Kolkata Knight Riders (157/7) beat Mumbai Indians (139/8) by 18 runs at the Eden Gardens to become first team to qualify for playoffs of IPL 2024. Venkatesh Iyer (42/21), Nitish Rana (33/23), and Andre Russell (24/14) combined efforts helped the home side put up 157 runs after rain reduced play to 16 overs each.
Hardik Pandya won the toss and put Kolkata to bat, expecting to make use of the moisture on the pitch. Justifying it, Jasprit Bumrah (2/39) and Nuwan Thushara (1/31) struck early but KKR’s middle order overcame the initial hiccup to put up a decent total. Chasing, Mumbai started strongly as they scored 59 runs in the first 5 overs, but Kolkata’s spin wizards choked Mumbai’s middle order and restricted them for 139.
Kolkata have sealed their playoff spot and are the first team to have done so this season. They have won four games in a row, and in the last two games, they will have a great opportunity to seal their place in the top two and will have the luxury to test their bench strength. In contrast, Mumbai will look to end the season on a high after a disappointing campaign and avoid last-place’s humiliation. 
The match had many ups and downs, but certain moments stood out.
Stamp of authority against Bumrah in powerplay
Kolkata began their innings poorly, losing both openers who had scored most of the runs. Mumbai tried to choke down the untested Kolkata middle order with Bumrah on song and pitch favouring them, but Venkatesh Iyer had other ideas. The KKR batsman dispatched the world’s best bowler in the fourth over to smash 15 runs, shifting the momentum and proclaiming they won’t change their approach.
Nitish Rana’s counterpunch against Hardik Pandya
At the end of the 7th over, Kolkata Knight Riders had 61 runs, which was a decent score, but considering this IPL’s trend, it wasn’t enough. Taking Hardik Pandya’s (0/32) over under his radar, Nitish Rana took a risk. With two fours and a six, he accumulated 16 runs. As well as boosting run-rate, this over broke the shackles of middle muddle on a slow Eden wicket, which was a big factor for Kolkata in posting a good total.
Sunil Narine’s breakthrough
The Mumbai Indians started the chase on sixth gear and smashed 59 overs in the powerplay. Everyone thought it might be Mumbai’s day to avenge Wankhede’s defeat after the pitch looked better than the first innings. Following the 5th over, things began to change as spinners took over. After an economical over by Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17), Sunil Narine (1/21) came and took wicket of Ishan Kishan (40/22) who was in serious mood. Kishan’s wicket eventually turned out to be a major turning point in the chase.
Chakaravarthy’s spinning spell
As Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma (19/24) dominated the powerplay, Kolkata looked all over the place while defending the target. As Mumbai cruised on, Kolkata needed a hero, and Varun Chakaravarthy delivered. In the 6th over, Tamil Nadu’s spinner entered and the momentum shifted. His first over only conceded three runs, resulting in Ishan Kishan’s wicket at the other end. Chakaravarthy bowled four overs and conceded only 17 runs with Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya (2/4) taking crucial wickets.
Suryakumar Yadav’s clutch wicket
The one player who could’ve neutralized Kolkata’s bowling lineup on Eden Gardens slow wicket was Suryakumar Yadav (11/14). The day wasn’t good for him at work, however. From the first ball, Surya looked like a shadow of his former self. In 14 balls, he scored 11 runs and was dismissed by Andre Russell (2/34). The wicket by Russell changed the entire complexion of the game and tilted Kolkata’s way.
After securing a playoff spot, the Kolkata Knight Riders can breathe a sigh of relief, but they must finish in the top two to gain an advantage. With this win, they have consolidated first place with 9 wins and 3 losses. They will now take on Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday. Parimatch odds favor the 1.72x rate. While the Mumbai Indians’ ship had already sunk before this game, they will now try to avoid humiliation by finishing last. In the next game, they will face Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede. Parimatch odds for that clash favor them at 1.89x.
