Highlights, IPL 2018, MI vs KKR at Wankhede, Full Cricket Score: MI clinch thrilling 13-run win, keep campaign alive

Most consecutive wins against a team in IPL:

8 – RCB v DD (2011-2015)
8 – KKR v KXIP (2014-2017)
7 – CSK v DD (2012-2015)
7 – RR v DD (2013-2018)
7 – MI v KKR (2015-2018)*

That was some turnaround by Mumbai Indians. At one stage, when Robin Uthappa was batting, it looked game over for Mumbai but their bowlers kept them in the game. Hardik Pandya bowled a brilliant spell. Jasprit Bumrah too stood out when his team needed him to bowl those last few over. A confidence-boosting victory for Rohit Sharma’s men.

Krunal Pandya certainly kept his calm in the last over of the KKR innings, going against a proven match-winner in Dinesh Karthik, and prevailed

STAT ATTACK: This is KKR’s fifth consecutive loss at Wankhede against Mumbai Indians in IPL.

Too much for KKR in the end. Dinesh Karthik this time could not cross the hurdle for his team. Too many dot balls in the middle overs after the departure of Robin Uthappa, and one must admit that very disciplined bowling from Mumbai Indians as well.. KKR are not yet out of the tournament but things are a little difficult for them now. Let’s see if they can avenge this in the return game.

Mumbai Indians defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs and continue to survive in the tournament.  Karthik collects a single off the final ball. Only nine come in the final over.

Ball five: Karthik hits this towards the leg side but refuses a single. 15 off 1.

Ball 4: A low full toss and Dinesh Karthik slices it over the point fielder for a boundary. 15 off 2.

Ball 3: Krunal Pandya tosses it around middle and leg, Dinesh Karthik kneels and tries to sweep. Misses and gets rapped on the pads. Mumbai appeal but it was going down the leg side. 19 off 3.

Ball 2: Sunil Narine tries to go down the ground but it hits the toe-end of the match. Karthik hares across to rotate the strike but Narine has been caught at cover by Rohit Sharma. 19 off 4.

Ball 1: A low full toss outside off and Sunil Narine smashes it down the ground for a boundary. 19 off 5.

Krunal Pandya to bowl the final over.

After 19 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 159/5 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 31 , Sunil Narine 1)

14 runs off the Bumrah over. Not for the first time, Bumrah has leaked runs in the death over in this IPL. 23 needed off the final over.

FOUR! Dropped! Horrible fielding. Atrocious. A low full toss from Bumrah and Karthik hacks it in front of square on the leg side. Duminy at that position puts it down and to make matters worse the ball rolls away for a boundary.

Krunal to bowl the last over. This is a gutsy move by Rohit. Let’s see if this is paid off.

FOUR! Too full and and on the sticks, Karthik gets under it and slams it down the ground.

Outstanding from Mumbai Indians! At one stage, Kolkata Knight Riders were cruising but Mumbai’s bowlers turned the game around. Andre Russell did not look comfortable at all in the middle. His short stay at the crease came into an end thanks to Jasprit Bumrah. Kolkata need 43 off 18, which is very much doable.

SIX! Was it a no ball? No, says the umpire. But that was a yorker gone wrong. A full toss and Karthik hammers it over the leaping midwicket fielder.

Jasprit Bumrah, unsurprisingly, has been given the responsibility to bowl the penultimate over.

After 18 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 145/5 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 17 , Sunil Narine 1)

Hardik Pandya in the 18th over – 0, 1, 0, 4, 0, 1.

Fantastic from Hardik. His figures: 4-0-19-2. 

37 off 12.

FOUR! Hardik Pandya errs. Drops it short and outside off, Karthik cuts it through cover-point.

Hardik Pandya to bowl the 18th over.

Jasprit Bumrah has now taken 10 wickets in the death overs in IPL 11 — the most by any player.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 139/5 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 12 , Sunil Narine 0)

A three-run over has converted into a 11-run over, courtesy two poor balls from Jasprit Bumrah. One was dispatched for a boundary and the other went for four leg byes. 

43 needed off 18.

FOUR! Jasprit Bumrah bowls another short delivery, outside off, Karthik moves slightly across and sends it over point.

OUT! HUGE wicket. Jasprit Bumrah bangs it short and Andre Russell tries to pull it. But was early into the shot and top edges it. And Krunal Pandya takes a superb running catch. 

A Russell c Krunal Pandya b Bumrah 9(10)

Was that the final nail in the coffin as Russell walks back or KKR have still something left in them. Oh Wait Narine is waking in. Game’s not over I feel.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the 17th over.

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 128/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 6 , Andre Russell 8)

Markande against Russell and Karthik when the required run rate is almost 12? That’s a risky proposition but Markande has done well. Six come in his over. 

KKR need 54 off 24.

FOUR! Short and spinning in, Russell stands tall and pulls it to wide long on.

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 122/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 5 , Andre Russell 3)

McClenaghan has finished his quota on a fantastic note. Four runs off the over. His figures: 4-0-30-1.

And just like that, Mumbai are back in the game. Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana are back in the pavilion. But it’s not done yet. Not when skipper Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell are batting. Mumbai have to remove Russell as soon as possible. Once he gets going, it will become impossible to stop him

KKR losing the plot a bit. Working in singles at the moment. 60 off 30 is not too difficult a target but they need to accelerate now.

Hardik Pandya, who now gets the Purple Cap, has had a fine run with the ball so far in the innings

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 118/4 ( Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 3 , Andre Russell 1)

With Nitish Rana’s wicket, Hardik Pandya has become the Purple Cap holder with 14 wickets. Concedes five runs off his third over.

Stat attack: Hardik Pandya has now taken 14 wickets in IPL 11 — the most by any bowler.

The solid third-wicket stand between Uthappa and Rana has certainly kept KKR in this chase after a shaky start. Here’s a more detailed look at the stand

OUT! Hardik Pandya strikes once again. He bowls a bumper and Nitish Rana top edges it. Bumrah gets underneath it at deep midwicket and pouches it. 

Nitish Rana c Bumrah b Hardik Pandya 31(27)

Uthappa, who brought up his first half-century this IPL season after a few scores in the 30s, targetted the midwicket region more often than not in his 34-ball innings

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 113/3 ( Nitish Rana 30 , Dinesh Karthik (C) (W) 0)

An outstanding comeback over from Mayank Markande. 2 runs and a wicket off it. 

KKR need 69 off 42

OUT! Mayank Markande gets his man albeit 50 runs later. Mumbai Indians finally get rid of Robin Uthappa, who holes out to Ben Cutting at long off. 

Uthappa c Cutting b Markande 54(35)

Dinesh Karthik’s batting average in IPL:

Against MI – 21.55
at Wankhede – 27.68

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 111/2 ( Robin Uthappa 54 , Nitish Rana 28)

16 runs off the over. This match is slowly but surely slipping out of Mumbai’s control. They need to strike ASAP.

Guess I have jinxed Uthappa here. Karthik walks in to chase another of those tricky totals.

FOUR! Short and into the body, Uthappa pulls it through fine leg.

Robin Uthappa has scored a fifty after 13 innings in IPL. However, he scored four 30-plus scores in between. Good signs for KKR as he is back in form!

Uthappa scores a brilliant fifty and he is quickly taking the game away from Mumbai Indians. He could connect early on but soon got the feel of the pitch. We are seeing meanwhile a mini conference among the MI players. Guess what they are discussing? Wickets obviously.

This is not looking good at all for Mumbai Indians. Since the catch drop of Robin Uthappa, Kolkata Knight Riders have been dominating the game. Rohit Sharma trying all his bowling options to break the partnership of Uthappa and Nitish Rana. Kolkata still have Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine to bat. This match is slipping away from Mumbai.

FIFTY! Robin Uthappa makes the most of the dropped chance. Gets to his first 50 of the season with a boundary to midwicket.

FOUR! Another slower ball and Uthappa cuts it through point.

FOUR! Cutting bowls the slower one, Uthappa shuffles across and sweeps it through fine leg.

After 11 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 95/2 ( Robin Uthappa 38 , Nitish Rana 28)

Bumrah comes back to break this partnership. But KKR have denied it to him. Pick four singles off his over. Won’t hurt them at all.

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 91/2 ( Robin Uthappa 36 , Nitish Rana 26)

A decent over from Ben Cutting but wicket is the need of the hour for Mumbai Indians.

FOUR! Poor delivery from Cutting. Bowls it on the leg side and Uthappa whips it behind square.

Here’s how KKR have progressed in the 10 overs that they’ve batted in the innings so far

Rohit Sharma had gathered his players in a huddle during the time out. He knows that this match means a lot. Losing here would make it even more difficult for them to qualify for the play offs. KKR are looking   quite relaxed in the middle. The MI crowd have gone a little silent for a while. Uthappa’s boundaries are not helping either in making them cheer. There’s a one  corner in the ground from where we can hear some KKR chants. Too little in support but they are there.

After 9 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 84/2 ( Robin Uthappa 31 , Nitish Rana 24)

Krunal Pandya continues. The 50-run stand is up between Uthappa and Rana after Robin collects a single off the first ball. Seven come in the over.

Uthappa and Rana certainly have profited from some average fielding by the #MumbaiIndians, and bring up a fifty-stand for the third wicket

FOUR! ‘Roobish’ delivery. A low full toss, outside off and Uthappa drives it past the diving long off fielder.

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 77/2 ( Robin Uthappa 25 , Nitish Rana 23)

Both these former Mumbai Indians players are enjoying themselves at the centre. 17 off Markande’s first.

SIX! Another. Markande must be sulking right now. Uthappa is making Mumbai pay for the dropped catch. Launches one down the ground.

Players to score 4000-plus runs in IPL:

Suresh Raina
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
Gautam Gambhir
David Warner
ROBIN UTHAPPA*

Nitish Rana scored 198 runs at Wankhede in IPL in 2017 which was the second most by any player. He knows the pitch inside out so he needs to stay there as long as he can for KKR.

SIX! Markande bowls the googly and Uthappa has swept beautifully over midwicket.

FOUR! Rana picked it up early and sweeps this behind square on the leg side.

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 60/2 ( Robin Uthappa 13 , Nitish Rana 18)

Krunal leaks 13 off the first over. Wonder what Markande must be thinking right now. Mumbai Indians need a wicket to break KKR’s momentum.

Mitch McClenaghan has mostly stuck to a specific angle, although he’s varied with his lengths in his two overs so far

Gill had earlier been promoted to the opener’s slot alongside Lynn, and two got off to a decent start, before the latter departed

FOUR! Short and wide from Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana cuts it through point.

SIX! As sweet as it gets. Krunal Pandya pitches it up and Uthappa muscles it down the ground.

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 47/2 ( Robin Uthappa 6 , Nitish Rana 12)

The quality of cricket this IPL hasn’t been great at all. The bowling has been at the best decent and the catching has been very poor. Even this over, Markande put down a sitter at mid on and gives a reprieve to Uthappa. Three come in the over.

Mayank Markande must be the loneliest person on the field right now. He dropped an absolute sitter at mid-on and it could’ve been the wicket of Robin Uthappa. Nice to see Krunal Pandya, who was fielding at mid-off, going to Mayank and telling him to forget the moment. But will the drop prove to be costly? Only time will tell.

Suddenly this pitch is behaving weird. Ball not coming on the bat so smoothly as it was in the first innings. A big catch dropped by Markande but MI still dominant. KKR batters will have to adjust on this track. Not forget Mumbai are bowling well.

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 44/2 ( Robin Uthappa 4 , Nitish Rana 12)

McClenaghan allowed only five runs off his first five balls but erred on the final ball and was duly punished for it. 11 off the over.

SIX! McClenaghan tries to bounce Rana but the southpaw rides the bounce and slams it over third man.

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 33/2 ( Robin Uthappa 1 , Nitish Rana 4)

A good over from Hardik Pandya firs tup. A single, boundary and a wicket.

FOUR! Too full and wide from Hardik and Rana dispatches it over cover-point.

Just the right start Mumbai Indians wanted. Both the openers Chris Lynn and Shubhman Gill departed cheaply so pressure is on Kolkata Knight Riders. Surprisingly, Sunil Narine didn’t open the innings this time around. He would’ve enjoyed batting on this wicket.

Robin Uthappa v MI in IPL:

Innings – 20
Runs – 440 
Average – 24.44

It will be important for him to play a long innings today to help his team to chase the target as they have already lost both the openers.

MI send back openers and the pressure is on for KKR. That was a no-shot from Shubman. Got carried away. Tells you that it is a good pitch to bat on but you will have to get your eyes in first. That is what Surya and Lewis did at the start when MI came to bat.

OUT! Hardik Pandya strikes on his first ball. Starts with a slower delivery and Gill tries to power it long off but skies it. The senior Pandya gets underneath it at mid off and gobbles it up. KKR have lost both their openers. 

Shubman Gill c Krunal Pandya b Hardik Pandya 7(5)

Hardik Pandya is into the attack.

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 28/1 ( Shubman Gill 7 , Robin Uthappa 0)

Chris Lynn could’ve had the last laugh against McClenaghan had it not been for a stupid shot from Chris Lynn on the fifth ball. 13 runs and a wicket off the 3rd over.

OUT! A perfect example of how to throw away your wicket. McClenaghan bowls it short and Lynn pulls it straight into the hands of Bumrah at short fine leg. 

Chris Lynn c Bumrah b McClenaghan 17(13)

FOUR! KKR are dealing in boundaries at the moment. McClenaghan bowls it short and Chris Lynn pulls it through midwicket.

FOUR! Bad ball. Short and around legs, Lynn pulls it wide of short fine leg fielder.

FOUR! Shot! Mitchell McClenaghan bowls it too full and Gill slaps it down the ground.

After 2 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 15/0 ( Chris Lynn 9 , Shubman Gill 2)

A lot of shortish deliveries from Mumbai Indians early on. They are clearly onto some plan but it didn’t work in Bumrah’s over. 13 off it.

Shubman promoted up the order. And Narine goes down. This is a big move from KKR. One would argue if this was needed at this stage of the tournament when Narine was doing good with the bat but that’s the beauty of IPL. You have to keep on experimenting.

FOUR! Good length delivery, outside off and Lynn punches it through cover.

FOUR! Streaky boundary. Bumrah angles in a back of a length delivery, around off, Lynn tries to punch it but it takes the outside edge and flies past the first slip fielder.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl form the other end.

After 1 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 2/0 ( Chris Lynn 1 , Shubman Gill 1)

A fantastic start for Mumbai Indians. Two come in the over.

Surprise, surprise. Shubman Gill has walked out to open with Chris Lynn. Mitchell McCleneghan takes the new ball.

Understanding the progression of the Mumbai Indians through the Manhattan:

Mumbai Indians got off to a cracking start in this game, but they perhaps will feel they are a few runs short after finishing at 181/4. 

KKR have a 3-6 record while chasing against MI in IPL. All those wins have come outside Wankhede. Will they be able to chase 182 today?

Mumbai Indians finish with 181. Feel they are 20 runs short on this pitch. KKR pulled the game back brilliantly and Russell had a major role to play to make that happen.

After 20 overs,Mumbai Indians 181/4 ( Hardik Pandya 35 , JP Duminy 13)

Krishna might have given 11 runs but it was a fantastic last over from the youngster on his debut. The two boundaries that came were off outside edges. 

Mumbai Indians end with 181/4. 

KKR need 182 to win.

So after 20 overs, Mumbai Indians scored 181 for the loss of four wickets. It’s a competitive total, no doubt about it but looks like they are short of 15 runs. They should’ve made more than 200 runs considering the start they had in this match. Credit to Kolkata bowlers for performing to their best in the death overs.

FOUR! An action replay of the previous ball. It wasn’t a bad ball at all from Krishna but the luck is with Hardik Pandya today.

FOUR! Lucky boundary. Hardik tried to send it down the ground but it takes the outside edge and beats the keeper.

After 19 overs,Mumbai Indians 170/4 ( Hardik Pandya 26 , JP Duminy 12)

Sunil Narine finishes on a poor note if compared to his standards. He returns figures of 2/35.

SIX! The decision to send Cutting above Duminy isn’t a great one but Duminy has launched one over deep midwicket.

STAT ATTACK: Jean Paul Duminy has now completed 200 sixes in T20 cricket.

After 18 overs,Mumbai Indians 158/4 ( Hardik Pandya 24 , JP Duminy 2)

Johnson returns. Will he be effective in the death? Yes is the answer. Karthik will happily accept a six-run 18th over.

After 17 overs,Mumbai Indians 152/4 ( Hardik Pandya 22 , JP Duminy 0)

Sunil Narine has still one over left. Eight come in his third over and he concedes eight off it. The hosts crossed the 150-run mark in this over.

Sunil Narine’s had quite a spell so far, bowling mostly along the length around the off-stump area. He’s caught up with Russell in the wickets count in this innings

OUT! A similar delivery but Narine gets the desired result as Krunal Pandya holes out to Shubman Gill at long on. 

Krunal Pandya c Shubman Gill b Narine 14(11)

SIX! Poor bowling from Sunil Narine. Bowls it on the shorter side and Krunal Pandya smashes it over cow corner.

Before Krunal’s wicket DK was pointing to Shubman Gill at long on to go a further Square and that is where the the catch came.

After 16 overs,Mumbai Indians 143/3 ( Hardik Pandya 21 , Krunal Pandya 7)

The over began on a perfect note for Prasidh Krishna. He conceded three off four but the last two balls have spoiled it for him as he concedes two consecutive boundaries.

FOUR! Brilliant batting from the junior Pandya. Shuffles across and paddles this back of a length delivery over short fine leg.

FOUR! Brilliant batting from the junior Pandya. Shuffles across and paddles this back of a length delivery over short fine leg.

Andre Russell has been real effective with the ball today, dismissing both Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav today!

FOUR! Krishna bowls this on the shorter side and Pandya cuts it through cover. The sweeper cover had to chance to cut it off.

After 15 overs,Mumbai Indians 132/3 ( Hardik Pandya 12 , Krunal Pandya 5)

Suryakumar Yadav’s wicket has brought Krunal Pandya to the centre. This is an ideal position for Pandya brothers. The top order has set up an ideal platform and given that they bat deep, these both can play their shots freely.

Krunal Pandya’ last five IPL innings at Wankhede:

24, 15, 11, 41*, 15

Will he be able to give MI a big finish?

Another fine knock from Suryakumar Yadav, who put up a score of 59 off 39 balls, including seven fours and two sixes. Here’s a detailed look at his innings

So Surya perishes after a fine knock and to be honest he was looking very tired. The heat had got to him. Even during the overs he was stretching a lot showing glimpses of his tiredness. Krunal Pandya joins in Hardik Pandya and just at the right time ..they need to get a move from here and score quickly of they are targeting 200. Looking at his track guess anything less than 200 would be tough to defend.

Top knock by Suryakumar Yadav. However, he should’ve scored more than 59 runs today, considering he was well settled at the crease. Loss of concentration for one ball resulted in his fall. So it’s  time for Pandya Brothers to berserk.

FOUR! Off the mark is Krunal Pandya with a boundary over midwicket.

OUT! Andre Russell collects his second wicket. Suryakumar Yadav, who was struggling due to the hat, edges one to Karthik. He departs for 59. 

Suryakumar Yadav c Karthik b A Russell 59(39)

The stage is set for a big score. Mumbai have to keep the wickets in hand and press  acceleration button post the 16th over. They have the right batsman in Hardik Pandya at the crease.

After 14 overs,Mumbai Indians 126/2 ( Suryakumar Yadav 59 , Hardik Pandya 11)

Johnson returns. And keeps it down to four. Barring Piyush Chawla’s over, KKR have kept it tight in the last few overs.

After 13 overs,Mumbai Indians 122/2 ( Suryakumar Yadav 57 , Hardik Pandya 9)

Another expensive over from Piyush Chawla. Will he get another over? 13 have come off this one.

Suryakumar Yadav has once again shone bright for Mumbai Indians, bringing up his fourth fifty in #IPL2018. Here’s how he got to the milestone

Well, much was expected out of Rohit Sharma, but he perished playing a bad shot off Sunil Narine’s bowling. He could’ve shown bit of patience in the middle. I would’ve preferred Krunal Pandya ahead of his brother Hardik in the batting order. Maybe Mumbai Indians think tank thought Hardik is a better player against KKR’s spinners.

SIX! One-handed biggie for Hardik Pandya. Chawla tosses it up outside off, Pandya gets forward and lofts it over long off. In the process the bottom hand comes off but Hardik gets the desired result.

Meanwhile we are seeing heat taking its toll. Surya who has batted from the start is in need of some drinks and wet towel. Not easy batting first here as well.

FOUR! Dropped! Chawla loops it up and Suryakumar plays the inside-out shot over cover. Narine gets his fingertips to it but eventually parries it over him and the ball races away for a boundary.

Here’s how Mumbai Indians progressed in the first half of their innings, with a strong opening stand by Lewis and Surya

After 12 overs,Mumbai Indians 109/2 ( Suryakumar Yadav 51 , Hardik Pandya 2)

Rohit Sharma’s dismissal will peg Mumbai Indians back for some time. Perfect time for KKR to bounce back. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has come out to bat at No 4.

Big wicket for KKR as Rohit Sharma heads back to the dressing room. Walks in Hardik Pandya. DK spread the field for him. He knows what Hardik can do to a spinner on this pitch. Exciting contest to follow.

Bowlers to dismiss Rohit Sharma most times in IPL:

6 – SUNIL NARINE*
6 – R Vinay Kumar

OUT! Huge wicket. Sunil Narine loops it up, Rohit’s eyes lit up and he tries to slog it over midwicket. Gets the elevation but not the distance and holes out to Rinku Singh, who was stationed at that position. 

Rohit c (sub)Rinku Singh b Narine 11(11)

Sunil Narine has dismissed Rohit Sharma five times in IPL – the joint second most times a bowler has dismissed him in IPL.

Should KKR bring back Narine to dismiss him early on?

Evin Lewis didn’t read the slower one from Andre Russell and he departed after a valuable 43-run knock. It may not be a significant in terms of runs scored but the opening stand gives a great platform for Mumbai Indians to post a big score. Rohit Sharma played a match-winning knock in the last match against Kings XI Punjab so he’s in good form. Suryakumar Yadav is closing on to 50 runs and he can aim for the three-figure mark from here.

FIFTY! Mr Consistent! Yet another fifty for Suryakumar Yadav. Gets to the milestone with a single through midwicket.

After 11 overs,Mumbai Indians 103/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 49 , Rohit Sharma (C) 9)

Eight-run over from Piyush Chawla. Rohit and Suryakumar have maintained the tempo. KKR in desperate need of wickets.

The 91-run opening stand between Lewis and Suryakumar, which ended with the former’s dismissal, is one of the best starts Mumbai Indians have had in  IPL 2018

FOUR! Wonderfully played. Chawla bowls it outside off and Rohit Sharma drives it through cover.

Rohit Sharma’s record batting at No 3 in IPL:

Innings – 37
Runs – 873
Average – 26.45
SR – 132.47

Only Suresh Raina has scored more runs than Rohit Sharma against KKR in IPL. He has amassed 710 runs at an average of 47.33 a strike rate of 137.33.

Evin Lewis becomes the first Mumbai Indians batsman to walk back to the dressing room in this match after a good start. Here’s the wagon wheel of his innings, as well as run break-up

After 10 overs,Mumbai Indians 95/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 48 , Rohit Sharma (C) 2)

Mumbai Indians lost their first wicket in the 10th over and honestly it isn’t that bad a thing. Because it allowed Rohit Sharma to stroll out to the centre with 10 overs left in the match. Six come in the over.

OUT! Andre Russell provides the breakthrough. Bowls the slower ball and Lewis mistimes a slog. Gets caught by Chris Lynn at short fine leg. 

Lewis c Chris Lynn b A Russell 43(28)

Andre Russell. One has to admit that he is among the best retentions this year. Provided the first breakthrough for KKR. Even on the boundary ropes, the Mumbai crowd is going crazy after him, chanting Russell.. Russell. He is a winner everywhere thus far. KKR would not mind another wicket here.

After 9 overs,Mumbai Indians 89/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 47 , Evin Lewis 41)

A good over from Kuldeep Yadav. Three singles and a boundary. But KKR need to build more pressure. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav is one hit away from a 50.

FOUR! Deft. Kuldeep offers slight width to Suryakumar Yadav. The batsman rocks on his back foot and cuts it past the diving backward point fielder.

Tough chance went down in the last over. Rohit Sharma would be sitting in the dressing room. This is by far their best start. As for KKR, this heat is even more scorching now with Yadav and Lewis wrecking havoc. What is beautiful to see is that they have not tried to be too aggressive. Almost all of the shots played now are cricketing shots.

Suryakumar Yadav has been an asset for #MumbaiIndians in #IPl2018 as a batsman, and he’s looking good this innings as well. Let’s take a look at his shots so far

After 8 overs,Mumbai Indians 82/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 42 , Evin Lewis 39)

Nitish Rana has conceded 16 off his second over and dropped a tough chance of Evin Lewis. Wonder what must be going through Dinesh Karthik’s mind right now? Nothing is going his way so far. The Mumbai camp must be all smiles.

FOUR! The move to give Nitish Rana another over hasn’t worked. Bowls a half-volley and Suryakumar Yadav crunches it through cover.

FOUR! Unlucky Nitish Rana! He bowls a yorker after seeing Lewis back away and the batsman manages to get his toe-end on it. It misses the stumps and goes past the keeper.

FOUR! Lovely shot. Nitish Rana pitches it up and Suryakumar Yadav wrists it through midwicket.

After 7 overs,Mumbai Indians 66/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 33 , Evin Lewis 33)

Kuldeep Yadav is into the attack. Mumbai start with a brace and two singles and then Suryakumar Yadav slams a biggie. The over ends with two dots.

SIX! Kuldeep Yadav tosses it up, Suryakumar Yadav waltzes down the track and tonks it over cow corner.

Evin Lewis has targetted the square-leg region so far in his innings, and is off to a good start. Here’s a detailed look

Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis have been very watchful but that didn’t affect the run flow. Lewis took the attack against Piyush Chawla, smashing 14 runs in the spinner’s first over. Mumbai are picking up the momentum. Kolkata need to break this partnership.

This Wankhede track looks like a belter. No help for either the spinners or the pacers. Some problem for Karthik early on as wickets are hard to come by.  It would be interesting to see how and when Kuldeep gets a go.

Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis have accelerated superbly after a slow start, bringing up the fifty-stand in no time. Here’s a detailed look at their partnership so far

After 6 overs,Mumbai Indians 56/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 24 , Evin Lewis 32)

A superb powerplay for Mumbai Indians. The openers have provided a good platform but they need to keep going. Time-out has been taken.

FOUR! Bowls another googly and Evin Lewis edges it past the keeper. Had set up Lewis but the luck seems to be with the southpaw.

The 50-run stand is up between Suryakumar and Lewis. Chawla slips out a googly and Lewis sends it over cover for a boundary.

Piyush Chawla has taken 20 wickets against MI in IPL — the third most by any bowler. Will he be able to break the opening stand?

SIX! A rubbish start from Piyush Chawla. Bowls a friendly full toss and Lewis hammers it over deep square leg.

Piyush Chawla is into the attack.

After 5 overs,Mumbai Indians 42/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 24 , Evin Lewis 18)

Mumbai Indians are gaining momentum with each passing over. 10 come in the 5th over, which was bowled by Prasidh Krishna. KKR must break this partnership if they are to put Mumbai under pressure.

SIX! Prasidh goes short and around off, Evin Lewis swivels and pulls it over fine leg.

KKR bowlers being put under pressure. Johnson leaked 15 off his first and then KKR’s safest bet Sunil Narine has been hit for a couple of boundaries. This is a good start for Mumbai.

Sunil Narine’s economy rate of 6.25 in IPL against MI — the second best for any bowler with a cut-off of 10 wickets against them.

After 4 overs,Mumbai Indians 32/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 22 , Evin Lewis 10)

Sunil Narine’s record against Evin Lewis brilliant but so far the southpaw has had the upperhand. Scores consecutive boundaries off his West Indian teammate.

FOUR! This time he middles it. Shortish and around off, Lewis goes on his back foot and punches it through cover.

FOUR! Doesn’t connect it well but Evin Lewis has scored his first boundary through midwicket.

Sunil Narine is introduced into the attack.

Here’s a comparison between the bowling exploits of KKR’s Piyush Chawla and MI’s Hardik Pandya, both of whom have been quite handy for their respective sides with the ball. 

After 3 overs,Mumbai Indians 23/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 21 , Evin Lewis 2)

A poor start for Mitchell Johnson. He hasn’t had the best of the starts to the season and the story has continued so far. He needs to come up with a plan to counter this batting heavy Mumbai Indians batting line-up. 15 off the over.

FOUR! Shortish length and width on offer, Suryakumar Yadav throws the kitchen sink at it and the ball races away to the point fence.

FOUR! Too full and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav leans forward and drives it through cover.

SIX! In the air… and it falls safe. Johnson bowls a bounce and Suryakumadr pulls it and top edges it over the fine leg fielder.

It’s hot and humid and fans are drenched in sweat by the time they settle to in their places. But atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium is electric as usual. It’s almost full house with more people entering. Meanwhile, it has been slow start for Mumbai. Just 8 runs from the first two overs

After 2 overs,Mumbai Indians 8/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 6 , Evin Lewis 2)

Mumbai Indians have started cautiously. Seven come in the 2nd over.

Great start from KKR. Creativity from Dinesh Karthik already by giving the first over to Nitish Rana. Spin seems to be on radar of KKR this hot afternoon. YES, It is very hot here today in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Kolkata fielders will have their task cut out today.

Suryakumar Yadav’s batting average in IPL 11:

Home – 32.50
Away from home – 42.00

FOUR! Short and wide, Suryakumar Yadav cuts it through cover-point.

Prasidh Krishna to bowl his first IPL over from the other end.

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

A tidy start from Nitish Rana. A single followed by five dots.

Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis are the Mumbai Indians openers. Why do we even bother discussing why Rohit Sharma is not batting at the top? Interesting strategy from KKR. Nitish Rana to open the bowling.

Both Suryakumar Yadav and Andre Russell have been extremely valuable for Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. 

Here’s a chart that compares their batting performances in IPL 2018.

Mumbai haven’t necessarily been at their best at their home ground this season:

MI have won only two matches from their last seven matches at Wankhede in IPL.

Here’s a stat that shows Mumbai Indians’ clear superiority over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium:

MI have a 6-1 record against KKR at home in IPL.

MI v KKR in IPL:

Matches played – 21
MI won – 16
KKR won – 5

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

KKR make two changes. 

IN: Prasidh Krishna, Nitish Rana 

OUT: Shivam Mavi, Rinku Singh

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

Mumbai Indians name unchanged XI.

Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and Dinesh Karthik opts to bowl.

PITCH REPORT: “A beautiful coverage of green grass. Beautiful wicket, nice batting surface. Traditional Mumbai red soil. Shouldn’t be a big spinning wicket. Cracks should open up later in the game,” says former Australian speedster Brett Lee.

Alex Hales has been in fine touch with the bat in the few opportunities that he has got in the ongoing tournament, and has somewhat filled the void left behind by the exit of David Warner. Shubham Pandey tells us why Hales’ inclusion might have largely solved SRH’s opening woes in his article here .

In an exclusive interaction with Firstpost, Shubman Gill, who recently cracked a match-winning half-century against Chennai Super Kings, tells us the state of his mind he walks out to bat. Watch the full interview here .