In a cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders emerged victorious with a score of 157 for 7. Mumbai Indians managed to make 139 for 8 in their chase, falling short by 18 runs.
The match took place in Kolkata amidst rainy weather, causing the ball to move unpredictably at the start. Kolkata’s spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, played a significant role in restricting Mumbai’s batting lineup. Their tight bowling ensured that Mumbai struggled to score runs, especially after the initial powerplay overs.
Mumbai’s chase faltered as they lost wickets at crucial moments. Despite efforts from Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, and a late flourish from Tilak Varma, Mumbai couldn’t bridge the gap in the required run rate. Eventually, they fell short of the target, facing their ninth loss in 13 matches.
The game was delayed due to rain, resulting in a shorter format with each team playing 16 overs. Kolkata Knight Riders, despite losing early wickets, managed to post a competitive total of 157 runs, thanks to Venkatesh Iyer’s contribution and some valuable runs from the lower-order batsmen. This total, initially deemed modest, proved to be sufficient for Kolkata to secure the win.
The strangle from Narine and Chakravarthy
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Rohit Sharma struggled to find his rhythm, scoring at a slow pace in the initial overs. Ishan Kishan took charge of the hitting, managing to score 37 runs off just 17 balls during the powerplay. He showcased some impressive shots, particularly hitting boundaries along the square.
However, Sunil Narine struck back in the following over, dismissing Kishan after his quickfire innings of 40 runs. With both spinners operating from either end and maintaining a tight line, Mumbai Indians found it challenging to accelerate. Rohit Sharma’s struggle ended when he was out for 19 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak also found it difficult to score freely against the spinners, and the required run rate started to climb rapidly, reaching 77 runs needed from 36 balls.
Andre Russell’s introduction into the attack further compounded Mumbai’s woes. His clever variations accounted for the dismissals of Suryakumar and Tim David. Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy added to Mumbai’s troubles by removing Hardik Pandya cheaply.
Despite the mounting pressure, Tilak managed to keep Mumbai’s hopes alive by taking on Harshit Rana in the 14th over, scoring crucial runs. Naman Dhir, batting at number 8, followed Tilak’s lead by hitting Russell for a couple of sixes and a four in an over that yielded 19 runs, bringing Mumbai back into contention.
However, with 22 runs required from the last over, both Dhir and Tilak fell early, sealing Mumbai Indians’ fate in the match.
There’s always some Bumrah magic
It was pretty clear from the get-go that the KKR openers meant business in this shorter match. Phil Salt started things off with a big six off the first ball he faced from Nuwan Thushara but unfortunately got out in the same over. Meanwhile, Bumrah, bowling from the other end, bowled some impressive deliveries that even Sunil Narine couldn’t handle.
Bumrah’s first delivery was a well-directed yorker that curved in a bit towards the end from outside off. Narine, who opted not to play at it, was taken aback by the late movement, which clipped the base of the off stump. This dismissal marked Narine’s first duck of this IPL season.
Proactive Venkatesh takes charge
The bowlers were making life difficult for the batsmen with the swinging ball, especially with the cloudy conditions. After losing their big-hitting openers and with Andre Russell yet to come in, Venkatesh stepped up for Kolkata Knight Riders. He took charge, stepping down the pitch to hit and pulling the short balls with ease, scoring 25 runs off just 10 balls in the powerplay. Notably, he managed to hit 14 runs off five balls against Jasprit Bumrah.
Venkatesh also had some luck on his side, with a few edges narrowly missing the fielders. His aggressive approach helped KKR accumulate 77 runs in the first eight overs, all of which were bowled by fast bowlers.
Chawla vs Russell hogs the limelight
Spin struck immediately in the next over when Piyush Chawla got Venkatesh to hole out after scoring a brisk 42 off 21 balls. Andre Russell then came to the crease and wasted no time, hitting Chawla for a six and a four in his next two overs, along with a crisp shot through the covers. Chawla adjusted his field, placing a fielder on the boundary behind the umpire for the straight hit, and varied his pace beyond 110kph. Despite this, Russell managed to take KKR past the 100-run mark. However, Chawla had the last laugh when he got Russell out with a well-directed delivery that was skied to deep midwicket.
In the final two overs, Nuwan Thushara and Jasprit Bumrah bowled a series of yorkers. However, Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh managed to hit a six each, helping KKR reach a total just over 150 runs.
