In a landmark night at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team to seal their qualification to the playoffs in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The team triumphed over Mumbai Indians (MI) by 18 runs to notch up their ninth win of the season, emphasizing their dominance in this year’s tournament.
However, the match conditions were far from ideal. Persistent rain showers during the evening meant the contest had to be reduced to a 16-overs-a-side encounter. Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown. The very first ball of the match symbolized the intensity to come as Phil Salt smashed Nuwan Thushara over long-off for a gigantic six. Nevertheless, Salt’s aggressive strategy quickly became his downfall as he was caught attempting another big hit in the same over.
Jasprit Bumrah, reasserting his prowess, bowled the second over, shattering Sunil Narine’s stumps off the very first ball. KKR found themselves in a precarious position at 10 for two, and the early wickets seemed to pressure the remaining batsmen.
Undeterred, Venkatesh Iyer decided to take the ‘attack is the best form of defense’ approach. The fourth over, also bowled by Bumrah, saw a momentary injury scare for Iyer, but he recovered to hit two fours and a six, pulling KKR out of their slump. Shreyas Iyer was unable to capitalize on the momentum, getting bowled around his legs by Anshul Kamboj soon after.
Returning from injury, Nitish Rana joined Venkatesh at the crease and contributed significant runs, though the team couldn’t form any substantial partnerships. Important contributions came sporadically. Venkatesh Iyer’s 21-ball 42 was crucial in setting the tone, although he was dismissed by a well-caught long-on effort from Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla’s bowling in the ninth over.
Andre Russell, renowned for his big hits, provided much-needed power in the middle and late stages of the innings. His 24 off 14 balls, including a massive six, kept the scoreboard ticking, while Nitish Rana contributed a steady 33 before being run out in the 12th over.
Rinku Singh’s 20 off 12 balls, featuring two sixes, and a last-minute surge by Ramandeep Singh – who remained unbeaten on 17 off eight balls with a six off the final ball – took KKR to a fighting total of 157 for seven.
. Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla were the most successful bowlers for MI, claiming two wickets each. Bumrah’s figures of two for 39 from four overs allowed him to regain the purple cap for leading wicket-taker, whereas Kamboj stood out for his economy, ending with one for 24 from his three overs.
The chase got off to a brisk start as Ishan Kishan went on a rampage during the powerplay, scoring 37 off just 17 balls and pushing MI to 59 by the end of the fifth over. Harshit Rana and even experienced spinner Sunil Narine were not spared during this aggressive start.
The turning point came in the middle overs when the KKR spinners put on an exhibition of controlled bowling. Sunil Narine dismissed Ishan Kishan, who was caught at deep midwicket for 40, and Varun Chakaravarthy found another crucial breakthrough by catching Rohit Sharma at short fine-leg. By the end of the 10th over, Mumbai Indians slowed to 81 for two, losing much of their initial momentum.
The match seemed to tip further in KKR’s favor as their bowlers continued to stifle MI’s batting lineup. Russell removed Suryakumar Yadav, who miscued a pull shot to deep square-leg. Chakaravarthy was particularly economical, conceding just 17 runs in his four overs while picking up two wickets. Narine further strengthened KKR’s position with a disciplined spell, taking one wicket for 21 runs in his three overs. An additional wicket from Russell capped off a strong all-round performance.
Despite Tilak Varma’s valiant effort to keep MI in the hunt, the required run-rate kept escalating. The final glimmer of hope for MI came from Naman Dhir, whose aggressive batting reignited some hopes. However, with 22 runs required off the last over, Harshit Rana stepped up once more. He swiftly dismissed Dhir and then ended Tilak Varma’s gritty resistance, ultimately sealing the win for KKR.
The night concluded with jubilant scenes at Eden Gardens as the home crowd celebrated another KKR victory in what has been an outstanding season. KKR wrapped up their home leg of the tournament with five wins out of seven matches, a record that has firmly established them as strong contenders for the IPL crown.