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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 a playoff spot after an intense MI vs KKR clash. Playing at their home ground, Eden Gardens, KKR clinched an 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI), marking their ninth win of the season and confirming their dominant form in the tournament.
The MI vs KKR contest was affected by persistent rain, reducing the game to 16 overs per side. MI won the toss and chose to field in the challenging conditions. The match was fiery when Phil Salt smashed the first ball, bowled by Nuwan Thushara, for a towering six over long-off. However, Salt’s aggressive approach was short-lived as he was caught attempting another big shot later in the same over.
Following Salt’s dismissal, MI tightened its grip on the game. Jasprit Bumrah came on for the second over. He bowled Sunil Narine with a full delivery that swung in, leaving KKR at a precarious 10 for two. The MI vs KKR battle was shaping up to be a tense encounter, with KKR struggling early but managing to find their footing later in the game.
In the next few overs of the MI vs KKR match, Venkatesh Iyer exemplified the saying that attack is the best form of defense. Although KKR was on the back foot, Venkatesh kept the pressure on MI with aggressive strokes. In the fourth over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, he first had an injury scare but quickly bounced back, using his feet to charge at the bowler. With two fours and a six, it became a crucial over for KKR. Shortly after, Shreyas Iyer was bowled around his legs by Anshul Kamboj, leaving KKR with another setback. Nitish Rana, returning from injury, joined Venkatesh in the middle.
There were no significant partnerships throughout the MI vs KKR innings, as KKR kept losing wickets regularly. However, critical individual contributions, particularly Venkatesh’s quickfire 21-ball 42, set the pace for KKR’s innings. He was dismissed just as he seemed set for a big score, caught by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla in the ninth over. Andre Russell came in and immediately made his presence felt by smashing his second ball over long-on for a signature six.
Nitish Rana, meanwhile, kept the scoreboard ticking during a vital phase, finding the boundary consistently and maintaining a steady tempo. Unfortunately, in the 12th over of the MI vs KKR contest, Nitish was run out for a well-made 33, halting KKR’s momentum as they lost wickets.
The valuable cameos in the middle and towards the end of the MI vs KKR clash helped Kolkata Knight Riders post a competitive total close to 160. Andre Russell contributed 24 off 14 balls, while Rinku Singh added 20 off 12, including two sixes. Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 17 off eight balls, capped with a six on the last ball, took KKR to 157 for seven. Piyush Chawla was the standout bowler for MI, picking up two for 28 in his three overs, while Bumrah took two for 39 in his four, regaining the purple cap. Kamboj was economical, finishing with one for 24 in three overs.
In the MI vs KKR contest, Ishan Kishan got MI off to a flying start in the powerplay. In just the first five overs, MI raced to 59 runs, with Ishan smashing 37 off only 17 balls. Harshit Rana was expensive, conceding 15 runs in the fourth over, and even Sunil Narine, bowling the fifth, was hit for a six and a four. Ishan’s aggressive batting put MI in a strong position early on, as he seemed in top form.
Rohit Sharma also chipped in during the MI vs KKR match, starting his innings with a six off a free hit against Vaibhav Arora. While Ishan dominated the attack, Rohit played a supporting role, rotating the strike and providing a solid foundation as MI looked well on their way to chasing the target.
In the middle overs of the MI vs KKR match, KKR’s spinners turned the game around with tight bowling and timely wickets. Sunil Narine struck first by dismissing Ishan Kishan, caught at deep midwicket for 40 in the seventh over. Shortly after, Rohit Sharma mistimed a shot to short fine-leg, where Narine made the catch, giving Varun Chakaravarthy his first wicket. By the 10th over, MI had slowed to 81 for two, but they had hope with Suryakumar Yadav still at the crease. However, Russell ended that hope when Suryakumar pulled one to deep square leg in the 11th over.
Throughout the MI vs KKR contest, KKR kept pegging Mumbai Indians back with crucial wickets and tightened the scoring. Chakaravarthy was outstanding, conceding just 17 runs in his four overs while taking two wickets. Narine chipped in with a wicket for 21 runs in his three overs, and Russell also played a crucial role, dismissing Tim David for a duck, which further crippled MI’s chase. The pressure mounted on MI as their wickets fell regularly, making the task increasingly difficult.
Despite the mounting asking rate in the MI vs KKR encounter, Tilak Varma fought valiantly to keep MI in the game. With aggressive batting, Naman Dhir reignited MI’s hopes as they needed 41 from the last two overs. However, Harshit Rana came through in the final over, dismissing Dhir and ending Tilak’s resistance to seal the win for KKR. The Eden Gardens crowd celebrated as KKR claimed their fifth win in seven home games, marking another memorable moment in their season.
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