In a thrilling encounter at the iconic Eden Gardens, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team to secure a spot in the playoffs of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Their remarkable 18-run victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI) marked their ninth win in the season, sending their devoted home fans into a frenzy.
The rain that persisted throughout the evening led to a truncated match, with each side set to face 16 overs. Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first, setting the stage for a dramatic beginning to the encounter. KKR’s Phil Salt opened the match with a sensational maximum that sailed over the long-off boundary, off Nuwan Thushara’s very first delivery. However, his attempt to replicate the shot later in the over saw him sky the ball and get caught in the deep, contributing to an early crisis for KKR at 10 for two as Sunil Narine was clean bowled by a swinging delivery from the formidable Jasprit Bumrah.
KKR’s innings was a rollercoaster ride marked by a lack of substantial partnerships but propelled by pivotal performances. Venkatesh Iyer exemplified the adage that offense can be the best defense. Despite an early injury scare, Iyer embarked on an aggressive onslaught against Bumrah in the fourth over, smashing two boundaries and a towering six, thus stabilizing KKR’s wobbling innings. However, setbacks continued as Shreyas Iyer fell soon after, bowled by an around-the-leg delivery from Anshul Kamboj.
Nitish Rana, returning from injury, joined hands with Venkatesh to rebuild the innings. Venkatesh’s vital contribution of 42 runs from 21 balls laid a solid foundation as he launched a counterattack, but his departure in the ninth over, thanks to a catch by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla’s bowling, left KKR reliant on cameos from other players. Andre Russell lived up to his reputation by blasting a massive six off just his second ball faced while Nitish Rana accrued runs steadily before a run-out ended his resilient 33-run innings in the 12th over.
Managing to score briskly towards the end, KKR reached a total of 157 for seven, aided by Russell’s swift 24 off 14 balls and Rinku Singh’s solid 20 from 12 balls. Ramandeep Singh added a crucial unbeaten 17 from eight balls, punctuated by a six off the final ball, providing a challenging target for MI. Piyush Chawla emerged as the most effective bowler for MI, grabbing two wickets for 28 runs in his three overs, while Bumrah claimed two for 39, securing his hold on the Purple Cap as the leading wicket-taker.
The Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start during the powerplay.
. Ishan Kishan dashed to 37 runs off just 17 balls, with MI racing to 59 runs within the first five overs. Harshit Rana and Sunil Narine faced the initial brunt from explosive batting, with MI seemingly well on course to chase down the target as Ishan took charge. Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma began strong with a six off a free hit delivered by Vaibhav Arora and focused on rotating the strike proficiently.
The middle overs witnessed a shift in momentum as KKR spinners conspired to throttle MI’s charge. Narine claimed Kishan’s wicket, having him caught at deep midwicket for a fiery 40. Shortly thereafter, Rohit attempted an aggressive shot only to divert it into Narine’s hands at short fine-leg, assisting Varun Chakaravarthy in getting his first breakthrough. By the 10th over, MI’s pace dwindled to 81 for two, attempting to consolidate with Suryakumar Yadav at the crease. However, hopes dwindled as Russell’s bowling prowess dismissed Suryakumar, his shot finding a fielder at deep square leg.
Resilient bowling by KKR continued to stymie MI’s efforts, with valuable wickets falling regularly. Chakaravarthy’s economical spell yielded two wickets while conceding only 17 runs across four overs. Narine contributed with a wicket for 21 runs over his three overs, and Russell’s dismissal of Tim David for a duck compounded MI’s woes.
Despite MI’s Tilak Varma’s valiant attempt to steer the chase, the increasing run requirement loomed large. Naman Dhir infused some life into MI’s prospects with aggressive batting, but with 22 runs needed from the last over, Harshit Rana’s composed bowling performance sealed the match. Rana succeeded in dismissing both Dhir and Varma in that over, clinching the victory for KKR.
The electrifying atmosphere at Eden Gardens reflected the spirit and excitement of KKR’s remarkable season so far. The team continued their dominant form at home, wrapping up five wins out of seven games played at this iconic venue.