Match Highlights, IPL 2021, MI vs KKR Full Cricket Score: Kolkata beat Mumbai by 7 wickets to enter top four

Eoin Morgan: This has been a long time coming, since Brendon McCullum has taken over. The way we’ve played in these last two games is the way he wants us to play cricket. It’s exciting, and it suits a lot of the talents in the dressing room. The way we’ve bowled and batted has been outstanding, to hold a strong side like the Mumbai Indians to 150 or so, and then to chase it down like that, it builds a lot of confidence.

We were trying to fit Iyer into our XI. It was difficult, we had a lot of talented guys and it’s a big franchise. Not only the runs he’s scored, but the manner in which he’s scored them, he’s working very well with Shubman Gill.

He goes out and plays in this manner in in-house warm-up games, this style is naturally suited to his. Baz backs him to the hilt, and he only played his second match today, but he played like an experienced pro. 

We have two very formidable bowlers in Narine and Chakravarthy. Narine has been part of this franchise for a very long time, an integral part of the title-winning teams. Varun’s learning a lot from him, and hopefully, we’ll see Varun in international cricket soon.

As things stand, there’s only one way we’re looking, which is up, and if the last two games are anything to go by, things are looking quite bright.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rahul Tripathi: “I really enjoyed and happy that I stayed till the end and got the team home.”

“Obviously the coach tells us to be positive. When you are positive the pressure goes to the bowlers and you just look for runs.”

“It was important to put their spinners under pressure. I felt it was important to get boundaries.”

“The team environment is very positive. We wanted to hit the ground running in the second phase. Definitely very happy.”

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma: “Few areas (went wrong). We started really well but didn’t get enough towards the back end. I thought it was a good pitch, we failed to capitalize on the start we got and we didn’t bowl well at the start. I don’t want to look into it too much, things can happen and you have to move on.”

“After a good start we had to get small partnerships but we kept losing wickets at regular intervals, it is not easy for new batters to go in and start hitting the ball. It is something that happened in the last game as well and we will address it.

“It (points table) is always there at the back of the mind on where you stand, we are still in the middle of the table, so we have to get back and fight and hopefully get some wins on the trot.”

KKR WIN BY 7-WICKETS

Nitish Rana gets the job done! Rohit Sharma brings himself into attack and the first ball is good enough for KKR to get the win. A four towards backward point and KKR win by 7 wickets with 29 balls to spare

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 155/3 ( Rahul Tripathi 74 , Nitish Rana 1)

Jasprit Bumrah goes for 8 runs and gets the consolation wicket of Eoin Morgan. The KKR skipper tried to clear the boundary but only found Boult in the deep. Tripathi once again showing plenty of confidence for a boundary and he’s on to 74 runs

OUT!

Jasprit Bumrah with a back of length delivery, on middle stump, Morgan pulls and doesn’t get the distance on it. Top-edged it straight to Boult in the deep

Morgan c Boult b Bumrah 7 (8)

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 147/2 ( Rahul Tripathi 67 , Eoin Morgan (C) 7)

Adam Milne in for a third over. After two expensive overs, Milne contains the flow of runs. Just the 2 runs from the over but it is only prolonging the inevitable at this stage. KKR need 9 runs from 36 balls

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 145/2 ( Rahul Tripathi 66 , Eoin Morgan (C) 6)

Rahul Chahar is put in further misery by Tripathi and Morgan too. Concedes 17 runs from the over with two sixes and a four from the over. He is 3-0-34-0 and may not get another over tonight. KKR need 11 runs from 42 balls

After 12 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 128/2 ( Rahul Tripathi 55 , Eoin Morgan (C) 0)

An action packed over from Jasprit Bumrah. MI desperately need a breakthrough for any possibility of drama late on. On the first ball, an instance of it being KKR’s day. Tripathi gets a six while he attempted to play towards fine leg for a four. On the next, Tripathi with a smartly played shot on a not-so-bad ball for four more. The fourth, finally, fetches something for Mumbai and it is Venkatesh Iyer who departs. Beaten by the slower one and is bowled while attempting yet another six. Captain Eoin Morgan is the new man in. 11 runs from the over and a wicket to go with it

OUT!

BOWLED! One shot too many from Venkatesh Iyer and this time he’s beaten by the slower one to have his leg stump toppled. Gets a deserved standing ovation from the KKR management

Iyer b Bumrah 60 (53)

FIFTY FOR TRIPATHI

When it’s your day, eh? Tripathi looks to play it towards fine leg but gets a top edge and it goes towards third man instead. And it has enough on it to hit the rope for a six. It also brings up the 50 run mark for Rahul Tripathi from 29 balls

After 11 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 117/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 53 , Rahul Tripathi 44)

The equation reads: 45 needed from 60 balls. Rahul Chahar is back into the attack. On the first ball, he sees the ball be run down for a double for Venkatesh Iyer’s first IPL fifty. He has taken 27 balls to the mark. On the fourth ball, he has a chance to get rid of Tripathi who fails to read the wrong ‘un and gets a top edge. Unfortunately for Chahar and MI, it doesn’t carry well for the bowler back. Tripathi can breathe a sight of relief. A double to close the over out and 6 runs from the over

FIFTY FOR IYER!

First IPL fifty for Venkatesh Iyer. Cut away towards backward point for a double. Iyer with 50 runs from 25 balls. A thumbs up to his partner at the other end

After 10 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 111/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 48 , Rahul Tripathi 43)

Jasprit Bumrah brought MI a breakthrough earlier. Rohit Sharma would hope he does so once again. Nearly does on the third ball. Slower one, beats Tripathi who gets the upper part of the bat and it almost carries to Boult. Desperately dive but doesn’t earn a wicket, does save a four and earns an applause from Bumrah. But on the next one, Bumrah goes for another slower one and this one is cut away for a four. To make things worse for MI, Bumrah gets his bouncer all wrong and it goes over the keeper’s head for a four and and a wide. 14 runs from the over. KKR are running away with this

After 9 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 97/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 46 , Rahul Tripathi 36)

Krunal Pandya is into his third over. He (and rest of the MI bowlers) has been kept at arm’s length and it continues. A disdainful six from Tripathi towards long on from the first ball. A sweep boundary to close the over out. 12 runs from it. KKR cruising along

After 8 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 85/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 45 , Rahul Tripathi 25)

Rahul Chahar is brought in by Rohit Sharma and on the third ball, he is welcomed to bowling by Rahul Tripathi. Slog-sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a four. A ball later, Iyer steers the ball to third man for a four. 11 from the over

After 7 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 74/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 41 , Rahul Tripathi 18)

Stat: Not only was this KKR’s best powerplay this season, it is MI’s worst since 2017. Krunal Pandya is on to bowl his second over. Second ball and Iyer continues from where he left off before the timeout. Jumps down the track and just about clears the rope and beats the fielder stationed there. 11 runs from the over

After 6 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 63/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 33 , Rahul Tripathi 16)

Adam Milne is back in to bowl. Rahul Tripathi attacks on the first ball. Gets the air on it but not the distance. Does collect two runs. On the next ball, Tripathi with an innovative shot to collect four runs. Three singles, a double and an extra on the subsequent deliveries to close the over out. 12 runs from the over. KKR are 63/1 after the Powerplay overs in what is their best showing this season

After 5 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 51/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 30 , Rahul Tripathi 8)

Spin is introduced from Rohit Sharma in the form of Krunal Pandya. Slower bowlers did the job for KKR in containing the flow of runs. MI would need the same. 3 runs from the over. 50 up for the KKR in the chase

After 4 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 48/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 30 , Rahul Tripathi 5)

Trent Boult is back into the attack. He proved expensive the last time but not so much this time. 8 runs from the over with Rahul Tripathi getting going

After 3 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 40/1 ( Venkatesh Iyer 27 , Rahul Tripathi 0)

Jasprit Bumrah is into the attack. He goes for a couple of boundaries but finishes the over out with the wicket of Gill. Gets the breakthrough that Mumbai Indians desperately needed. 10 runs from the over but more importantly, this partnership is broken at 40 runs

OUT!

BOWLED! Bumrah delivers and does the job he was asked to do. After mediocre deliveries thus far, he produces a slower one, an off-cutter and Gill gets an inside edge on to the stumps

Gill b Bumrah 13 (9)