IPL 2018,MI v KKR: Hardik show

Mumbai Indians (MI) kept their play-off hopes alive after registering a 13-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the Wankhede stadium here on Sunday.

Mumbai Indian’s Mitchell McClenaghan, center, celebrates the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Chris Lynn in a key IPL match.

KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik defended his decision to not call upon Russell or Johnson for the final over, after suffering a 13-run defeat. The live telecast of the IPL 2018 match 37 between MI and KKR will start at 4 PM on May 6th (Sunday). The Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start with their openers, Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav, adding 91 runs for the first wicket.

Editorial team of CricketCountry. “You score one six and all of a sudden the momentum shifts and everything changes”, Hardik said. The tried and tested opener, who bowled his quota of four overs during Mumbai’s innings wasn’t feeling too well and subsequently couldn’t open the innings for the visitors.

Uthappa, who was dropped by Markande, smashed him for two consecutive sixes. Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance, especially with the ball, was the cornerstone of Mumbai’s critical win. A couple of overs later, Rohit Sharma (11) was also sent packing by Sunil Narine.

Determined to win, Mumbai Indians got about their job in just the ideal way with two quick wickets.

The risky Andre Russell was caught nu Krunal.

Krunal has been a crucial part of MI’s campaign this season as well as the left-hander has scored 181 runs at a strike rate of 148.36 and picked up nine wickets in 10 matches. Hardik stifled the run flow and got the wickets of Gill and Nitish Rana (31). Hardik had brother Krunal and Jasprit Bumrah to thank for holding on to the steeplers off Gill and Rana.

Lewis sliced Russell’s slower delivery to short third man before the West Indian seamer found an edge off Yadav, who hit seven fours and two sixes.

Hardik Panya, the purple cap holder, was the pick of the bowlers as he took two wickets for just 19 runs in his quota of four overs. On behalf of Kolkata, Robin Uthappa scored 54 runs. Captain Rohit Sharma continued to struggle, and Hardik (35 off 20) was the only one to make a meaningful contribution, even within the whimsical parameters of batting in this format.