The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 to secure their qualification to the playoffs. Playing at their iconic home ground, Eden Gardens, KKR clinched an 18-run victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI) in what was their ninth victory of the season.
The match, originally scheduled for a full 20 overs, had to be reduced to a 16-overs-a-side affair due to persistent evening rain. As the coin flip favored MI, they elected to field first, setting the stage for an electrifying contest. The match began with an explosive shot by Phil Salt, who launched the first ball bowled by Nuwan Thushara over the long-off boundary for a massive six. However, the early promise was short-lived as Salt attempted another big hit later in the over, only to find himself caught by a deep fine-leg fielder.
The intensity was maintained in the second over as Jasprit Bumrah shattered Sunil Narine’s stumps with a spectacular swinging delivery, leaving KKR reeling at 10 for two. Despite the early wickets, Venkatesh Iyer embraced the old cricketing adage, “attack is the best form of defense.” Despite the precarious position, Iyer counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries. A critical fourth over saw Venkatesh overcome an injury scare only to charge at Bumrah, hitting two fours and a six, giving KKR a much-needed momentum shift.
Shreyas Iyer’s stint was brief, ending when Anshul Kamboj bowled him around his legs. Venkatesh found an ally in Nitish Rana, stepping in after a recovery from injury. Yet, the innings lacked substantial partnerships with wickets falling at regular intervals. Still, Venkatesh’s blistering 21-ball 42 laid a solid foundation for KKR, though he got dismissed by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla in the ninth over, just as he appeared poised for a bigger score.
Andre Russell made an impactful entrance, smashing his second ball over long-on for a six, a trademark shot for the power-hitter. During this phase, Nitish Rana also fielded boundaries frequently, maintaining the run rate. However, Rana’s effort was cut short by a run-out in the 12th over after scoring 33 runs.
The middle-order contributions and late flourishes pushed KKR close to the 160-run mark, making it a challenging 10-per-over chase for MI. Russell contributed a valuable 24 off 14 balls, while Rinku Singh hit a quickfire 20 off 12 balls, including two sixes. Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 17 off eight balls, which featured a six off the last ball, elevated KKR to a final score of 157 for seven. Piyush Chawla was MI’s standout bowler, claiming two wickets for 28 runs in his three overs.
. Bumrah also achieved two for 39 off his four overs and regained the purple cap. Kamboj was economical, conceding only 24 runs in his three overs and taking a wicket.
In reply, MI got off to an electrifying start in the powerplay, largely due to Ishan Kishan. The first five overs saw MI scoring briskly, racing to 59 with Ishan hammering 37 off just 17 balls. Harshit Rana suffered in the fourth over, conceding 15 runs. Even the experienced Sunil Narine was not spared in the fifth over, yielding a six and a four. With Ishan seemingly in sublime touch, MI appeared to be on course for a successful chase, despite Rohit Sharma playing a secondary role by rotating the strike and hitting an early six off Vaibhav Arora.
However, the momentum shifted in the middle overs as KKR’s spinners tightened the grip with a combination of wickets and economical bowling. Narine made the pivotal breakthrough by dismissing Kishan for 40 in the seventh over, caught at deep midwicket. Shortly after, Rohit succumbed to Varun Chakaravarthy, mistiming a shot to short fine-leg, caught by Narine. By the 10th over, MI’s score was restricted to 81 for two, with the chase slowing significantly. Hopes rested on Suryakumar Yadav, but those hopes were dashed when Russell dismissed him in the 11th over, caught at deep square-leg.
KKR continued applying pressure with crucial wickets, and MI couldn’t regain their initial rhythm. Chakaravarthy bowled four overs with figures of two for 17, while Narine returned one for 21 in his three overs. Russell’s contribution of key wickets, including the dismissal of Tim David for a duck, was instrumental for KKR.
Tilak Varma put up a valiant effort for MI, striving to keep up with the mounting asking rate. With 41 runs needed off the last two overs, some aggressive batting by Naman Dhir rekindled MI’s hopes. Nevertheless, Harshit Rana rose to the occasion in the final over, dismissing Dhir and finally ending Tilak’s resistance to secure the win for KKR.
The Eden Gardens erupted in celebration as KKR marked another victory in what has been a remarkable season for them so far. The home team concludes their season at Eden Gardens with an impressive record of five wins out of seven matches.