Want to win this. I've been having fun out there batting with youngsters and it's a good thing. I don't know the record (about the 1000 sixes), I'm still hitting it well. The hard work and the dedication over the years have paid off. To the guys who I promised to get a century, I missed out today but in my mind, it's a century (laughs). We just need a win.

21:24 IST: Chris Gayle's 99 powers KXIP to 185 for the loss of just four wickets. Archer gave RR a good start as KXIP lost Mandeep in the first over. But they bounced back strong riding on a 100-run partnership between Gayle and Rahul, who scored 46 runs. Pooran then provided a healthy cameo, but it was all about Gayle on Friday, although the big man, unfortunately, missed out on a well-deserved ton. 

21:12 IST: Archer to Gayle, OUT! Six takes him to 99. But a leg-side cramped yorker and Gayle is out. OHHHH THE FRUSTRATION!!!!

21:09 IST: Tyagi to Gayle, SIX! Pulled over square leg. That's 1000 T20 SIXES for Gayle. 6000 runs from just sixes. INCREDIBLE

21:03 IST: Stokes to Pooran, OUT! Another slower one, angled across. Pooran pulls it, but Tewatia waits in the deep to take it comfortably and deny him that six.

21:02 IST: Stokes to Gayle, SIX! Over deep mid-wicket. Gayle targetting the shorter boundary

20:58 IST: Tyagi to Pooran, SIX! Fuller delivery, angled across to the off. Pooran makes room to ramp it over long-off for a six

20:49 IST: Aaron to Pooran, SIX! Pulled over backward square for a six. 

20:43 IST: Stokes to Rahul, OUT! Slower ball and Rahul looks to ramp it quickly. Mistimes the shot and Tewatia takes it at long on. He goes back for 46 off 41

20:36 IST: Archer to Gayle, FOUR! Inside egde and the ball does past the fine leg for a boubdary

20:36 IST: Archer to Rahul, FOUR! Flicked off the pads down backward square leg for a boundary

20:24 IST: Tewatia to Gayle, SIX! That brings up his 31st IPL fifty. He has made it look so easy. Even as he bats at No.3 this season, Gayle has looked equally threatning. 

20:18 IST: Tyagi to Rahul, SIX! Length ball and down the off side. Rahul elegantly lofts it over covers for a six. 

20:06 IST: Gopal to Gayle, SIX! Length ball and Gayle launches it high over deep midwicket for a six.

20:03 IST: Aaron to Rahul. A six over deep square leg in the second ball and a four to end the over. Fifty run partnership for Rahul and Gayle.

19:56 IST: Tyagi to Gayle, FOUR! Overpitched ball onto the stumps and Gayle makes room to thump it along the covers for a four

19:55 IST: Tyagi to Gayle, SIX! Down keg side. Gayle clears front foot and punches it over mid-wicket for a six.

19:50 IST: Aaron to Gayle, COMES CLOSE TWICE! One goes for a six which was well out of the reach of Riyan Parag. The other, Parag dropped it. 

19:49 IST: KL Rahul becomes second Indian to score 600 or more runs in two different seasons - READ MORE

19:44 IST: Archer to Rahul, FOUR! Well wide, and length. Rahul slashes it through backward point for a boundary. That brings up his 600 runs in IPL 2020

19:40 IST: Archer has now taken four wickets in the first over in IPL 2020 at 3.55 runs per over and just three boundaries

19:34 IST: Archer to Mandeep, OUT! WOAAAAH!!! Pace, bounce and aggression! What a snorter, Mandeep takes his eyes off the ball as it takes an outside edge and balloons off towards front of point. Stokes runs in, makes a full-length dive and takes a stunner. 

19:28 IST: Mandeep Singh and KL Rahul are in the middle. Mayank is yet to recover. And Mandeep has performed decently in his absence, even scoring a half-century in the previous game. Jofra Archer will be opening the attack

19:04 IST: Here's the playing XI for the two sides...

Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w/c), Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith(c), Sanju Samson(w), Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Kartik Tyagi

19:03 IST: KXIP skipper KL Rahul: I would've looked to bowl as well, but looks like a good wicket, so will remain the same for the 40 overs. It's just everything coming together, the last four or five games, we've come really well. It's good to see and it's been a complete team effort.

19:02 IST: RR skipper Steve Smith: We will bowl. Don't know what happens here with the dew, so we are gonna chase tonight. It's been a bit of up and down tournament for us. It's been a tough one, we've got Varun Aaron is in.

19:00 IST: Rajasthan Royals win toss, opt to bowl against Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi

18:45 IST: KXIP skipper KL Rahul is six runs short of 600 runs this season. He will be the first to 600 this season and second Indian after Virat Kohli to score 600 runs in two different IPL seasons. He had scored 659 runs in 2018. Kohli had scored 973 runs in 2016 and 634 runs in 2013. 

18:40 IST: Rajasthan Royals will have to win both their matches to stay in contention. If they lose tonight they almost certain to pack their bags. 

18:35 IST: KXIP presently stand fourth in the league table with 12 points from 12 matches and with an NRR of -0.049. KKR's loss to CSK have certainly increased their chances of making the playoffs. A win in both the games will leave them with 16 points and hence NNR will be out of question. If they lose one, they will have to depend on other factors

Brief Preview: The last time Kings XI Punjab had faced the Royals, Rahul Tewatia's inspirational knock had crumbled them in their 220-plus defense in Sharjah. However, this is a different KXIP team that the Royals will face in Abu Dhabi on Friday. While the Royals have incurred a topsy turvy run so far, KXIP have risen from the ashes of humiliation to script an astounding run to stay in contention fir the playoffs.