On the fifth day of IPL 2021, KKR and MI went head-to-head at M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Mumbai Indians were largely favoured as they have won the most number of head-to-head matches against KKR, but MI was also coming off of an early defeat to RCB on an opening day. Both teams came out to put their best on display at the pitch.
Mumbai Indian’s followed their usual batting order with Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock who has always managed to provide a solid entry score for the team, KKR chose to start their bowling attack with Varun Chakravarty and his skills showed out early in the match as he dismissed de Kock for 2 runs. Pat Cumins also added to the wicket count as he sent Ishan Kishan to the pavilion. Cumins and Varun Chakravarty’s early shock to Mumbai’s batting order prevented them from posting a foundational score on the board.
Coming in to bat at third position, Surya Kumar Yadav played a crucial role in setting the tone of revival for the Mumbai Indians as he punished KKR bowlers mercilessly. He trashed a quick fifty with mostly boundaries and two sixes before he was dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan. Captain Rohit Sharma scored 43 (32) while both Pandya brothers managed to gather 15 runs each.
KKR’s bowling attack seemed to be on the right point after Yadav’s ejection, as Andre Russell went for a five-wicket haul in two overs conceding just 15 runs. Russel became the second bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul against MI in IPL 2021 after Harshal Patel of RCB.
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Mumbai’s batting order crumbled against KKR’s bowling ad batsmen struggled to find pace and score runs against bowlers. Mumbai scored a steady total of 152 in 20 overs.
Chasing a total of 152, Kolkata Knight Riders openers Shubham Gill 33 (24) and Nitish Rana 57 (47) posted a sturdy score on the board, but Mumbai’s spinner Rahul Chahar came in as a shock as he dismissed Rana at 57 and went on for a four-wicket haul which shattered KKR’s batting order, Chahar’s stellar bowling performance undoubtedly reduced KKR’s chances for an easy victory.
KKR’s batsmen continued to struggle as the match approached the end, KKR needed 31 runs in 31 balls, but KKR seemed to have no luck as batsmen still struggled to score runs, Jasprit Bumrah bowled an impressive 19th over and Trent Boult was called in for the final over in which he managed to dismiss Russell and Pat Cumins to secure the win for Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma’s strategic planning and MI’s penetrating bowling attack helped steal the deal for the team today.
Kolkata has lost 12 out of the last 13 matches against Mumbai.
