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May 11, 2024
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 to secure their playoff spot. In the MI vs KKR match at Eden Gardens, KKR clinched an 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) – their ninth win of the season.
Due to persistent evening rain, the MI vs KKR contest was reduced to a 16-overs-a-side game. MI won the toss and opted to field, and the match got off to an explosive start. In the MI vs. KKR clash, Phil Salt blasted the first ball of the game from Nuwan Thushara for a massive six-over long-off. However, Salt was later dismissed attempting to hit over fine-leg, caught by a fielder in the deep. When Jasprit Bumrah came in for the second over, Sunil Narine’s attempt to shoulder arms to a full delivery shattered his stumps. With Kolkata Knight Riders at 10 for two, they were in a precarious situation.
In the MI vs KKR match, Venkatesh Iyer embodied the old adage that the best defense is a good attack. Despite KKR being on the back foot, Venkatesh delivered a few decisive blows. During the fourth over of the MI vs KKR clash, bowled by Bumrah, Venkatesh initially faced an injury scare but later charged at the bowler, hitting two fours and a six, making it a crucial over for KKR. Soon after, Shreyas Iyer was bowled by Anshul Kamboj. Nitish Rana, returning from injury, joined Venkatesh in the middle.
Throughout KKR’s innings, there were no significant partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals. However, Venkatesh’s 21-ball 42 set a solid foundation for the innings before he was dismissed by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla in the ninth over. Andre Russell then came in and smashed his second ball over long-on for a trademark six. Nitish Rana also contributed well during this phase, hitting boundaries regularly and keeping the momentum. Unfortunately, he was run out for 33 in the 12th over.
In the MI vs KKR match, crucial cameos in the middle and at the end helped KKR reach a competitive total of 157 for seven, setting Mumbai Indians a challenging target of 160. Russell contributed 24 off 14 balls, while Rinku Singh added 20 off 12 balls with two sixes. Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 17 off eight balls, including a six off the last ball, brought KKR to their final total. Chawla was MI’s most successful bowler, with figures of two for 28 in his three overs. Bumrah took two for 39 off four overs and regained the purple cap, while Kamboj was economical with one for 24 in his three overs.
In response, MI got off to a blazing start in the powerplay. The first five overs saw MI race to 59, with Ishan Kishan scoring 37 off just 17 balls. Harshit Rana conceded 15 runs in the fourth over, and even Narine was hit for a six and a four in the fifth. Ishan’s aggressive batting had MI looking well on their way to victory. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, had started strongly by hitting a six off Vaibhav Arora on a free-hit and was rotating the strike effectively in the MI vs KKR encounter.
In the MI vs KKR match, the KKR spinners made a significant impact in the middle overs, turning the game around with their economical spells and critical wickets. Narine dismissed Ishan Kishan by catching him at deep midwicket for 40 in the seventh over. Shortly after, Rohit Sharma hit one to short fine-leg, where Narine made a crucial catch, assisting Varun Chakaravarthy in claiming his first wicket. By the 10th over, MI had slowed to 81 for two, still holding hope with Suryakumar Yadav at the crease. However, Russell dashed those hopes when Suryakumar was dismissed, pulling one to deep square-leg in the 11th over.
KKR continued to restrict MI by taking crucial wickets and maintaining the slow-down. Chakaravarthy bowled four overs, conceding only 17 runs while taking two wickets. Narine bowled three overs, taking one wicket for 21 runs. Russell also played a key role, notably dismissing Tim David for a duck, which was a significant boost for KKR in the MI vs KKR clash.
In the MI vs KKR match, Tilak Varma fought valiantly to keep MI in the chase as the required run rate increased. With 41 runs needed off the last two overs, Naman Dhir’s aggressive batting briefly reignited MI’s hopes. However, as 22 runs were required off the final over, Harshit Rana stepped up and delivered a crucial over. He dismissed Dhir and ended Tilak’s resistance, sealing the victory for KKR.
The Eden Gardens crowd celebrated another win in KKR’s remarkable season. With this victory, KKR concluded their home games this year with five wins in seven matches, further solidifying their impressive performance in the MI vs. KKR encounter.
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