It was confirmed on Wednesday that Stokes would not appear for Chennai Super Kings in the 2024 edition of the IPL, with the 32-year-old citing the need to manage his fitness and workload.
Root has now joined his red-ball skipper in sitting out the Twenty20 tournament, which will run from March until the end of May.
Rajasthan Royals secured the services of Root at the 2023 mini-auction and he featured three times for the franchise earlier this year, but will not join up with the group that contains England white-ball captain Jos Buttler next year.
Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said: “During our retention conversations, Joe informed us of his decision to not take part in IPL 2024.
“Even in a short span of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him.
“His energy around the group and the experience he brought to the Royals will be missed. We respect his decision totally and wish him success in everything he does.”
Root is set for a key role in England’s five-match Test series away to India, which starts on January 25.
Joseph, who has previous IPL experience with the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, was the most expensive West Indian as well as the fifth most expensive player, going to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 11.5 crore (USD 1,386,000 approximately).
West Indies T20I skipper Rovman Powell was the first player up for grabs on Tuesday, going for 7.4 crore (USD 892,000 approximately) to the Rajasthan Royals after a bidding war with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sherfane Rutherford was the next West Indian to be picked up, going to the Kolkata Knight Riders for 1.5 crore (USD 181,000 approximately).
ODI skipper Shai Hope earned a maiden IPL contract, going for 75 lakh (USD 90,500) to the Delhi Capitals.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is now the most expensive player in IPL history after being sold to the Kolkata Knight Riders for 24.75 crore (USD 2,982,000 approximately).
Starc broke the previous record of 20.50 crore (USD 2,470,000 approximately) set earlier in the evening when the Sunrisers Hyderabad outbid the Royal Challengers Bangalore for Starc’s teammate and World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins.
New Zealand All-rounder Darryl Mitchell went for 14 crore (USD 1,687,000 approximately) to defending champions Chennai Super Kings while Indian pacer Harshal Patel went to the Punjab Kings for 11.75 crore (USD 1,412,000 approximately) to round out the top five buys.
Karthik represented India in 180 matches across all formats, making his debut in September 2004, but has not played for his national side since the 2022 T20 World Cup.
He has been a part of the Indian Premier League since its inaugural season in 2008, representing six teams, including two spells at Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
His most recent stint with RCB saw him play a vital role in their run to the playoffs, where they ultimately lost to Rajasthan Royals.
In a social media post on Saturday, his 39th birthday, Karthik announced his decision to retire from the sport.
"Having given it plenty of thought for some time now, I have decided to move on from playing representative cricket," Karthik said in his statement.
"I officially announce my retirement and put my playing days behind me as I square up for the new challenges that lie ahead.
"I'd like to thank all my coaches, captains, selectors, teammates and members of the support staff who have made this long journey pleasant and enjoyable. Among the millions that play the sport in our country, I consider myself among the lucky few to have had the chance to represent the nation, and luckier still to have earned the goodwill of so many fans and friends.
"My parents have been pillars of strength and support over all these years, and I wouldn't be what I am without their blessings. I also owe plenty to Dipika [Pallikal], herself a professional sportsperson who often put her career on hold to walk my journey with me.
"Of course, to all the fans and followers of our great game, a massive thank you! Cricket and cricketers wouldn't be the same without your support and good wishes."
Karthik is one of just seven players to feature in every edition of the IPL so far, playing 256 games across that run.
He also played for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Overall, Karthik scored 4816 runs, striking at over 135 with 22 half-centuries. As a keeper, he is second only to MS Dhoni in overall dismissals (172) as well as stumpings (36).
After losing last time out to the previously winless Chennai Super Kings, Bangalore were in big trouble early in Saturday's game when they slipped to 92-5.
Maxwell was the only batter among the top five to make a substantial contribution, and when he fell for 55 in the 12th over it looked a tall order for the team to post a healthy total.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik had other ideas though, and together with Shahbaz Ahmed, who made 32 from 21 balls, he took on the Delhi attack with gusto.
Karthik bludgeoned 66 not out from 34 balls, with five fours and five sixes, taking 28 off the 18th over as Mustafizur Rahman came in for brutal treatment.
A total of 189-5 still looked on the low side as Delhi made a fast start to their reply, but losing David Warner for 66, lbw to Wanindu Hasaranga, heralded the start of a collapse from 94-1 to 115-5.
Rishabh Pant looked to have his eye in but fell to a sharp catch by Virat Kohli as the Capitals saw victory hopes ebb away at the Wankhede Stadium, stalling on 173-7 in the end.
Karthik overshadows Maxwell's milestone knock
It was going to take something special to top Maxwell's 34-ball effort, in what was the Australian's 100th IPL game, and Karthik duly came up with a spectacular innings.
The veteran is proving highly successful in the role of finisher, and because he has been dismissed just once in this year's IPL, his batting average stands at 197, the highest of all players.
Hurrah for Hazlewood
Hazlewood took 3-28 and removed Rovman Powell and Lalit Yadav in the same over as Delhi began to crumble.
This was just the Australia paceman's second game of the 2022 IPL campaign and it boded well for what he might offer for the rest of the campaign. For now, this win lifts Bangalore to third place with four wins from six matches, while Delhi sit eighth.
Pollard, who made the announcement in a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, made the decision after failing to see himself in MI's scheme of things going forward as the franchise enters a transition phase.
The all-rounder added that his loyalty towards the franchise is such that he cannot envision himself representing any other team in the IPL.
With that said, it is not the end of the road for Pollard with the Mumbai Indians as the former West Indies captain has agreed to take over as the team's batting coach.
Only a handful of players in IPL have featured in 100 or more games for a single franchise. Pollard stands second on the list of most appearances for a single club having featured in 189 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians. Virat Kohli sits atop with his record tally for Royal Challengers Bangalore while others on the list feature Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011), Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians from 2013) and Lasith Malinga (who had two stints at Mumbai). In those 189 games, he scored 3412 runs, laced with 16 fifties and picked up 69 wickets, becoming one of the most prolific all-rounders the league ever witnessed.
Pollard’s full statement: “It hasn't been the easiest decision to make as I intend to keep playing for a few more years, but following discussions with Mumbai Indians I have decided to call time on my IPL career. I understand that this incredible franchise which has achieved so much needs to transition and if I'm no longer to play for MI then I cannot see myself playing against MI either, 'Once an MI always an MI'.
This is not an emotional goodbye to MI however as I have agreed to take up the role of batting coach in the IPL as well as play with MI Emirates. This next chapter of my career is genuinely exciting and allows me to transition myself too from playing to coaching,
I am immensely proud, honoured and blessed to have represented the biggest and most successful team in the IPL for the past 13 seasons. It was always an aspiration to play for this fantastic team and although I will miss the buzz of the IPL you get as a player, I take comfort in knowing that I have been fortunate enough to have played with some of the best players in the world in front of our passionate fans. I have always felt and appreciated their unconditional support both on and off the field. Together, we won the Champions League in 2011 and 2013 and the IPL in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020,
I must give big thanks to the Coaches, Managers and other backroom support staff we have had at Mumbai Indians and who I now join. We would not have achieved the success over the years without their continuing hard work, dedication and commitment to creating the best environment and I look forward to emulating their successful approach. In particular, I would like to pay special tribute to my good friend Robin Singh for his sound advice and guidance over the years and whose very shoes I now fill.
Most sincerely, I express my deep appreciation to Mukesh, Nita and Akash Ambani for their tremendous love, support and respect I have always felt and for the confidence they placed in me. I recall our first encounter when they welcomed me with open arms saying "We are family". Those were not just mere words, but demonstrated by their every action throughout my time with Mumbai Indians.”
Lastly, I would like to say a special thank you to my friends and family especially my wife, Jenna and my three beautiful children for all the love, support and the many sacrifices they have made over the years and will continue to make to allow me to fulfil my childhood dream of playing cricket at the highest levels for such a long time.
Today, I make this step with hope and excitement towards the future knowing that I will be playing a role in an institution, whose values align so closely to mine, where "We are family"
In-form Kings XI could only post 126-7 in Dubai on Saturday – Nicholas Pooran top-scoring with 32 on a slow track.
Spin wizard Rashid Khan was yet again the standout bowler with 2-14 from four overs, while Sandeep Sharma and Jason Holder also struck twice.
Sunrisers were 100-3 in reply and looked set for victory, but went down by 12 runs after they capitulated to 114 all out as their play-off hopes took a huge blow.
David Warner made a brisk 35 at the top of the order before the Kings XI bowlers put the squeeze on, with the excellent Jordan taking 3-17.
Arshdeep also played a big part in such a low-scoring contest, finishing with outstanding figures of 3-23, while Ravi Bishnoi took 1-13 as Sunrisers fell apart to slip below Kings XI into sixth place.
They lost five wickets from nine balls in the last two overs, three falling in the final over from Arshdeep, which they started needing 14 to win.
What a victory this for @lionsdenkxip. Four wins in a row for them.
They win by 12 runs.#Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/YuzbILBiAd
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 24, 2020
RASHID COMES TO THE PARTY AGAIN WITH BOX OF TRICKS
Afghanistan star Rashid was unplayable yet again, bowling KL Rahul with a peach of a delivery.
The Kings XI batsmen had no answer to Rashid's flight, dip and turn, while Deepak Honda missed a leg-break and Jonny Bairstow whipped off the bails to give the 22-year-old his second wicket.
Rashid's economy rate of 5.29 is the third-best in the competition and he has played considerably more games than the two men – Chris Morris and Lockie Ferguson – above him on that list.
SUNRISERS GO DOWN AFTER BRIGHT START
With only a modest total to chase down, Sunrisers looked destined for victory with Warner going along nicely in an opening stand of 56 with Bairstow.
But the impressive Bishnoi had Warner caught behind and Bairstow followed for 19 in the next over, bowled trying to sweep Ravichandran Ashwin.
Vijay Shankar made 26, yet Sunrisers fell to pieces with Jordan – who also took a catch – and Arshdeep ripping through the order, while Bishnoi bowled as many as 14 dot balls.
The Capitals were top of the IPL just a couple of weeks ago but have since capitulated and could yet slip out of the top four, with Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders hoping to capitalise and secure a spot in the next phase.
On Saturday the Capitals came undone in the face of another dominant bowling display by Mumbai, with Trent Boult (3-21) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-17) particularly impressive as Delhi were limited to just 110-9.
Shikhar Dhawan was the first to fall for the Capitals with Boult claiming his scalp from just the third delivery of the innings, meaning the opener has failed to reach double figures in three consecutive matches.
Prithvi Shaw (10) soon trudged off too, while Shreyas Iyer, top-scorer with 25, Marcus Stoinis (two) and Rishabh Pant (21) were sent packing in a nine-ball spell, and any hope of a late flurry was snuffed out as no one else managed more than 12 runs.
With such a small target, Mumbai's careful and conservative start to the chase looked smart.
De Kock eventually went for 26 in the 11th over, Anrich Nortje doing the damage, but it was hardly the beginning of a resurgence as Ishan Kishan (72 not out) continued to plug away, reaching 50 at the start of the 12th.
Nortje and Kagiso Rabada (27-0) – the latter wicketless for a second match on the bounce – had no answer to the 22-year-old, who took Mumbai over the line with an emphatic six to reach 111-1, wrapping up a one-sided victory.
KISHAN THE STAR
In the past week or so, Kishan seems to have begun to settle, with scores of 68 not out, 37, 25 and now 72no. His effort on Saturday was better than any of his past eight, and he recorded it against the experienced Nortje and Rabada.
With Kishan named man of the match, captain Kieron Pollard praised him afterwards, saying: "Each and every game Ishan is getting better and better. Long may it continue. He's been able to adapt to different scenarios. He didn't even start at the beginning, then he went number four. He's adapting."
ANOTHER DIFFICULT DAY FOR RABADA
Against Sunrisers Hyderabad last time out, Rabada's numbers of 0-54 were alarming, particularly given he had not gone wicketless in 25 IPL matches.
He is now without a wicket in successive matches as he failed to find a way past Kishan – though in the grand scheme of the match, it would have taken something remarkable from the Capitals' bowlers to make up for the poor first innings.
The 32-years-old West Indies bowler does indeed face the threat of suspension after being reported for a suspect action during KKR’s victory over Kings XI Punjab last week. The spinner is allowed to continue bowling, for now, but another report to the Indian Premier League (IPL) would see Narine suspended until cleared by the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee.
Narine had performed heroics for KKR after defending 14 runs off the final over, to help his team register a stunning 2 runs victory over KXIP. Despite that, however, Pietersen insists the bowler has not quite been at the same level since his last suspension. Narine was previously suspended in 2015 when he was ranked No. 2 on the ODI and T20 rankings. His action was reported as suspect in successive matches during the Champions League Twenty20. It resulted in his missing out on playing in the final for Kolkata Knight Riders, who lost to Chennai Super Kings.
“If I am honest, I am not so sure it (Sunil Narine absence) is a massive loss. Andre Russell is the guy you spend time talking about in team meetings. When he bowls, you are thinking about it. When he bats, you are thinking about it. It is the same when he is fielding,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.
“Sunil Narine has not been the same bowler for a few years now. He hasn’t had his best; he hasn’t had his real big spin. Coming to Sharjah, it is not something you are really worried about Sunil Narine. And then the bowlers have found him out in his batting. You bowl him short, he doesn’t like it,” Pietersen added.
Dhoni skippered CSK to their fourth title in 2021, beating KKR in the tournament decider, before his shock decision to allow Ravindra Jadeja to lead the side this year – one of two notable changes that left the Super Kings looking a little short.
CSK first missed the steadying presence of the departed Faf du Plessis – Player of the Match in last year's final – at the top of the order and were in need of a lift from Jadeja when he arrived in the middle in the eighth over.
Instead, he had Ambati Rayudu run out and almost consigned Shivam Dube to the same fate before finally settling alongside Dhoni.
The 40-year-old still did much of the heavy lifting in their 70-run, 56-ball partnership, scoring 35 off his final 13 deliveries to reach an unbeaten 50 and allow Jadeja's (26 not out) innings-ending six to take the Super Kings to what they hoped would prove a competitive 131-5.
Ultimately, that was not enough, as 44 from KKR opener Ajinkya Rahane ensured the chase was always ahead of the game.
Three Dwayne Bravo wickets saw him draw level with Lasith Malinga's IPL record of 170, but Shreyas Iyer, KKR's own new captain, finished the job with his unbeaten 20.
Teething problems for first-time skipper
There were no safer pair of hands in the IPL last year than Jadeja's, as he made 13 catches – the most of any player excluding wicket-keepers. But this was a nervy bow as captain in his 201st IPL match, only looking remotely comfortable with the bat once Dhoni – walking in to huge applause – took control.
Similarly, Jadeja appeared far happier playing his natural game than making big calls in the second innings, taking a simple catch from Rahane but soon blowing a review on an lbw appeal that saw Sam Billings clearly glove the ball.
KKR's long wait for Wankhede win ended
KKR ultimately fell just short in the final, but they were happy to see the 2021 tournament shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to coronavirus. The Knight Riders had won only one of their previous six IPL matches in India.
They may well have feared this match at Wankhede Stadium then, a venue at which they had suffered eight successive defeats. However, a first KKR win here since May 2012 was secured with relative ease.
Narine ended with 2 wickets for 28 runs as KKR defended a par score of 164 to register their second win in a row and climb up to third position on the points table. The bowler artfully defended 14 runs off the final over to help his team stun KXIP by 2 runs. Following the match, however, an IPL release confirmed that the player’s bowling action was once again under scrutiny.
"Sunil Narine, the Kolkata Knight Riders player, has been reported for bowling with a Suspected Illegal Bowling Action during his side’s Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 match against Kings XI Punjab at Abu Dhabi,” the release stated.
"The report was made by the on-field umpires according to the IPL’s Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy. Mr. Narine will be placed on the Warning List and is permitted to continue to bowl in the tournament,” it continued.
"Another report will result in Mr. Narine being suspended from bowling in the Dream11 IPL 2020 until cleared by the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee."
Narine's bowling action was previously reported for the same offense in 2015 and was banned from bowling off-spinners in that season and even missed the 50-over World Cup for the West Indies to work on his action.
The move was widely expected and has reportedly seen Lucknow spend INR 17 crore (£1.68million) to acquire the India batsman.
Lucknow, who have yet to reveal their full name ahead of the 2022 season, have also signed up Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul arrives after leaving Punjab Kings, the team he previously captained in the competition. He scored 626 IPL runs last season at an average of 62.6, including six half-centuries, with only Ruturaj Gaikwad (635) and Faf du Plessis (633) more prolific with the bat.
Rahul blasted the most sixes (30), including eight in one innings of 98 against Chennai Super Kings in October.
Lucknow team owner Sanjiv Goenka said: "KL is not only an outstanding batsman but also a great wicketkeeper.
"Marcus is a great finisher, a good bowler and a phenomenal fielder."
Stoinis has previously been a key figure for Delhi Capitals and Lucknow have spent INR 9.2 crore (£910,000) on the Perth man, according to the Times of India.
Young spinner Ravi Bishnoi has also been signed up after leaving Punjab Kings, as Lucknow's third draft pick.
According to Cricinfo, Goenka told Star Sports: "We want players to be here for three, four, five, six, seven, eight years.
"KL will be the captain. I have been very impressed with not only his batting and wicketkeeping, but also his leadership skills. He is evolving, growing, maturing as a leader. He is somebody I would've wanted to lead the team and I do believe that given the right atmosphere, environment, he will emerge as a remarkable leader."
Former England boss Andy Flower was appointed head coach of Lucknow in December.
Fellow IPL newcomers Team Ahmedabad have picked Hardik Pandya, who will be their captain, alongside Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill in their draft picks.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
The Royals set a below-par target of 152-5 after top-order batsmen Jos Buttler (22) and Devdutt Padikkal (2) struggled to make headway early on, although captain Sanju Samson's half-century dragged them into contention.
Although Kolkata's own top-order fared little better as Baba Indrajith (15) and Aaron Finch (4) succumbed to early dismissals, Rana (48) and Rinku (42) fell narrowly short of half-centuries to end the Knight Riders' dire form.
Despite Samson's haul, the Royals have now fallen to back-to-back IPL defeats, missing the chance to go second in the standings with four matches remaining.
Having won four of their last five coming into the contest, the Royals were put in to bat after Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss, and made a nightmare start when losing Padikkal for just two runs.
Things went from bad to worse when Buttler, the IPL's leading batsman with 566 runs prior to Monday, was caught by Shivam Mavi for just 22, way down on his season average, in the ninth over.
Samson put in a talismanic captain's performance as his knock of 54 put the Royals in contention, but was caught by Rinku in the 18th over after Karun Nair (13) and Riyan Parag (19) were also sent packing.
The Knight Riders did not have it all their own way immediately when taking up the bat, losing Indrajith and Finch to Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Sen before the sixth over was through in a flat start.
However, Iyer's 34 set the tone for a vast improvement in the second half of Kolkata's innings, with Rana and Rinku's outstanding partnership leading them to what proved to be a routine win as the Royals paid the price for their errors with the bat.
Below-par Buttler sets the tone
Buttler has been key to the Royals' hopes after averaging 65.33 this season, hitting a magnificent century in a crushing win over the Delhi Capitals less than two weeks ago.
However, his dismissal at the ends of Tim Southee set the tone for a miserable outing for Buttler's side, with Southee adding the wicket of Parag in the 17th as Kolkata clinched a crucial victory.
Rana and Rinku combine in style
A five-match losing streak had left Kolkata stranded near the bottom of the IPL table, but Rana and Rinku combined for 90 in a brilliantly efficient display to drag the Knight Riders to an important win and lift them to seventh in the standings, within four points of the Royals.
The bit-hitting all-rounder was forced to leave the field after making a good save on the mid-wicket boundary and jumped himself off the field as soon as he threw back the ball. The 33-year-old did not feature for the team against the Dehli Capitals, or Friday’s encounter against the Punjab Kings XI.
Despite Russell missing the second game in a row, Morgan did not shed any more light on the player’s current injury status.
“Lockie and Russell are being monitored day by day. They have to rehab extremely well in order to be fit,” Morgan said.
Earlier, David Hussey, KKR’s team mentor, had described Russell’s injury as a hamstring injury but expressed hope that the player could return to the line-up soon,
“He said he felt something pop in his leg, his hamstring. We’ve got the best medical staff in the business so they’ll tend to him and hopefully, it’s nothing too serious, because he’s a key part of our team,” Hussey said.
In addition to the Knight Riders, the West Indies will also be closely monitoring the situation, with the player expected to line up for the World T20 later this month.
After falling to defeat to Punjab Kings in their opening fixture, the Knight Riders hit back in style at Eden Gardens against an RCB side that beat Mumbai Indians in their opener.
The hosts recovered from a slow start that saw them 89-5 at one point thanks to half-centuries from Shardul Thakur (68 runs off 29 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (57 off 44).
Rinku Singh's 46 off 33 balls saw KKR reach 204-7 from their 20 overs, which RCB did not come close to chasing down after losing Virat Kohli (21) off the bowling of Sunil Narine.
Varun Chakravarthy took the big wicket of top-scoring Faf du Plessis (23) a few balls later en route to finishing with 4-15, while Suyash Sharma (3-30) also impressed for Kolkata.
KKR are back in action against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, while RCB are up against Lucknow Super Giants the following day.
Winning feeling returns
KKR needed a response and they got it, with this their 17th IPL win against RCB – only against Punjab Kings (20) have they won more times against in the competition.
Bangalore were left with too much to do and struggled to find any momentum thanks in large to the bowling of Chakravarthy, with the visiting side restricted to 123 runs in 17.4 overs.
Sunil shines on milestone occasion
Narine was playing his 150th game for KKR in the competition, becoming the first player to do so for the franchise and the seventh overall for a single team.
He marked the occasion with a couple of wickets at the expense of 16 runs, including that of Kohli in what was a big breakthrough for KKR.
Eoin Morgan's side limited the Capitals to 135-5 from their 20-over allocation as Varun Chakravarthy (2-26) was ably supported by Lockie Ferguson (1-26) and Shivam Mavi (1-27).
Shikhar Dhawan (36) and Shreyas Iyer (30 not out) were the pick of the batsmen but the Capitals were left facing an uphill battle, knowing Kolkata had won on all five occasions they have chased following the United Arab Emirates-based resumption.
Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer then got the Knight Riders off to a flyer, forming a 96-run opening partnership as the former raced to a 38-ball half-century before falling to Kagiso Rabada (2-23).
The Capitals, who are the only side to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, managed to remove Nitish Rana (13) and Gill through Anrich Nortje (2-31) and Avesh Khan (1-22) respectively to leave the score at 125 after 16.4 overs.
Rabada knocked over experienced campaigner Dinesh Karthik (0) to further hamper the chase and when Morgan (0) followed in the same manner to Nortje, seven runs were required off Ravichandran Ashwin's final over.
Ashwin (2-27) conceded just one off his first two balls, removing Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine with his following two, before Rahul Tripathi (12 not out) smashed a maximum to collect the Knight Riders' seventh win in their last nine matches with just one ball to spare.
The win means Morgan's team will meet MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in Friday's final as the Capitals fell before the showpiece once more.
Classy Chakravarthy
Chakravarthy may have overstepped and offered Shimron Heytmer a lifeline on just two, however, the Kolkata bowler escaped without too much punishment as the West Indian mustered just 15 more runs.
The 30-year-old was the only Knight Riders bowler to not concede a single maximum, delivering seven dot balls in an economical spell through the middle overs.
Nervy Narine
Narine was the man of the hour against the Royal Challengers Bangalore as he took 4-21 and blasted a 15-ball 26, but he failed to back up that heroic performance.
The KKR off-spinner went wicketless in his four-over allocation, conceding 27 runs before falling for a first-ball duck as he looked to launch his side to victory.
Shubman Gill's 56 helped Kolkata to a commanding total of 171-4 in Sharjah, where the Royals succumbed to a chastening defeat.
Shivam Mavi took four wickets, with Lockie Ferguson claiming three scalps as the Royals capitulated to 85 all out in the 17th over.
Kolkata look certain to finish in the top four, while their beaten opponents' already slim hopes went up in smoke.
Gill and Venkatesh Iyer (38) laid a solid foundation for KKR with a 79-run opening partnership, with the remainder of the order contributing double-figure scores.
By contrast, only two Royals batsmen hit double figures as Rahul Tewatia's fine 44 went unrewarded.
Mavi magic
With the Royals losing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first over and slumping to 13-4 after only 22 deliveries, the writing was on the wall early on in their reply.
Mavi did much of the damage with the ball, his 4-21 restricting the Royals to their lowest total in this IPL season.
KKR almost there
The only team who can prevent the Knight Riders extending their campaign are reigning champions Mumbai Indians.
But the Indians, who play Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, must bat first and win by a record 171 runs in order to claim fourth spot on net run rate.
Kohli relinquished the captaincy at the end of the 2021 IPL and Faf du Plessis has been charged with the task of replacing him.
The former India skipper is in no doubt it was a wise decision to step down from a role he had held since 2013.
He told RCB's official website: "It's a good change; I'm much more relaxed.
"The same excitement of coming to practice and just focusing on my skills and what I need to do as a batter, looking forward to these sessions is something that I used to experience very regularly before.
"Not that you don't focus on it, but somewhere when you have other responsibilities, that tends to kind of take a back seat, and over a period of time when you do it over and over again, and your mind is only running in one direction, then you can tend to lose that joy to come and practice.
"For me, that's always been the essence of playing cricket and something that I've always wanted for it to be alive within me. And I certainly feel that joy of purely coming here and hitting the ball again."
Kohli says he can see things from a different perspective without being captain, but will still be a leader.
He said: "I see it from a very different point of view. When you take a decision like this, a lot of people go, 'One should look at things from a point of responsibility and you have to take responsibility'.
"And people don't understand that if you as a player cannot be the best version of yourself on the field, then that responsibility for me personally as a player means nothing."
Kohli added: "You can still be a leader within the team, drive the team forward towards success and winning trophies and titles, but I take a lot of pride in contributing for the team.
"If something, I feel, is pushing that joy down, that fun factor of just playing cricket, and just looking forward to doing something special on the field.
"If anything is coming in between that, and having the knowledge that you do have people who have able minds to be able to take the team forward, then I think it’s a wise thing for anyone to create some space for themselves.
"Just take a deep breath and restructure things and say, 'Hold on, I might not have looked at a lot of things that I need to work on, and here's a chance for me to restructure, rethink about what I want to do', and just find things to improve, find a little bit at practice something that you look forward to. That is something I’ve experienced in this phase."
Royal Challengers posted an imposing 201-3 after being put in at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday courtesy of half-centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (54), Aaron Finch (52) and AB de Villiers (55).
The brilliant Washington Sundar (1-12) struck a huge blow by dismissing Rohit Sharma in the second over of the run chase and Mumbai looked beaten at 78-4 in the 12th over.
However, Kishan and Pollard astonishing forcedly a tie after putting on 119 for the fifth wicket off just 8.3 overs, the former making 99 off 58 balls – including nine sixes – before he was out off the penultimate delivery.
Pollard (60 not out from 23) brought the scores level with a four off the last ball – making it the highest tied score in an IPL contest – when the Indians were five down, but RCB were not to be denied victory.
Indians duo Pollard and Hardik Pandya could only take seven from Navdeep Saini's Super Over and Jasprit Bumrah was unable to keep it so tight, boundaries from the in-form De Villiers and Kohli giving RCB a second win out of three.
KOHLI FAILS AGAIN AS REST OF RCB TOP ORDER CASH IN
Despite hitting the winning runs, Kohli looked out of sorts again as he made just three from 11 balls before the tie-breaker, Rahul Chahar getting the India captain caught at short cover.
Padikkal and Finch had put on 81 for the first wicket in nine overs and De Villiers cashed in on a great track with some magnificent clean striking, hitting four sixes and as many fours.
Shivam Dube got in on the act with an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls, clearing the ropes three times, as RCB reached 200 for the 17th time when batting first – six more times than any other team.
KISHAN AND POLLARD PRODUCE STUNNING BLITZ
It looked to be game over when Pandya fell to Adam Zampa in the 12th over of the run chase, leaving Mumbai four down and with a mountain to climb.
Sundar – who did not concede a boundary from his four overs – saw the back of Rohit before debutant Isuru Udana struck twice, with substitute fielder Pawan Negi taking three catches.
Kishan and Pollard had other ideas, with the West Indies all-rounder hitting the last ball of the 20th over for four after Kishan had struck Udana for back-to-back sixes before being caught in the deep on 99.
KOHLI HAS THE LAST LAUGH
It has been a poor start for Kohli, but he had the last laugh by whipping his India team-mate Bumrah for four when needing just one to win off the last ball.
De Villiers, on the other hand, is in great nick and also found the rope off the fourth ball from Bumrah after Saini halted Mumbai's momentum.
Having fallen just short of the IPL final last year, RCB got their 2023 campaign off to a terrific start, dominating their opponents on both sides of the ball at The Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB made a fast start with the ball, with Harshal Patel well-placed to claim an outside edge from Ishan Kishan (10) before Reece Topley bowled Cameron Green (5), though a bizarre collision between Dinesh Karthik and Mohammed Siraj saw the latter inexplicably drop Rohit Sharma.
Rohit was less fortunate when he handed Karthik a catch for just one run three balls later, though his exit allowed Tilak Varma to step up with a quickfire 84 off 46 balls, carrying Mumbai to 171-7.
That outstanding effort proved to be in vain, however, with Du Plessis (73) and Kohli (82 not out) putting on a strong opening stand of 148, both bringing up half-centuries by the end of the 12th over.
While skipper Du Plessis walked with five overs remaining, lofting through to Tim David for a simple catch, Mumbai never looked likely to break the momentum of RCB, who recorded a statement win.
Varma wastes no time
In dragging Mumbai to a respectable tally with his knock of 84, Varma averaged a boundary every 3.5 deliveries.
Only Jos Buttler – who struck a boundary every 2.2 balls in the Rajasthan Royals' win over Sunrisers Hyderabad – has posted a better such rate in the early stages of the IPL this season, with Varma hitting nine fours and four sixes from the 46 balls he faced.
Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, RCB's top-order batsmen were in similar form as Mumbai failed to build any momentum with the ball.
Fifty up for Kohli
RCB never looked likely to fall short in their chase of 172, with Kohli taking centre-stage to bring up a personal IPL landmark.
With his knock of 82 runs from 49 balls, Kohli recorded his 50th score of 50 runs or more in the IPL. Only David Warner (60) has more half-centuries in the competition's history.
