Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team to secure a spot in the playoffs of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Playing on their home turf, Eden Gardens, KKR earned a hard-fought 18-run victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) – their ninth triumph of the season.
The heavily anticipated match faced disruptions due to persistent evening rains, reducing it to a high-octane 16-overs-a-side contest. MI won the toss and opted to field, which set the stage for an explosive start. On the first ball of the match, Phil Salt greeted bowler Nuwan Thushara with a towering six over long-off. However, Salt’s aggressive intent backfired when he attempted another big hit and was caught in the deep off the last ball of the same over. The situation worsened for KKR in the very next over as Jasprit Bumrah bowled Sunil Narine with a brilliant full delivery that swung in, leaving the stumps shattered. KKR found themselves at a precarious 10 for two.
Despite the early setbacks, Venkatesh Iyer took it upon himself to wrench control back into KKR’s hands. His aggressive approach, encapsulating the adage “attack is the best form of defense,” allowed KKR to regain some momentum. During Bumrah’s fourth over, Venkatesh, initially troubled by a minor injury, charged down the pitch, slamming two boundaries and a six to steady the ship. Shortly thereafter, Shreyas Iyer, bowled by Anshul Kamboj, departed after the ball clipped his leg stump. Nitish Rana, returning from an injury break, joined Venkatesh at the crease to stabilize the inning.
Throughout the innings, KKR found it difficult to build substantial partnerships as they kept losing wickets at crucial junctures. Important contributions, however, came in from various batsmen. Venkatesh’s blistering 21-ball 42 laid the foundation before he was sent back, caught by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla’s bowling in the ninth over. The entry of Andre Russell injected further vigor, and he smashed his second ball for a massive six over long-on. Meanwhile, Nitish contributed effectively, maintaining the scoring rate with regular boundaries, but was run-out for a valuable 33 in the 12th over.
Useful cameos throughout the middle and latter stages of the innings propelled KKR towards a competitive score. Russell scored a quickfire 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 on the last ball, took KKR to a formidable 157 for seven.
. Among MI bowlers, Piyush Chawla was the standout performer, taking two for 28 in his three overs. Bumrah grabbed two wickets for 39 runs in his full quota, regaining his hold on the purple cap, while Kamboj was economical with figures of one for 24 in three overs.
Chasing a target of 160, MI started off aggressively, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s explosive batting during the Powerplay. MI rocketed to 59 in the first five overs, with Ishan scoring a breathtaking 37 off just 17 balls. Harshit Rana hemorrhaged 15 runs in his first over, and even the veteran Narine conceded a six and a four in the fifth over. At this point, MI seemed well on track to chase down the target, with Ishan in sublime touch and Rohit Sharma rotating the strike effectively after an early six off a free hit.
However, KKR’s spinners soon spun a web around the MI batsmen, pulling the contest back in their favor. Narine dismissed Ishan by having him caught at deep midwicket for a quickfire 40 in the Seventh Over. Rohit soon followed, hitting a catch to Narine at short fine-leg off Varun Chakaravarthy. By the 10th over, MI’s momentum had stuttered to 81 for two. Hope remained with Suryakumar Yadav at the crease, but Russell quashed those hopes by dismissing him for a modest score, caught at deep square-leg in the 11th over.
As MI’s chase continued to falter with regular wickets, KKR’s bowling unit kept the pressure on. Chakaravarthy’s economical spell of four overs for just 17 runs, coupled with two crucial wickets, stood out. Narine also played his part, conceding only 21 runs in three overs with one wicket. Russell’s crucial breakthroughs, including the wicket of Tim David for a duck, were pivotal moments in the match.
Tilak Varma fought valiantly, keeping MI’s hopes alive despite the escalating required run-rate. With 41 needed off the last two overs, Naman Dhir’s aggressive batting briefly rekindled MI’s chances. Nevertheless, Harshit Rana’s stellar final over, which included the dismissals of both Dhir and Varma, sealed the match for KKR.
The Eden Gardens crowd erupted in jubilation, celebrating another memorable victory in what has been a remarkable season for KKR. The Kolkata Knight Riders bid farewell to their home ground this year with an impressive five victories in seven matches, securing their well-deserved spot in the playoffs.
