Mumb high Indians
Blues vault from bottom to top as Rohit cracks whip
Abu Dhabi, Sept. 23: Skipper Rohit Sharma’s effortless batting formed the cornerstone of Mumbai Indians’ resounding 49-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday.
On a big Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Rohit pummelled the KKR bowlers into submission for a 54ball 80 and powered Mumbai to an imposing
195/5.
The night belonged to Rohit, the great white-ball exponent, whose knock was laced with six sixes.
Then the Jasprit Bumrah-led Mumbai attack did most things right to restrict KKR to
146 for 9.
KKR were never on course for a comfortable chase as they lost openers Shubhman Gill (7) and Sunil Narine (9) cheaply to be in a spot of bother at
25 for two. One-down skipper Dinesh Karthik (30 off 23) and Nitish Rana (24 off 18) tried to up the ante but they were still playing the catch-up game with 125 runs needed from the last
10 overs.
Kolkata were dealt a double blow in quick succession — first Karthik was trapped by Rahul Chahar (2/26) in front of the wicket and then Hardik Pandya grabbed a running catch on the fence to send back Rana.
Bumrah (2/32) in the
16th over sealed the game for Mumbai as he removed Andre Russell
(11), who was bowled, and then forced Eoin Morgan
(20) to edge to the wicketkeeper. Pat Cummins (33 off 12) launched into Bumrah with four sixes in a very expensive 18th over, but it was too late for Kolkata.
Kieron Pollard (1/21), Trent Boult (2/30), James
Pattison (2/25) played their roles to perfection.
Earlier, put into bat, after Shivam Mavi (2/32) removed opener Quinton De Kock (1) cheaply, Rohit
(80 off 54 balls; 3 fours, 6 sixes) and Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 28; 6 fours, 1 six) added 90 runs for the second wicket to pull the team out of trouble.
Rohit, who began with a maximum, displayed his languid grace and elegance as he took the Kolkata attack to the cleaners. Surya effortlessly smashed four boundaries off Sandeep Warrier
(0/34), including a coverdrive and a flick, in the third over. —