IPL 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Mumbai Indians to keep play-off dream alive

Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana shined for Kolkata as the franchise finally found balance in its batting. Kolkata amassed 165 runs in 20 overs and managed to restrict Mumbai to 113 in eighteen overs.

Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana help Kolkata Knight Riders cross the 160-runs mark

Mumbai Indians won the toss and sent Kolkata to bat first at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane opened the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders and set up a great partnership which eventually led their side to a score of 64-1.

At the end of the sixth over, Kumar Kartikeya removed Venkatesh Iyer at 43 off 24, who complimented his innings with 3 fours and 4 sixes.

Rahane stayed at the crease for quite some time and added 27 runs with Nitish Rana before being bowled out by Kumar Kartikeya at 24 off 24.

Captain Shreyas Iyer then joined the crease but was unsuccessful in the batting department. He was only able to score 6 runs before being dismissed in the fourteenth over.

Bumrah, who was called out for his lacklustre performance this season, took his wicket and removed hard-hitter Andre Russell in the fifteenth over. 

However, this was just a highlight of what was to come as Jasprit Bumrah went on a hunt for wickets.

Rana, who was well on his way to hitting a half-century, was Bumrah's next victim. The Mumbai Indians' bowler bowled a short-length ball that Rana was unable to grasp and edged with his bat, only for Ishan Kishan to catch it from behind. 

The fifteenth over by Bumrah turned out to be a game-changer for Mumbai Indians as Kolkata was looking en route to a 200-plus score before he clinched two huge wickets for just three runs in the over.

Bumrah then came back in the eighteenth over to take three wickets. He was able to take three wickets in four balls, but Tim Southee saved Kolkata from further embarrassment by averting a hat-trick.

Rinku Singh hit an unbeaten 23 and denied Bumrah his sixth wicket in the 20th over by playing five dot balls before taking a single on the final delivery.

Mumbai Indians' batsmen fail to compliment Jasprit Bumrah's five-wicket haul

Kolkata Knight Riders' decision to play Tim Southee and Pat Cummins served them well as the duo collected four wickets together and rattled Mumbai's batting lineup.

Apart from Mumbai's 15.25 crore signing, Ishan Kishan, none of the batsmen from the blue camp was able to make a significant contribution to the chase. 

Skipper Rohit Sharma departed for 2 runs while Tilak Varma could only score 6. Ishan Kishan tried to anchor Mumbai's innings alone but could not do so as Pat Cummins bowled a destructive fifteenth over that saw him clinching three wickets.

Kishan went back to the dugout at 51 off 43, and none of the remaining batsmen could pick up from where he left.

The remaining batsmen were then removed via runouts courtesy of a good fielding by Kolkata and a desperate bid to collect runs by Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai's innings were dismissed in 17.3 overs with 52 runs still left to chase.

Now, Kolkata Knight Riders will play against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 14 and look to win by a huge margin to maintain their hopes to qualify for the play-offs.

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians will go up against their bottom-of-the-table companions, Chennai Super Kings, on May 12.