IPL PIX: Clinical KKR outclass MI; inch closer to play-offs!

Images from the IPL 2024 match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

• Scorecard

Mitchell Starc claimed four wickets, while spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy bagged two wickets apiece as Kolkata Knight Riders outclassed Mumbai Indians by 24 runs in the IPL 2024 match on Friday.

Starc took three wickets in five balls to send MI crashing for 145 in 18.5 overs after they were set 170 for victory.

If KKR batters were guilty of not applying themselves on a tricky Wankhede pitch to finish on 169, Mumbai Indians' batters gave their wickets away tamely with some careless shots as they struggled to cope with spin.

Mitchell Starc claimed four wickets, while spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy bagged two wickets apiece as MI were bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs. The last time, KKR had won at Wankhede way back in 2012, their co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was embroiled in an argument with security staff which led to his ban from the venue for five years before it was reduced to three years.

This was only the second victory for KKR at the Wankhede Stadium, with their previous win coming 12 years ago. The two-time champions inched closer to the play-offs as they registered their seventh victory from 10 games, while MI are set for an early exit after suffering their eight defeat in 11 games.

Despite Suryakumar Yadav's brilliant fifty, Mumbai Indians failed to pose a challenge with the bat. His aggressive knock kept MI in the hunt as he miscued the full toss from Andre Russell and was caught by wicketkeeper Philip Salt on the leg side after a splendid knock of 56 from 35 balls.

MI were struggling on 71/6 in the 12th over before Suryakumar single-handedly brought the hosts back into the reckoning.

But none of the MI batters showed their hand up as KKR ran away with the game with a flurry of wickets towards the end.

Spinners Narine and Chakravarthy registered identical figures of 2/22 in four overs to run through the MI middle order, while Andre Russell bagged the key wicket of Suryakumar Yadav to finish with 2/30.

Starc struck in first over to give KKR an early breakthrough. After hitting the pacer for a six and a four, Ishan Kishan missed the cross-batted heave off the Aussie pacer and was bowled for 13.

Chakravarthy struck with his first delivery as Naman Dhir was bowled for 11, looking to slog the spinner out of the ground.

Rohit Sharma, who came in as the Impact Player, could not do much with the bat as he miscued the pull shot off Narine and was caught by Manish Pandey for 11 to leave MI reeling on 46/3 in six overs in the Powerplay.

The wickets continue to tumble as left-hander Tilak Varma (4) got a thick edge off Chakravarthy and was taken by Narine at short thirdman, while Nehal Wadhera was bowled off an inside edge off Narine for six.

MI skipper Hardik Pandya walked out to loud boos once again at home turf Wankhede Stadium. He lasted only two balls as he top edged trying to flick Andre Russell to be caught for one in the 12th over.

Suryakumar and Tim David (24), the only other MI batter to go past the 20-run mark, put on 49 runs for the seventh wicket before the former's dismissal in the 16th over all but ended MI's hopes.

Starc finished off the innings in grand style, dismissing Tim David, Piyush Chawla and Gerald Coetzee in the 19th over to send MI crashing for 145.

Earlier, KKR's aggressive approach came a cropper on a sluggish surface as they were bowled out for a paltry 169 despite Venkatesh Iyer's half-century.

Venkatesh top-scored with a brilliant 70 off 52 balls but his misunderstanding with Andre Russell, which resulted in the West Indian's run out, proved to be a big blow for KKR in the death overs.

Veteran Manish Pandey scored 42 off 31 balls in a stand of 83 for the sixth wicket with Venkatesh which helped rebuild KKR after a horror start.

Just like the top-order was blown away before the total reached 60, the last five fell for just 29 runs as Jasprit Bumrah (3/18 in 3.5 overs) proved to be too hot to handle with his toe-crushers at the death.

On a two-paced wicket which had the odd delivery coming on to the bat slower than expected, KKR batters were guilty of rushing into their shots and not reading the track well before looking to attack.

After the explosive top order cut a sorry figure, Rinku Singh (8) too squandered an opportunity to bat big, forcing KKR to turn to the experienced Pandey as the Impact Player.

And to a large extent, Pandey delivered the goods playing in his first game this IPL in a challenging situation. The senior Karnataka batter in the company of Venkates led KKR's recovery with a solid partnership in the middle overs.

Pandey did well to score a steady 42 off 31 balls with two sixes and as many fours.

MI pacer Nuwan Thushara (3/42) dismantled KKR's top order with three wickets in the early overs. The slingy Sri Lankan accounted for Phil Salt (4), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (13) and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer (6) inside the Powerplay.

After Salt top edged the short delivery and Raghuvanshi chipped one straight to extra cover, Iyer was caught on the leg side as KKR lost their first three wickets inside three overs.

KKR's slide continued when immediately after pulling MI skipper Hardik Pandya (2/44) over fine leg for a six, Sunil Narine (8) missed a straight one which knocked off his leg stump, leaving his side reeling at 43/4.

His lack of time in the middle leading to lack of big scores has been cited as the prime reason Rinku did not find a place in the Indian side for the World Cup. But when the opportunity presented itself with Rinku walking out to bat as early as the fifth over, he failed to make it count.

He started off with two boundaries but perished for nine, offering Piyush Chawla offering a simple return catch in the seventh over. That wicket saw veteran spinner Chawla go past Dwayne Bravo to become the second highest wicket-taker (184) in IPL history.

• IPL 2024