Navi Mumbai: Jasprit Bumrah’s (5/10) first ever five-wicket haul in the IPL did not help Mumbai Indians (MI) as they crashed to an embarrassing 52-run defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here Monday. After Bumrah’s spell had restricted KKR to 165 for nine, MI lost their way in the middle part of their innings and were bowled out for 113 in 17.3 overs.
Pat Cummins (3/22) and Andre Russell (2/22) did the maximum damage for KKR. However, they were aided by the Mumbai batters who committed Hara Kiri. From 83 for three they were bowled out for 113 losing their last seven wickets for only 30 runs including three run outs.
Except for Ishan Kishan (51, 43b, 5×4, 1×6), none of the Mumbai batters showed the gumption to stay in the middle. Only four batters were able to get double-digit scores.
Earlier Bumrah bowled brilliantly to restrict KKR despite fine knocks from Venkatesh Iyer (43, 24b, 3×4, 4×6) and Nitish Rana (43, 26b, 3×4, 4×6).
KKR openers Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane (25) added 60 runs in just 5.4 overs after they were put into bat and at that pont of time it looked like they would go past the 200-run mark. However, they failed to capitalise on that promising start.
Rana played an entertaining knock, but it was Bumrah who took five wickets in two overs, to put the brakes on KKR, who suffered a middle-order collapse.
In the 15th over, Bumrah removed Andre Russell (9) and Rana and then clinched three wickets – Sheldon Jackson (5), Pat Cummins (0) and Sunil Narine (0), in the 18th over, a maiden, to bring MI back into the game.
Iyer perished in the sixth over, giving a sitter to Daniel Sams at point, with spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh (2/32) getting his first wicket.
Iyer was brutal on spinner Murugan Ashwin (1/35), hitting him for his first maximum, a pull shot and then hammered a boundary. The southpaw then walloped his second six over deep mid-wicket, off Daniel Sams (1/26), as KKR raced to 26/0 after three overs.
Iyer then targeted Riley Meredith (0/35), hammering him for boundary and a six, a scoop shot, in the fifth over where KKR amassed 17 runs. Mumbai bowlers however, conceded only 23 runs from overs 7-10.
Kartikeya cleaned up Rahane, with a full delivery that turned in as the opener was beaten while attempting a reverse-sweep. After Rahane’s dismissal, Rana upped the ante and launched into Kartikeya, hitting him for two successive sixes, one over long-on. He then tore into Kieron Pollard, hammering two sixes and a boundary, in the 13th over, where the side got 17 runs.
But then it was Bumrah, who wreaked havoc with the ball and firmly brought MI back into the contest.
Brief scores: KKR 165 for 9 (Venkatesh Iyer 43, Nitish Rana 43, Jasprit Bumrah 5/10) beat Mumbai Indians 113 all out in 17.3 overs (Ishan Kishan 51, Pat Cummins 3/22, Andre Russell 2/22) by 52 runs
