The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) overcame a shaky start to post a competitive 169 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 51 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, May 3.
KKR openers struggled early, with Phil Salt dismissed for just 5 by Nuwan Thushara in the first over. MI bowlers kept the pressure on, dismissing the top five batsmen within 7 overs. Sunil Narine managed only 8 runs, while skipper Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh fell for single digits, leaving KKR reeling at 57/5 after 6.1 overs.
However, a crucial 83-run partnership between Manish Pandey (42) and Venkatesh Iyer (70) revived the KKR innings. Iyer's aggressive knock and Pandey's steady contribution ensured KKR didn't hand MI an easy win, considering the home team's need for victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jasprit Bumrah restricted KKR's scoring in the death overs, taking impressive figures of 3/18, including his 50th wicket at the Wankhede in the IPL.
