In a thrilling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured a commanding 24-run victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI), propelled by the dynamic partnership of Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, followed by an exceptional display of pace bowling by Mitchell Starc. Starc’s remarkable comeback in the tournament saw him claim figures of 4-33 in just 3.5 overs, ending KKR’s 12-year winless streak at the Wankhede.
Mumbai’s top-order collapse, despite Suryakumar Yadav’s valiant 56, led to a dismal defeat. Rohit Sharma’s aggressive start as an Impact Player was short-lived, with Starc dismantling the stumps of Ishan Kishan early on. Mumbai’s batting woes continued with wickets falling at regular intervals, resulting in a failed chase.
KKR’s innings witnessed early setbacks but was resurrected by Pandey and Iyer’s partnership, with Pandey particularly aggressive against the MI bowlers. However, a flurry of wickets towards the end, including Pandey’s dismissal and a run-out of Andre Russell, restricted KKR to 169 runs.
In response, MI struggled to build momentum, with Thushara and others picking crucial wickets. Despite a brief resurgence led by Suryakumar and Tim David, Starc’s fiery spell sealed MI’s fate, bundling them out for 145 runs.
In summary, KKR’s stellar batting performance, coupled with Starc’s lethal bowling, secured a well-deserved victory, highlighting their resurgence in the tournament.
