KKR 157/7 in 16 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 42(21), Nitish Rana 33(23); Jasprit Bumrah 2/39 in 4 overs) beat MI 139/8 in 16 Overs (Ishan Kishan 40(32), Tilak Varma 32(17); Varun Chakaravarthy 2/17 in 4 overs) by 18 runs.
A Spectacular Saturday Showdown was on the cards as KKR took on MI in their final home game of the season. After breaching the Wankhede fortress, the Knight Riders were aiming to do the double over MI this season and seal their berth in the playoffs. A delayed start due to the rain caused the game to be shortened to 16 overs per side as KKR were put into bat first. After a long wait for the fans, the game commenced finally and to their delight Phil Salt smashed the first ball out the ground to get KKR’s innings started. Another power packed partnership looked to be on the cards, however KKR lost a few quick wickets in a couple of overs and were put on the back foot. Venkatesh Iyer stood up tall alongside a returning Nitish Rana to begin a rebuilding job. Both batters continued to rotate the strike along with some powerful hits. Venkatesh continued his rich vein of form against MI as he took full toll of the loose balls. An Andre Russell cameo pushed KKR towards a fighting total of 157 while Ramandeep the finisher made another impact at the end of the game.
Defending a small total, the KKR bowlers aimed to start well and bowl tight lines. However, the MI openers started well and forged a solid partnership in the powerplay. It took the magic of Sunil Narine to bring KKR back in the game as he picked up the crucial wicket of Ishan Kishan. KKR found a small opening in the contest and capitalized on it as the spin duo of Narine and Chakaravarthy spun a web around the MI batters. KKR”s golden arm Andre Russell stood up for them yet again as he picked up the crucial wicket of Suryakumar Yadav to shift the momentum in KKR’s favour. MI were rocked as they found themselves suddenly from 65/0 to 92/5 in no time. KKR bowlers persisted with their lines and lengths as they broke the back of MI’s chase and brought the game back into their favour. Naman Dhir and Tilak Verma showed some fight but Harshit Rana sent them packing in the last over as KKR successfully defended another low total and clinched victory by 18 runs. An incredible victory in their final game of the season for KKR as they held their nerve and won the game in style to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. A sweet finish to an incredible run at home for KKR as they gave their fans an absolute treat in the final game.
