Mumbai hammer Kolkata by 49 runs in one-sided affair

Abu Dhabi: Four-time champions Mumbai Indians rode on a quality knock from captain Rohit Sharma (80) and some decent show by their bowlers to hammer Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 49 runs in the fifth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Wednesday.

After Mumbai, who were put to bat, amassed a huge 195 for five wickets in 20 overs, their bowlers too stepped up and came all guns blazing to restrict their opponents to 146/9 in the allotted 20 overs.

Chasing the massive 196-run target, Kolkata lost both their openers — Shubhman Gill (7) and Sunil Narine (9) — within the first five overs with their scorecard reading 25/2. While Trent Boult dismissed Gill, James Pattinson accounted for Narine.

KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik (30) and NitishRana (24), however, scored at a brisk pace, taking their side past the 50-run mark in the next 2.4 overs.

The partnership didn’t last too long as Rahul Chahar trapped Karthik before the wicket in the 11th over. Just when KKR managed to add another six runs, Keiron Pollard sent Rana back to reduce the opponents to 77/4 in 11.4 overs.

Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded 43 runs in four overs against Chennai Super Kings, made a magnificent comeback and jolted KKR twice in an over. Both Eoin Morgan (16) Andre Russell (11) became the victim of Bumrah in the 16th over.

Boult struck again in the 17th over, this time to send back Nikhil Naik (1) as KKR reeled at 103/7. Pat Cummins, who had a horrible time with the ball earlier in the innings, showed his potential with the bat as he played a cameo of 12-ball 33 before being consumed by James Pattinson in the 19th over. Cummins innings somehow reduced the deficit but wasn’t enough to help KKR cross the line as the two-time IPL champions fell 49 short of the target.

For Mumbai, Bumrah, Pattinson, Rahul Chahar and Boult picked couple of wickets each.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians’ skipper Rohit led from the front with his explosive 54-ball 80 as his side posted a challenging 195/5 in the allotted overs. Rohit’s blitzkrieg was decorated with three boundaries and six hits into the stands.

Apart from Rohit’s innings, it was some lacklustre bowling and fielding from Kolkata Knight Riders that helped Mumbai reach a good total.

After putting MI into bat, KKR managed to contain MI opener Quinton de Kock (1) early. However, their joy didn’t last long as the next batsman Suryakumar Yadav, along with Rohit, repaired the early damage quite comfortably.

The duo forged a 90-run partnership for the second wicket, before Yadav while trying to steal a single fell short of the crease.

Hardik gets out via rare hit-wicket mode, takes 3 catches

New Delhi: It is rare to watch a batsman get out hit wicket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) – a tournament that is all about hitting sixes and boundaries, often off the front foot. But Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya did get out in that manner – his first such dismissal in 68 IPL matches – against Kolkata Knight Riders in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

The Baroda player later in the match atoned for his mistake by taking three catches, with the one coming off Nitish Rana’s lofted cover drive being simply breathtaking.

Pandya scored 13 off 18 balls before he went too far back into the crease to play a shot against pacer Andre Russell. As his aimed to play the ball on the off side, the toe of his bat clipped the bails. Curiously, Pandya found something funny in his dismissal as he smiled while walking back into the hut.

Later, Pandya seemed to make amends for that rare dismissal. Although Pandya also took the catches of Nikhil Naik and Pat Cummins, the running grab of Rana was brilliant as he maintained is balance even as he kept his eye on the ball while running along the boundary.

Rana’s catch by Pandya provided much happiness to the bowler, Kieron Adrian Pollard, for whom it was his first IPL wicket since 2015.

Image courtesy of ( Photo: sportzwiki.com)

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