The Kolkata Knight Riders have done it again. Ajinkya Rahane’s men pulled off another crucial victory on Wednesday, defeating the Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring thriller to keep their campaign alive. After enduring a six-match losing streak earlier in the season, KKR have scripted a remarkable turnaround with five wins in their last six games.
Veteran Manish Pandey (45 off 33 balls; 6x4) finally got an opportunity to bat at No. 3 with talented keeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi injured and anchored a tense chase in a 33-ball 45.
Pandey, along with Rovman Powell (40; 30b, 4x4, 2x6), shared a crucial 64-run partnership to set it up as the hosts overhauled the 148-run target in 18.5 overs.
The victory lifted KKR from eighth to sixth in the standings with 13 points and kept their slim playoff hopes alive with six wins from 13 matches.
However, their fate is no longer in their own hands as KKR will now closely follow Rajasthan Royals' clash against Mumbai Indians on Sunday afternoon before they face Delhi Capitals in the evening clash.
A Royals win would seal their qualification and eliminate KKR, rendering Kolkata's final league game against DC inconsequential.
KKR’s bowling attack exploited the sluggish Eden Gardens surface to perfection, restricting Mumbai Indians to a modest 147/8 in a must-win IPL clash. With overcast skies and a tacky pitch that had spent much of the day under covers, the hosts made full use of the conditions after opting to bowl first.
KKR reduced MI to 41/4 inside the powerplay, with Cameron Green (2/23 in 3 overs) and left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey (2/34) striking twice each early on. Green was exceptional both with the ball and in the field, removing Ryan Rickelton (6) and Naman Dhir (0) within the space of three deliveries.
The Australian all-rounder then produced a stunning running catch from midwicket to dismiss Rohit Sharma (15) off Dubey just as the former MI skipper looked set to break free. Mumbai soon collapsed further, losing three wickets for six runs in the span of eight deliveries.
After a one-hour rain interruption, KKR’s spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy tightened the screws even more, conceding just 14 runs in their opening four overs together.
Narine, in particular, looked menacing with his sharp turn and variable bounce, repeatedly troubling Tilak Varma before dismissing Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya (26 off 27 balls). The delivery drifted in, stayed low and crashed into the stumps. Narine finished with outstanding figures of 1/13, including 16 dot balls.
Chakravarthy was unlucky not to remove Tilak on 12 after spilling a difficult return catch following a collision with wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Raghuvanshi injured his hand during the incident and had to leave the field, with Tejasvi Dahiya coming on as substitute.
