Abu Dhabi: Mumbai Indians cruised to the top of the IPL 2020 points table with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. In reply to KKR's 148 for 5, MI chased down the target (149) with 19 balls to spare. Mumbai now have 12 points from eight matches.
Captain Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock shared a 94-run partnership for the first wicket that took the match away from Kolkata. Rohit scored 35 off 36 balls before felling to Shivam Mavi, while de Kock scored unbeaten 78 off 44 balls. de Kock hit nine fours and three sixes.
After Rohit's dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav was bamboozled by Varun Chakravarty.
Hardik Pandya did the rest of the work. He scored unbeaten 21 off 11 balls with a strike rate of 190.91.
Earlier, the beginning of Eoin Morgan's captaincy tenure with Kolkata Knight Riders didn't start in an idle situation as his side surrendered to Mumbai Indians' wise bowling, a blend of pace and spin on Friday. At Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium, KKR scored 148 for 5 in 20 overs.
Winning the toss, KKR captain Eoin Morgan decided to bat in his first outing as a captain. However, his batsmen looked unwilling and rusty against a quality bowling attack.
KKR have lost wickets at regular intervals. Their top half was sent packing for 61 in 11 overs. Opener Rahul Tripathi was the first one to go when Trent Boult got him caught by Suryakumar Yadav. Nitish Rana edged to a Nathan Coulter-Nile delivery to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock in the sixth over.
In the eight over, Shubman Gill, who was playing an extremly slow innings (21 off 23 balls) was caught near the long-on boundary by Kieron Pollard while trying to take Rahul Chahar to the cleaner. In the very next ball, Dinesh Karthik, who has stepped down from captaincy just hours before the match, got out sheepishly while trying to play a half-hearted scoop. Chahal's low lying delivery nicked Karthik's bat and streamed down to hit the stumps.
In a span of three overs, Andre Russell fell victim to Jasprit Bumrah's variation when the pacer outfoxed him unleashing a slower.
With KKR's innings derailed, captain Morgan (39 not out) made an attempt to post a respectable total. Morgan got the support of Pat Cummins. In fact, the Australian was more aggressive than his captain. Cummins scored a quickfire half-century to help KKR score 148 for 5 in 20 overs. Cummins completed his fifty off 35 balls. He hit five boundaries and two sixes.
Morgan hit a last-ball six off Coulter-Nile to set a moderate target for Mumbai Indians. Morgan and Cummins added 87 runs for the seventh wicket partnership.
Rahul Chahar was the highest wicket-taker for Mumbai Indians as the 21-year-old took two wickets giving away 18 runs in four overs. Boult, Coulter-Nile and Bumrah took one wicket apiece.
Mumbai Indians will next face Kings XI Punjab on October 18, while KKR will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore at this venue on October 21.
