In an electrifying match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The home crowd’s jubilant celebrations were a testament to KKR’s sterling 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) – marking KKR’s ninth win of the season.
Weather played a dramatic role in what was already a highly anticipated encounter. Persistent rain showers forced the contest to be shortened to a 16-overs-a-side thriller. Mumbai Indians won the toss and, considering the damp conditions, opted to bowl first. The decision seemed prudent, but KKR had other plans.
KKR’s innings got off to a pulsating start thanks to Phil Salt, who took the aggression to MI’s Nuwan Thushara from the very first delivery, smashing a massive six over long-off. However, Salt’s flamboyance was short-lived as he attempted another big shot later in the over but was caught in the deep. KKR’s situation worsened when Sunil Narine, shouldering arms to a full delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, saw his stumps shattered, leaving the home team in a precarious position at 10 for two.
In the subsequent overs, Venkatesh Iyer epitomized the adage that attack is the best form of defense. Facing Bumrah in a nervy fourth over, Venkatesh initially had an injury scare but quickly turned the tide by hitting the same bowler for two fours and a six, setting the tone for KKR’s resurgence. Shreyas Iyer’s jittery stay at the crease ended when he was bowled around his legs by Anshul Kamboj.
Into the mix came Nitish Rana, returning from an injury, to join forces with Venkatesh. Throughout KKR’s innings, they were unable to build significant partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals. However, important contributions kept the run flow steady. Venkatesh’s 21-ball 42 was pivotal before he fell to Piyush Chawla, caught by Suryakumar Yadav in the ninth over. Andre Russell, known for his fireworks, delivered a glimpse of his prowess by clubbing a six off his second ball.
Nitish Rana kept the momentum going, finding boundaries consistently to maintain KKR’s scoring rate. Unfortunately, he was run-out for 33 in a key moment during the 12th over. Further down the order, useful cameos pushed KKR’s score closer to a competitive total.
. Russell’s 24 off 14 balls, Rinku Singh’s 20 off 12 with two sixes, and an unbeaten 17 off eight balls by Ramandeep Singh, featuring a last-ball six, brought KKR to 157 for seven. Chawla led MI’s bowling with figures of two for 28 from three overs, Bumrah claiming two for 39 off his four, and Kamboj delivering an economical one for 24 from three overs.
Chasing 158, MI got off to a flying start led by Ishan Kishan. The explosive wicketkeeper-batsman fired MI to 59 in just five overs, racing to 37 off only 17 balls. Harshit Rana endured a particularly tough fourth over, leaking 15 runs. Even Narine, brought on to stem the flow, conceded a six and a four in the fifth over. MI appeared on track for a successful chase, thanks to Kishan’s early fireworks and Rohit Sharma’s steady hand, which included a six off Vaibhav Arora from a free-hit.
However, KKR’s spinners transformed the game during the middle overs with a miserly and wicket-taking spell. Narine dismissed Kishan for 40, caught at deep midwicket in the seventh over. Rohit followed suit, hitting a shot that landed safely in Narine’s hands to give Varun Chakaravarthy his first wicket. The run-chase slowed to a crawl, with MI reaching a modest 81 for two by the 10th over.
Hopes were pinned on Suryakumar Yadav to steer MI back on course, but Russell quashed those hopes when Suryakumar pulled one into the hands of the deep square-leg fielder in the 11th over. KKR continued to chip away at MI’s lineup, with Chakaravarthy ending his four overs with stellar figures of two for 17. Narine and Russell were equally influential, with Narine taking one for 21 from three and Russell effecting timely breakthroughs, including the crucial wicket of Tim David for no score.
Tilak Varma staged a late resistance, keeping MI’s faint hopes alive as the required rate soared. Naman Dhir’s spirited batting injected temporary optimism for MI, narrowing the equation to 41 needed off the last two overs. However, Harshit Rana bowled a clinching over, dismissing Dhir and ending Tilak’s resistance to secure victory for KKR.
Eden Gardens erupted in celebrations as KKR concluded their home fixtures with a stellar record of five wins in seven matches. It has undeniably been a memorable season for KKR, solidifying their place in the playoffs with promising prospects as the tournament advances.