Mumbai: Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (67) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51) struck vital half-centuries but Kolkata Knight Riders posted a par score of 220 for 4 in their Indian Premier League clash against Mumbai Indians Sunday.
On a placid wicket, Shardul Thakur (339) provided Mumbai with crucial breakthroughs as their bowlers could not really impose themselves in their maiden outing. Both senior pacers Trent Boult (038) and Jasprit Bumrah (035) went wicketless, but India’s pace spearheads’ 18th and 20th over stopped KKR from getting closer to 250.
Rahane began with a wristy flick over wide long-on with exquisite timing for a six off Boult in the first over. KKR got the impetus when Hardik Pandya (139) erred with line and lengths throughout the fourth over to give away 26 runs.
The skipper helped himself with two pick-up shots down the leg for consecutive sixes while Finn Allen (37 off 17 balls) drilled Pandya down the ground for a powerful hit for four, ending with a scoop past the ‘keeper and short fine leg for a third boundary.
Before that, Allen had clobbered two sixes and a four off debutant Allah Ghazanfar (051) to collect 17 runs in the third over.
Despite Thakur striking on his second ball to get rid of Finn, caught by Tilak Varma off an innocuous at long-on, KKR stood a happier side at 781 after the powerplay.
KKR crossed the 100-run mark inside the eighth over, and Rahane looked set for a triple-digit score at one stage, striking over 200.
But Thakur’s twin strikes in separate spells broke the momentum for the visitors, which also saw the new batters not being able to keep up.
The burly Cameron Green was forced to chase short and wide deliveries by Thakur in the ninth over, and on the second such ball, the Australian hit it straight to Sherfane Rutherford, who took a fine diving catch in front.
Then, in his third and 14th over of the innings, Thakur deceived Rahane with a slower cross-seam delivery outside the off, which the KKR skipper hit inside out, only to be caught by his MI counterpart at cover with ease despite moving some paces behind.
Rahane’s 67 off 40 balls, studded with five sixes and three fours, once again showcased how much the veteran Indian batter has been putting in his batting for the white-ball format.
There was a delightful hit over bowler Mayank Markande’s head for a six while Ghazanfar was smacked over midwicket for another six with Rahane getting down on his knee.
If Rahane went hard from the onset, Raghuvanshi was sluggish for a large part of his innings but recovered well to unleash a few big hits towards the end, which took him past the fifty mark.
Raghuvanshi also had some luck to thank when on 21, a lofted hit which presented a regulation catch at the rope, was dropped by Rohit Sharma off Ghazanfar in the 15th.
The KKR wicketkeeper-batter was eventually dismissed by Pandya in the penultimate over after a 29-ball 51 with six fours and two sixes.
