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Turning Point: Kishan's blast deflates KKR

By Harish Kotian
May 10, 2018

IMAGE: Ishan Kishan hit a 17-ball 50 as the Mumbai Indians overcame a slow start to post an imposing 210/6 against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, May 9, 2018. Photograph: BCCI

Wednesday's game between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata was a must win one for last year's champions who have had a miserable IPL 11.

When Mumbai lost the toss and were put in to bat, it seemed KKR had a slight advantage.

Mumbai Openers Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav gave the team a steady start, putting on 46 runs for the opening wicket, but KKR did well to keep the visitors in check in the middle overs.

Captain Rohit Sharma struggled to get going as Mumbai looked in danger of finishing on a below-par total.

Then, Ishan Kishan dramatically changed the script with his swashbuckling strokeplay. He targeted the KKR spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, whom he hit for 5 sixes.

 

Mumbai were 72/2 in 10 overs before Kishan cut loose, hitting leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for 3 fours in the 11th over.

He then took Kuldeep to the cleaners, blasting the left-arm chinaman spinner for four consecutive sixes to get 25 runs from the 14th over.

He then swung Sunil Narine for another maximum over midwicket before the West Indian extracted revenge.

When Kishan walked back after a cracking 62 from 21 balls, laced with 6 sixes and 5 fours, the tone of the game had changed completely.

Ben Cutting's late assault, in which he hit Chawla for 3 sixes in the final over, pushed Mumbai over the 200 run mark.

In reply, the KKR batsmen were unable to chase the huge target. Mumbai's bowlers packed them off for a poor 108.

Harish Kotian / Rediff.com

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