Highlights, IPL 2018, KKR vs MI at Eden Gardens, Full Cricket Score: Mumbai Indians register massive 102-run, enter top 4

Ishan Kishan is the Man of the Match. 

Kishan: I think I had a chat with Rohit. He said just back yourself and play your natural game. My plan was to see the ball till the last moment and smack them. Win was important for us, point was to stay there, back yourself and put up a good show. I think I am okay with batting anywhere.

Ishan Kishan is the Man of the Match. 

Kishan: I think I had a chat with Rohit. He said just back yourself and play your natural game. My plan was to see the ball till the last moment and smack them. Win was important for us, point was to stay there, back yourself and put up a good show. I think I am okay with batting anywhere.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain, Dinesh Karthik: 200 runs is always a big ask but we didn’t bat well enough. It was a good batting wicket. But if we lose wickets in the powerplay, you are always playing the catch up game. I think we lost it in the powerplay. We need to raise our skill levels a bit. This kind of losses tend to put you down but I as a captain need to stand up. Be honest about it. We need to believe and I have to make them believe we can make it to the playoffs.

Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians captain: As a team we tend to pick up in the month of May. I think but I can only wish and hope that we come together as a team towards the end of the tournament. We would like to start the tournament on high but since past three years we have been at the bottom of the table. Ishan’s innings. i was assesing the pitch at that time. His fearless innings changed the momentum and changed the game. Credit goes to Ishan Kishan. Ben Cutting as well to come out and finish the game. First few overs the ball was not coming on to bat. You cannot much with the toss, you have come out and play good cricket.

Mumbai Indians’ win/loss record in IPL:

April – 39/40

May – 51/31

Kolkata Knight Riders captain, Dinesh Karthik: 200 runs is always a big ask but we didn’t bat well enough. It was a good batting wicket. But if we lose wickets in the powerplay, you are always playing the catch up game. I think we lost it in the powerplay. We need to raise our skill levels a bit. This kind of losses tend to put you down but I as a captain need to stand up. Be honest about it. We need to believe and I have to make them believe we can make it to the playoffs.

An evening of brain fades draws to a close for KKR with a tailender trying to play the reverse sweep instead of tapping it around for two more overs and finish the full quota. A fitting end to the game where KKR has faltered dramatically. Dinesh Karthik and his team will find it hard to bounce back from a loss like this. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will be over the moon with this result. Their middle order batting was off-colour for most of the season, but now they look like the most dangerous middle order in the competition with Rohit, Ishan and Pandya brothers all looking capable of single-handedly turning games on their own. The win also puts Mumbai among the Top 4 in the points table and gives a massive boost to their net run rate. If net run rate becomes a factor at some point, then it’s hard to see another team in the bottom four, overtaking Mumbai’s NRR of +0.529 which is, in fact, better than any team in the competition at the moment.

This is the 18th time that MI has beaten KKR in IPL – the most times a team has beaten an opponent in IPL.

Largest defeats for KKR in IPL : (By runs) 

102 v MI, Kolkata, 2018*
92 v MI, Port Elizabeth, 2009
65 v MI, Mumbai, 2013

Most consecutive wins v an opponent in IPL:

8 – MI v KKR (2015-2018)*
8 – RCB v DD (2011-2015) 
8 – KKR v KXIP (2014-2017)

Net Run Rate will be deciding factor for the 4th spot and following this huge defeat KKR’s chances well and truly take a huge blow. Karthik’s boys need to win at least two of their remaining three games against KXIP, RR and SRH.

A tame end to an action-packed evening this. KKR are still going for their shots and still finding the fielders. Eight wickets down, Tom Curran decides to go after Krunal Pandya, something a lot more fancied batsmen couldn’t do successfully before him. Yes, this is a T20 match, but you don’t have to justify the format by trying to hit a six every over. KKR already know they are losing it, they should at least be trying to bat out the 20 overs.

A huge victory for Mumbai Indians. They have crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by 102 runs. This is Mumbai’s biggest victory in the history of the IPL. Kuldeep Yadav is the last man to fall. Krunal Pandya traps him LBW for 5. KKR review unsuccessfully.

After 18 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 108/9 ( Kuldeep Yadav 5 , Prasidh Krishna 1)

Right, another opportunity for Makrande to add to his wicket tally. But Krishna and Kuldeep have played him safely. Two off the over.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 106/9 ( Kuldeep Yadav 4 , Prasidh Krishna 0)

Krunal Pandya has struck and KKR are nine down. Mumbai Indians are one wicket away from a huge victory.

OUT! Krunal Pandya tosses it up, Curran waltzes down the track to tonk one over long on but miscues it to Duminy. 

Tom Curran c Duminy b Krunal Pandya 18(17)

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 103/8 ( Tom Curran 17 , Kuldeep Yadav 2)

Markande comes back. He is a contender for the Purple Cap. He will be looking forward to add to his wicket tally right now without any pressure. But he will have to wait another over for them. Seven off the over. 

KKR need 108 off 24 and have two wickets in hand but we are going to have a strategic time-out. Wonder what are they going to discuss…

FOUR! Markande tosses it up and Curran plays the inside out shot over cover.

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 95/8 ( Tom Curran 12 , Kuldeep Yadav 0)

McClenaghan comes into the attack. Can he strike? No, he doesn’t. Curran took a single off the last ball and Kuldeep played out the rest of the over.

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 87/7 ( Tom Curran 9 , Piyush Chawla 6)

Cutting gets rid of Piyush Chawla – better batsman between Curran and him – and KKR are eight down. Mumbai Indians must look to bowl KKR out to boost their net run rate. Will Bumrah continue?

KKR’s trigger-happy approach has hurt them today. It’s all good going for your shots in a T20 game but with net run rate at stake, they might have been well advised to play it safe for a bit and take a possible loss with minimal damage to the run rate. This has been a poor game for KKR’s think tank in general in fact. Apart from their batting approach, Karthik’s leadership will also be questioned for giving that last over to Chawla.

OUT! Ben Cutting strikes. Bowls this on a good length, Piyush Chawla tries to dispatch it over midwicket but holes out to Suryakumar Yadav in the process. 

Chawla c Suryakumar Yadav b Cutting 11(13)

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 87/7 ( Tom Curran 9 , Piyush Chawla 6)

Another five-run over. These two are refusing to give up. This could be vital. Minimising the margin of the loss is very important at this stage of the tournament.

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 82/7 ( Tom Curran 8 , Piyush Chawla 2)

A five-run over from Ben Cutting.

FOUR! Shortish delivery from Cutting and Curran pulls it through midwicket.

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 77/7 ( Tom Curran 4, Piyush Chawla 1)

This match is reminiscent of the 2008 clash between both these sides at the Wankhede Satdium. KKR had been bowled out for 67 then. Can they cross 100 today?

OUT! KKR have lost their seventh wicket. A nothing shot from Rinku Singh. Tries to dab this shortish delivery towards third man but edges it to Kishan. 

Rinku Singh c Ishan Kishan b Bumrah 5(3)

FOUR! Short of a length ball, outside off, Rinku Singh plays the upper cut over slip.

FOUR! A streaky boundary. Curran wanted to punch this but inside edged it to the fine leg fence.

KKR continue to lose wickets throughout their first half, losing two wickets in the 10th over seals the game for Mumbai.

Most times involved in run-out in IPL:

32 – Rohit Sharma 
29 – DINESH KARTHIK*
28 – MS Dhoni

KKR have their backs to the wall now. Losing two key batsmen to run outs hasn’t helped their cause at all. It’s down to two young guns, Nitish and Rinku now. Can one of them do an Ishan? Bear in mind that apart from the win, Net Run rate will be crucial here.

OUT! KKR have dug themselves a huge hole. They are heading towards a big loss. Short from Hardik Pandya and Rana tries to pull it over midwicket. Cutting gobbles an easy catch. 

Nitish Rana c Cutting b Hardik Pandya 21(19)

OUT! Surely, that’s it for KKR? Slightly controversial but a huge moment in the match. Rana taps a slower delivery towards backward point. Karthik wanted a single but Rana wasn’t interested. But Duminy threw the ball towards the non-striker’s end and on its way to the stumps the ball kissed Hardiks’s hands and then the LEDs lit up. The umpire takes it upstairs and watching various replays Kumar Dharmasena decides to give it out. By the way, Hardik’s hand was just touching the ball when the bails came off. 

Karthik run out (Duminy/Hardik Pandya) 5(3)

After 9 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 67/4 ( Nitish Rana 21 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 5)

Right KKR have decided to not the flow of the innings affect him. They have milked 13 runs of the over.

Dinesh Karthik’s last five innings against MI in IPL:

36*, 2, 48*, 3, 9

Russell continues to disappoint and that has to be the Game, Set and Match for Mumbai. Now it is all about the margin of defeat.

FOUR! Beautifully played. Markande tosses it outside off, Karthik gets slightly across and sweeps it in front of square on the leg side.

SIX! Markande bowls it flat and on the sticks. Rana kneels and slogs it over midwicket.

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 54/4 ( Nitish Rana 13 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 0)

Russell was struck on the body a ball before his wicket. The next ball he tries to score a boundary and loses his wicket. KKR are struggling at 54/4. Need something miraculous from here.

OUT! Will be really difficult for KKR to bounce back from here. Hardik bowls the knuckleball on a length, Russell tries to slap it over cover but finds Markande at cover. 

Russell c Markande b Hardik Pandya 2(4)

I said a while back that Mumbai’s spinner can decide the game if they have a better game than their Kolkata counterparts. They are already making an impact here. Krunal Pandya bowled his two overs for next to nothing in the powerplay and Markande has picked the prized scalp of Uthappa in his very first over. Karthik could have come ahead of Russell today to counter Mumbai’s spin threat but clearly he sees himself as a finisher in this side.

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 51/3 ( Nitish Rana 11 , Andre Russell 1)

Markande has began on the right note. Four singles and a wicket come in his first over. KKR have crossed 50-run mark. 

KKR need 160 off 78.

Andre Russell in IPL 11:

First four innings – 153 runs
Next four innings – 63 runs

So, KKR have unleashed Andre Russell here. A very good move, he is the only one who can save the day for the hosts.

OUT! Huge wicket. Robin Uthappa has made a habit of this in this tournament. Starts beautifully and then throws it away. Has swept ths straight into the hands of Suryakumar Yadav at deep midwicket. 

Uthappa c Suryakumar Yadav b Markande 14(13)

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 47/2 ( Robin Uthappa 13 , Nitish Rana 9)

Hardik Pandya concedes eight run off his first over. KKR have scored 47 in the powerplay and lost two wickets. A partnership is the need of the hour.

47 is the joint lowest powerplay score for KKR in this IPL. They made 47 against MI at Mumbai two days ago.

FOUR! Lovely! The slower one from Hardik Pandya, Rana read it early. Opens the bat face and guides it between the keeper and the close gully (don’t know whether that’s position but he’s really close.)

So, the powerplay goes to Mumbai. They have taken two crucial breakthroughs and haven’t allowed KKR to get away. Especially, the wicket of Lynn will hurt the home side most. He was looking good. The rest of the batting needs bat out of its skins to get close to Mumbai’s total.

FOUR! Nitish Rana welcomes Hardik Pandya into the attack with a boundary to fine leg.

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 39/2 ( Robin Uthappa 13 , Nitish Rana 1)

This has been a brilliant start for Mumbai. They have dismissed Kolkata’s explosive openers. The onus now is on Robin Uthappa to play a promising hand.

SIX! Bumrah pitches it short. Uthappa reads the length early, goes on his back foot and pulls it over deep square leg.

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 32/2 ( Robin Uthappa 7 , Nitish Rana 0)

Two fantastic overs from Krunal Pandya. Nine have come off them and most importantly Mumbai Indians ran Lynn out.

OUT! Horrible mix-up. Uthappa punches this towards cover-point and Lynn looks for a single. Bu uthappa was ball watching and said no at the last moment. Suryakumar Yadav hurls in a sharp throw and Krunal runs out Lynn. 

Chris Lynn run out (Suryakumar Yadav/Krunal Pandya) 21(15)

Mumbai go for spin against Lynn early on. Krunal has both Lynn and Uthappa in a bit of trouble. Karthik wasn’t allowed to get much out of spinners. Rohit’s use of his spinners could decide the game.

SIX! Uthappa joins the party. Krunal tosses it around off and Robin slogs it over wide long on.

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 25/1 ( Chris Lynn 20 , Robin Uthappa 1)

McClenaghan is being taken apart here. 11 off his second over. Will Rohit give him another over?

FOUR! Mitchell goes short once again and Lynn doesn’t miss out. Swivels across and pulls it behind square leg.

SIX! Clobbered! Back of a length and Lynn pulls it over square leg.

After 2 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 14/1 ( Chris Lynn 9 , Robin Uthappa 1)

Krunal Pandya comes from the other end and bowls a tight over. 2 come in the over.

After 1 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 12/1 ( Chris Lynn 8 , Robin Uthappa 0)

12 come in the first over. But McClenaghan snared the important wicket of Lynn.

FOUR! Lynn doesn’t commit fully on the pull and helps it on his way to fine leg.

FOUR! McClenaghan bowls it outside off and Lynn throws the kitchen sink at it and outside edges it towards third man.

MI draw first blood and manage to get the dangerous Narine out of their way. Narine is known to be susceptible against short pitch bowling. McClenaghan has done his homework and tries to tuck him up early on with one angles into his ribs. Narine can’t hit this beyond the reach of Krunal Pandya. MI will celebrate the early wicket while being fully aware that KKR will keep coming at them irrespective of the match situation.

OUT! McClenaghan bowls it short and angles into Narine. He tries to pull and skies it. Krunal Pandya gets underneath it and pouches it safely. 

Narine c Krunal Pandya b McClenaghan 4(2)

FOUR! Mitchell pitches it up, Narine clears his front leg and lofts it over mid off.

Lynn. Narine. McClenaghan. The chase is underway.

Here is the summary off the first innings. Starts for Rohit and Suryakumar but Ishan star of the show in MI’s innings.

A strong finish from Cutting and Krunal takes Mumbai beyond 200 with a flurry of sixes. Ishan was nothing short of breathtaking against spin before this. He could read Yadav out of the hand and his nimble footwork allowed him to dance down the track to anything flighted and stay back against anything flat. KKR would be stunned with that onslaught but their batsmen gave shown before in the tournament that they don’t care much for match situation and just go for the bowling from the word go. Mumbai still have to bowl well to contain they array of hitters in that KKR line up.

Poor finish by KKR, poor captaincy by Karthik. 98 runs in the last seven overs. There was absolutely no need of giving the last over to Chawla, who is ‘hit-me’ kind of a bowler in the death overs. Karthik could have easily opted for Russell. I know it is premature to say, but I think 211 is beyond KKR, unless Mumbai bowlers have a really poor day at the office.

The highest target successfully chased at Kolkata in IPL is 201 which was chased by KKR against KXIP in 2010.

Most runs against KKR in IPL:

757 – ROHIT SHARMA*
746 – Suresh Raina
677 – David Warner

After 20 overs,Mumbai Indians 210/6 ( Krunal Pandya 8 , JP Duminy 0)

22 off the final over! Mumbai Indians have ended on a high note. KKR must not be happy with their effort in the death. They have a huge task cut out for them in the second innings. 

Kolkata Knight Riders need 211 runs to win.

SIX! And it ends with a biggie. Shortish and on the sticks, Krunal Pandya stands tall and muscles this pull over midwicket.

OUT! Whattay catch. Cutting tries to go over midwicket but Russell gobbles it up. 

Cutting c A Russell b Chawla 24(9)

FOUR! Too full from Chawla and Cutting whips it through midwicket.

SIX! The quicker delivery from Chawla and Cutting pulls it over midwicket.

SIX! Full delivery on leg and Cutting murders it over long on.

After 19 overs,Mumbai Indians 188/5 ( Ben Cutting 8 , Krunal Pandya 2)

A 11-run over from Prasidh Krishna. Cutting is the danger man here. Can he take MI past the 200-run mark?

SIX! Short and into the body, Cutting stands tall and pulls it over deep midwicket.

OUT! First IPL wicket for Prasidh Krishna. Bowls the slower delivery and Rohit Sharma tries to go over long off but doesn’t time it well. Uthappa catches it at mid off. 

Rohit c Uthappa b Prasidh 36(31)

After 18 overs,Mumbai Indians 177/4 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 36 , Ben Cutting 0)

A 15-run over from Curran. Mumbai are on course to score 200 here.

OUT! A full toss from Curran. Hardik tries to deposit over long on but the bat tilts in his hands and Rinku catches it near long on. The umpires go upstairs to check whether it was a height no ball but Curran is fine. 

Hardik Pandya c Rinku Singh b Tom Curran 19(13)

KKR have managed to restore some sanity to the proceedings after Ishan’s wicket but they now have to find a way to contain Hardik Pandya in these final overs. Pandya took some time to get going but he has found his range against Tom Curran.

SIX! A one-handed biggie for Hardik Pandya. Full toss and outside off, Hardik slices it over point.

SIX! A slower bouncer and Hardik Pandya pulls it over deep midwicket.

After 17 overs,Mumbai Indians 162/3 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 35 , Hardik Pandya 6)

Sunil Narine finishes his quota and returns figures of 1/27. 10 come off his final over.

SIX! Rohit Sharma walks across the sticks and slogs it over deep midwicket.

That was some power-hitting by young Ishan Kishan. He was taking the game away from the hosts. Thankfully for KKR, Narine has got that priced scalp. But the Kishan innings has provided Mumbai a realistic chance of reaching 200 here. And let me tell you, despite the dew, 200 will be a tough target to chase against the Mumbai bowling.

After 16 overs,Mumbai Indians 152/3 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 26 , Hardik Pandya 5)

“It’s not a mistake, it’s a disgrace,” says Clarke on air after Anantha Padmanabhan signals a no ball and replays show that he had landed cleanly and then the leg slid. The team management informed Rinku, who ran in from long on and informed Curran. The bowler relayed the message to Dinesh Karthik, who has a word with the umpire. However, the decision stays. Fortunately for KKR, Hardik Pandya doesn’t make the most of the Free Hit delivery. Seven come in the over. But surely, that’s not the last of this controversy.

Ishan finally succumbs to Narine, but not before hitting the T20 veteran for another huge six. This is potentially a season-turning inning for the Mumbai Indians. Just goes to show what a fearless mind can do in this format of the game. Credit to Mumbai’s team management for persisting with the youngster and giving him the license to go after the bowlers even after a few failures earlier in the tournament.

That upward curve in the graph is all thanks to Ishan Kishan’s fearless hitting. MI need carry this on.

After 15 overs,Mumbai Indians 145/3 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 24 , Hardik Pandya 1)

The Ishan Kishan biltzkrieg has come to an end. But he has laid a solid platform for Mumbai Indians. Eight come in the 15th over. Hardik Pandya is the new man in.

Ishan Kishan’s fifty in 17 balls today – the joint fastest by a MI batsman in IPL along with Kieron Pollard who also hit a fifty in 17 balls against KKR in 2016 at Mumbai.

OUT! Ishan Kishan departs for a 21-ball 62. Outstanding innings from the 19-year old. Moves across and tries to sweep it over deep fine leg but fails to go past Robin Uthappa. A distraught Kishan has to make the long walk back to the pavilion. Rohit Sharma runs in to have a word with the youngster and pats him. The skipper knows he has done his job. 

Ishan Kishan c Uthappa b Narine 62(21)

SIX! Phew. He is in the zone now. Ishan gets underneath a full Narine delivery and slogs it over midwicket.

After 14 overs,Mumbai Indians 137/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 23 , Ishan Kishan (W) 56)

A single followed by four sixes. Ishan Kishan has upped the ante and how! 25 come off the over.

SIX! Four off four. Maybe the best of the lot. Kuldeep overpitches, Ishan moves slightly ahead and whips it over midwicket.

Rohit is looking a bit scratchy out there but he still manages to collect two fours against Prasidh Krishna. Even on his bad day, Rohit can make KKR pay heavily for that dropped catch. Ishan meanwhile is stroking everything brilliantly out of the middle. 

Ishan has no respect for the spin and guile of Kuldeep Yadav. He has hit him to all corners of Eden Gardens here. He is lightning on his feet and gets down a long way as soon as he sees one tossed up from the spinner. Kuldeep’s slowness in the air helps him do that. But as soon as Ishan saw one pushed flat he was happy to stay deep in the crease and pick his spot over mid wicket area. This is batting of the highest order against spin.

FIFTY! A 17-ball 50 for Ishan Kishan. Three consecutive sixes for the youngster. Comes down the ground and slams it over long on.

SIX! Another. This time Kuldeep erred. Bowled it right under Ishan’s willow and the youngster smoked it over midwicket.

SIX! Not a bad idea but poorly executed. Kuldeep saw Ishan come down the ground and tried to bowl it wide. But Ishan adjusted well and slogged it over fine leg.

After 13 overs,Mumbai Indians 112/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 22 , Ishan Kishan (W) 32)

Prasidh Krishna came into the attack to take a wicket and stuck to his short deliveries but Mumbai cashed in on them. 15 came off it.

FOUR! Prasidh continues to bowl short and Mumbai continue to punish him. Ishan shuffles across and pulls it over fine leg.

FOUR! Krishna bowls another short delivery and Rohit rides the bounce to pull it over midwicket. Back-to-back boundaries for the Mumbai skipper.

Drop catches are not helping KKR’s cause. Giving Rohit so many lives may cost them heavily. Ishan Kishan at the other end is playing a counter-attacking knock. KKR are on the backfoot right now. Looks like Mumbai will cross the 180-run mark.

FOUR! Lucky boundary. A back of a length ball from Krishna, Rohit looks to cut but it takes the outside edge and runs away to the third man fence.

After 12 overs,Mumbai Indians 97/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 12 , Ishan Kishan (W) 27)

DROPPED! Another chance put down by KKR. Short and width on offer, Rohit tries to pull it over point but doesn’t get the elevation. Nitish Rana tries to pouch it but fails. Dropping Rohit is anyways a mistake but dropping him at Eden Gardens… 

Anyways the over ends with a boundary. 11 come off it.

FOUR! Another last-ball boundary.  Russell bowls it up and outside off, Ishan Kishan gets down and dispatches it over cover.

After 11 overs,Mumbai Indians 86/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 9 , Ishan Kishan (W) 21)

Ishan has been given a role of taking the attack to the opposition and he has done a decent job till now. Begins the 11th over with a boundary and then gets rapped on the pads. KKR review but it was not only pitching outside leg but also missing. Once again scores a boundary on the fourth ball. Finishes the over with one more boundary. 14 came off it.

Young Ishan Kishen is as fearless as they get. He charged down the track off only the second ball he faced to collect six runs against Kuldeep. The very next over he plays decides to reverse sweep Piyush Chawla and executes it perfectly. He needs to keep going here for his team.

After 11 overs,Mumbai Indians 86/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 9 , Ishan Kishan (W) 21)

Ishan has been given a role of taking the attack to the opposition and he has done a decent job till now. Begins the 11th over with a boundary and then gets rapped on the pads. KKR review but it was not only pitching outside leg but also missing. Once again scores a boundary on the fourth ball. Finishes the over with one more boundary. 14 came off it.

FOUR! A ‘hit me’ delivery from Piyush Chawla. Short and around leg, Ishan Kishan goes back and pulls it to perfection. Bisects the gap between fine leg and deep midwicket fielder.

FOUR! Smartly played. Chawla tosses it around leg, Ishan kneels and sweeps it fine.

After a rather sedate start, Ishan Kishan has come out and played some shots to up the ante.

FOUR! Chawla tosses it around off and Kishan reverse sweeps it over the short third man fielder.

After 10 overs,Mumbai Indians 72/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 9 , Ishan Kishan (W) 7)

Kuldeep induces a false shot off Rohit. Draws him forward as the ball stops on him and the Mumbai captain chips it straight back. Kuldeep puts in the dive but the ball goes past up. Bowls the googly to Ishan and beats him on the inside edge. Ishan responds with a huge six an retains the strike with a single.

Trivia: Ishant Kishan is the only wicket-keeper to get dismissed for a golden duck twice in an IPL season.

SIX! M-A-S-S-I-V-E! Ishan Kishan dances down the ground and tonks it over wide long on. A 98 metre biggie.

Spinners tightening the screws here after powerplay overs and get Suryakumar’s wicket in the bargain. Both Rohit and Suryakumar had played a few dot balls against Chawla and Kuldeep. When Suryakumar final got one to go after, he couldn’t get any power behind his pull shot. Mumbai need someone to counter attack here and get some momentum back in their innings.

Ishan Kishan is the new man in.

After 9 overs,Mumbai Indians 62/2 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 6 , )

A very good over from Piyush Chawla. He didn’t give any loose balls to the frustrated Suryakumar Yadav and got rid of him on the final ball. Two come in the over.

OUT! Soft dismissal. A nothing shot from Suryakumar Yadav. Not a wicket taking delivery from Piyush chawla. He bowls it short and flat and Suryakumar pulls it straight into the hands of Rinku Singh at deep midwicket. 

Suryakumar Yadav c Rinku Singh b Chawla 36(32)

Have to say young Prasidh Krishna has been impressive so far. Every time he bowled back of a length, batsmen have found it difficult to handle. Meanwhile, the breakthrough brings Rohit Sharma to the crease at his favourite ground. Mumbai have got a decent start and this will make Karthik uncomfortable.

After 8 overs,Mumbai Indians 59/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 36 , Rohit Sharma (C) 4)

Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack. Rohit and Suryakumar rotate the strike on the first two balls then take a brace. And Suryakumar duly punishes a bad delivery. Eight off the over.

FOUR! Loose delivery from Kuldeep Yadav. Strays it down the leg side and Suryakumar sweeps it to the vacant fine leg region.

Freak dismissal for Lewis as he continues to disappoint the Mumbai fans. Rohit is in at 3. His love affair with Eden Gardens is special. A Rohit special will charm even the home crowd rooting for KKR.

Rohit Sharma v Sunil Narine in T20s:

Runs – 93
Balls – 94
Dismissals – 7
SR – 98.94

Will Narine get the big fish another time?

Piyush Chawla has taken 21 wickets (including Lewis’ wicket in today’s game) against MI in IPL – the most by any spinner against them.

After 7 overs,Mumbai Indians 51/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 29 , Rohit Sharma (C) 3)

Sunil Narine has a brilliant record against Rohit Sharma and KKR would want him to dismiss Rohit as early as possible. But they would’ve to wait for Sunil’s next over for the battle to resume. Three come in Narine’s second over.

Rohit Sharma v KKR in IPL:

Innings – 22
Runs – 721 (Second most by any player)
Average – 45.06
SR – 136.55
50s/100s – 4/1 

Only Chris Gayle (408) has scored more runs than Rohit Sharma against KKR at Kolkata in IPL. He has amassed 364 runs from eight matches at an average of 72.8

After 6 overs,Mumbai Indians 47/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 28 , Rohit Sharma (C) 1)

Chawla began the over by leaking two boundaries but bounced back well to get rid of Evin Lewis. Rohit is the new man in. 10 off the over. 

MI 47/1 after the Powerplay.

OUT! What has happened here? A lucky dismissal this. Chawla bowls it short and Lewis tries to pull it. But he inside edges it onto his pad and ball lobs towards Chris Lynn at short third man, who pouches it. Much needed breakthrough for Kolkata Knight Riders. Lewis walks back in absolute disbelief. 

 Lewis c Chris Lynn b Chawla 18(13)

MI have mixed caution with aggression so far

FOUR! Juicy half-volley, outside off, Suryakumar strides forward and drives it over cover.

FOUR! A bad ball and duly punished. Full delivery on middle and leg and Suryakumar sweeps it behind square.

After 5 overs,Mumbai Indians 37/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 19 , Evin Lewis 18)

Prasidh continues. Apart from that odd delivery, he has been spot on. Conceds a boundary but also creaes a chance on the final ball but Kuldeep Yadav fails to gobble it up near midwicket. Krishna’s wait for his first IPL wicket continues.

FOUR! Throws the kitchen sink at it. Prasidh goes around the wicket and bowls one on the stumps. Lewis shuffles and dispatches it over point. The third man fielder had no area.

After 4 overs,Mumbai Indians 30/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 18 , Evin Lewis 12)

Another over which could’ve been economical ends with a boundary. But KKR won’t complain much as Narine allowed only six off his first over.

Narine is into action. It will be an interesting battle between the two spinners.

FOUR! Narine drops it short and outside off, Lewis rocks back and punches it through cover.

Time for spin. Sunil Narine to roll his arm over.

Suryakumar Yadav is the sixth uncapped Indian player to score 400-plus runs in an IPL season after Paul Valthaty, Shreyas Iyer, Mandeep Singh, Saurabh Tiwary and Manish Pandey.

After 3 overs,Mumbai Indians 24/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 17 , Evin Lewis 7)

Curran to Lewis. Beats the southpaw on the outside edge but then the southpaw scores a boundary to third man. Dabs the third delivery to third man. Single taken. The over ends with a boundary and two singles. Eleven come off it.

Suryakumar Yadav is one of the four players to score 400-plus runs in IPL 11

KKR love to chase at home. MI need to bat big in the first innings. They have found some batting form of late. Suryakumar Yadav is away early with a classy boundary and a slightly edgy six. Mumbai are still waiting to see a proper Evin Lewis thrashing. Will the real Lewis finally stand up for them in this crucial encounter? A win for either team here will go a long way in securing a playoff berth.

FOUR! Cleverly played. Curran bangs it short and outside off, Suryakumar waits and waits and guides it past the slip fielder.

FOUR! Too full from Tom Curran. Lewis’ eyes light up and he clobbers it through cover.

After 2 overs,Mumbai Indians 13/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 12 , Evin Lewis 1)

Krishna to Suryakumar. Mistimes a cut towards point and steals a single. Lewis hands the strike back to Suryakumar on the third ball. Bowls a yorker to Yadav, the Mumbai batsman digs it out safely towards mid on. A back of a length delivery follows, Suryakumar defends it from the crease. A last-ball six means that Prasidh hasn’t finished the over well.

SIX! First maximum of the match. Full and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav slices it over third man.

So Karthik continues to experiment in the powerplay. Interesting decision to start with Russell and Krishna. And so far so good for the pacers. In fact, Russell had dismissed both these batsmen on Sunday. So, feel this has been a wise move.

Prasidh Krishna to bowl from the other end.

After 1 overs,Mumbai Indians 5/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 5 , Evin Lewis 0)

Starts with a very full ball outside off which swings away, Suryakumar tries to reach out to it. Doesn’t. Blocks the second ball towards the off side and looks to pinch a single but Lewis refuses. Finds the point fielder on the third ball. Gets off the mark with a boundary and Andre follows it up another with dot ball. Clips the final ball towards mid on and retains the strike.

FOUR! Lovely. Short and outside off from Russell, Suryakumar Yadav stands tall and cuts it past the diving point fielder.

Lasith Malinga given the honour to ring the bell at the Eden Gardens today. Mumbai Indians openers Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis have arrived at the centre. Andre Russell takes the new ball.

MI have won last seven matches played between the two teams.

As we are entering the business end of the tournament, KKR are desperately looking for momentum. In the post-match presser last evening, Lynn spoke about breaking the Mumbai jinx in this high-voltage fixture.

Good toss to win for the hosts and they will chase again. Gill is injured (according to the team management) and Rinku Singh comes into the playing eleven. So, tonight most likely Narine will open. Also, finally Curran gets picked ahead of Johnson, who I believe, is well past his expiry date. 

However, Eden is a high scoring venue and ideally, the hosts do not want to chase more than 180 against Bumrah and Co. And to restrict this Mumbai Indians batting line-up to a manageable score, they need early breakthroughs.

KKR v MI at Kolkata in IPL:

Matches – 8 
KKR won – 2
MI won – 6

KKR v MI in IPL:

Matches – 22 
KKR won – 5
MI won – 17

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, JP Duminy, Ishan Kishan, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Mumbai Indians decide to go with unchanged XI. Rinku Singh replaces injured Shubman Gill and Tom Curran comes in for Mitchell Johnson in the KKR team.

The coin falls in Kolkata Knight Riders’ favour and Dinesh Karthik elects to bowl at the Eden Gardens.

Kolkata have an onerous task at hand as they need to defy history against Mumbai Indians, who have won 17 of the 21 matches against the hosts across 11 seasons, read more in the preview where reknowned cricket expert Ayaz Memon picks couple of dependable players from each sides.

Hello to Firstpost’s LIVE blog of the 41st match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens. A mouth-watering contest in prospect as there everything to gain and lose for both sides with the battle for a berth in top 4 intesifies.