The top four teams at the end of the league phase will move into the play-offs of the popular and lucrative T20 tournament.
West Indies' Sunil Narine put in a fine all-round performance to keep holders Kolkata Knight Riders alive in the IPL with a tense 14-run win over Delhi Capitals on Tuesday.
Sunil Narine starred with both the bat and the ball as Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets to regain their winning momentum in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Narine's blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow's final home game.
Narine retired from international cricket towards the end of last year, but has been in excellent touch during the ongoing Indian Premier League season with the Kolkata Knight Riders having contributed a total of 286 runs at an average north of 40 and collected nine wickets with his off-spin.
West Indies skipper Rovman Powell said he is trying to persuade all-rounder Sunil Narine to come out of international retirement for the home T20 World Cup in June.
Narine has been one of the surprise packets of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons and the 35-year-old showed his class with a superb century for the Kolkata Knight Riders in their loss to the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 107 to trump Sunil Narine's first T20 century as Rajasthan Royals pulled off a joint record IPL chase against Kolkata Knight Riders off the final ball on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli batted out the innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with his second straight Indian Premier League half-century on Friday but Kolkata Knight Riders still cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
Kolkata Knight Riders will be assured of a spot in the playoffs if they win against Mumbai Indians, who in turn could climb into a three-way tie for third or fourth place if they overcome KKR.
