Smith returns, Aussie fast bowlers impress in the IPL

Steve Smith made his first appearance in the second half of the Indian Premier League, but his Delhi Capitals were unable to secure the win that would have guaranteed a play-off berth, losing to the Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets.

Smith returned to the Delhi XI as an opener in place of Indian Prithvi Shaw, while fellow Australian Marcus Stoinis remained sidelined by a hamstring injury.

After Kolkata elected to bowl first, Shikhar Dhawan hit five crisp boundaries in making 24 before falling to Lockie Ferguson in the Powerplay.

On a difficult pitch for run-scoring, Smith faced 34 deliveries in scoring 39 before he was clean bowled by Ferguson in the 13th over.

Rishabh Pant also struggled to accelerate, hitting just three boundaries in his 36-ball 39 as Sunil Narine (2-18) and Venkatesh Iyer (2-29) led the attack.

Chasing Delhi's 9-127, Kolkata won with ten balls and three wickets to spare. Nitish Rana made an unbeaten 37 off 27 balls, but it was the lower order that starred, especially Narine, who took 21 runs from one Kagiso Rabada over.

Ravichandran Ashwin got the key wicket of Morgan without scoring, and when Dinesh Karthik played on in the 15th over, Kolkata slipped to 5-96.

But Narine smashed two sixes and a four off Rabada in the next over and ripped the game from Delhi's grasp.

Delhi could have advanced to the play-offs with a win, but they remain second overall. Kolkata is fourth after a third win in four games and both teams still have three games remaining.

In Dubai, the experience of West Indies Kieron Pollard (15) and Hardik Pandya rescued Mumbai with a 45-run partnership off 23 balls as they beat the Punjab Kings with an over to spare.

Australian fast bowlers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Nathan Ellis both impressed for their respective franchises. Coulter-Nile conceded just 19 runs from his four overs for Mumbai while Ellis returned figures of 1-12 from three overs for the Kings.

But it was Punjab's dropped catch of Pandya when he was on seven cost the Kings the game, as he remained unbeaten on 40 off 30 balls and finished the game with a six over long-on off Mohammed Shami.

After being put in to bat, Punjab had struggled to 6-135. They were 4-48 after Jasprit Bumrah and Pollard took two wickets apiece, the latter dismissing Chris Gayle and captain Lokesh Rahul in his only over.

South African Aiden Markram (42) and Deepak Hooda (28) featured in a 61-run stand, but the total always looked within reach of the defending champions.