Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have etched their name in the annals of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs. The electrifying atmosphere at their home ground, Eden Gardens, fuelled KKR’s 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI), marking their ninth win of the season.
The evening started on a damp note due to persistent rain, necessitating a reduction in the contest to a 16-overs-a-side affair. MI captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field, setting the stage for a memorable encounter. The match commenced with a bang as Phil Salt dispatched the first ball bowled by Nuwan Thushara over long-off for a colossal six. However, his fireworks were short-lived; later in the same over, he attempted a confident shot over fine-leg but only managed to find the fielder in the deep, leaving KKR at 10 for two in the second over after Sunil Narine was clean bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.
Reeling from the early blows, KKR’s revival began with Venkatesh Iyer, who embraced the old adage that attack is the best form of defence. In the fourth over, despite taking a blow that briefly raised injury concerns, Venkatesh lashed out at Bumrah with a couple of boundaries and a six, providing crucial momentum to their innings. However, the stability was short-lived as Shreyas Iyer was bowled around his legs by Anshul Kamboj shortly after.
The innings seemed to be a tale of individual sparks rather than sustained partnerships, as KKR continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Venkatesh’s explosive 21-ball 42 laid an excellent foundation, but his departure in the ninth over, caught by Suryakumar Yadav off Piyush Chawla, marked a turning point. Andre Russell walked in next and displayed his trademark power-hitting with a towering six, but his cameo was similarly brief, contributing 24 off 14 balls.
As the innings progressed, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh provided valuable contributions amidst the falling wickets. Rana, returning from injury, played a steadying hand, striking boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. His valiant efforts ended in a run-out for 33 in the 12th over.
. Rinku Singh chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 12 balls, including two maximums, while Ramandeep Singh’s unbeaten 17 off eight balls ended the innings on a high, taking KKR to a competitive total of 157 for seven. Piyush Chawla emerged as the most successful bowler for MI with figures of two for 28, while Bumrah’s scalp of two for 39 helped him regain the purple cap.
Mumbai Indians’ chase got off to a roaring start, thanks to Ishan Kishan who propelled them to 59 within the first five overs, scoring a blistering 37 off just 17 balls. However, KKR’s spinners staged a dramatic comeback in the middle overs. Narine dismissed Kishan by having him caught at deep midwicket in the seventh over, followed by Rohit Sharma’s wicket that Narine himself caught at short fine-leg off Varun Chakaravarthy’s bowling. The momentum continued to shift as Suryakumar Yadav fell to Andre Russell, reducing MI to 81 for two by the halfway mark.
The KKR spinners tightened their grip on the game, maintaining a stranglehold on MI’s scoring rate. Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a miserly spell, conceding just 17 runs for his two wickets, while Narine’s three overs cost 21 runs for one wicket. Russell’s all-round performance saw him taking crucial wickets, including that of Tim David for a duck.
Despite the mounting pressure, Tilak Varma led MI’s fightback, ensuring they stayed in the hunt even as the required run-rate climbed. With 41 needed off the last two overs, a rapid surge from Naman Dhir briefly reignited hopes for MI. However, the daunting task of scoring 22 off the final over fell short as Harshit Rana bowled a stellar over, dismissing Dhir and then ending Tilak’s valiant effort, ultimately sealing the deal for KKR.
The jubilant Eden Gardens crowd erupted in celebration, witnessing another victory in what has been a remarkable season for Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR have left their fortress with an impressive record of five wins in seven home matches, solidifying their rightful place in the playoffs.