KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders did a double on Mumbai Indians and became the first team to ensure a playoff berth in this IPL by recording an 18-run victory at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday. They remained at top of the table -with 18 points from 12 matches now.
MI continued to find a way to lose as the hosts' spinners once again came good to do the damage after their batters put up 157 for seven on being asked to bat first after an hour and 45 minutes delayed start due to rain that reduced the match to a 16-over-each-side contest.
MI openers Rohit Sharma, coming in as an impact player, and Ishan Kishan gave the side a fluent start getting 59 runs without being separated in the five-over Powerplay. But Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy then checked the run flow giving away only 35 runs in their six overs (three each) with both bowlers claiming a wicket each. Chakravarthy also picked up MI skipper Hardik Pandya in his fourth over to return with two for 17 and virtually close the doors on the Mumbai side who finished at 139 for eight.
Earlier, the KKR batters found it difficult to go for the shots under overcast conditions with the ball initially seeming a bit. They missed a fluent start as well as a good finish. Losing wickets at almost regular intervals also hurt their cause as none of the batters could effectively convert their starts.
The purple brigade suffered a double setback losing both their in-form openers in the first two overs. Philip Salt opened with a six off pacer Nuwan Thushara but the Englishman perished to a slower one being caught at fine leg by Anshul Kamboj in the last ball of the first over. Jasprit Bumrah then dislodged Sunil Narine's off-stump with the left-hander offering no stroke.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer departed soon after being bowled by Kamboj around the legs moving in too much to the offside exposing the leg stump as KKR got 45 for three in the first five overs. Venkatesh Iyer played and missed a number of times, but he hung in there to keep KKR afloat; later Andre Russell hit some lusty blows towards the end.
