MI SET UP PUNE FINAL
Krunal Pandya’s unbeaten 30-ball 45 helped Mumbai Indians record a facile six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) second qualifier clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
Mumbai, who finished on 111/4 in 14.3 overs, will now take on Steve Smith’s Rising Pune Supergiant in the final on Sunday.
Chasing just 108, Krunal joined hands with skipper Rohit Sharma for a 54-run fourth wicket stand to steady Mumbai’s ship after early hiccups which left them on 34/3 at one stage. Rohit (26) gave away his wicket cheaply, picking out Ankit Rajpoot at deep square leg off Nathan CoulterNile’s delivery.
KKR caused a flutter among Mumbai ranks scalping three wickets inside the first six overs. Piyush Chawla (2/34) was at the forefront of the early demolition, sending the dangerous Lendl Simmons (3) and Ambati Rayudu (6) back in the hut with a googly and a peach of a delivery respectively which beat Rayudu all ends up. At the end of Powerplay, Mumbai were in a spot of bother at 36/3. But once Rohit and Krunal saw off the initial few overs, it was Mumbai all the way as the latter played the role of aggressor with deft fours and lusty sixes to inflict a 16th defeat on their rivals in the two sides’ 21st meeting.
Krunal’s innings was laced with eight fours and no six. With him at the crease was Keiron Pollard (not out 9) when Krunal hit the winning
Earlier, Mumbai Indians’ leg-spinner Karn Sharma took four wickets to bowl Kolkata Knight Riders out for a paltry 107 in 18.5 overs.
Karn (4 for 16) was brilliant on the night taking the wickets of Sunil Narine (10), Gautam Gambhir (12), Colin de Grandhomme (0) and Ishank Jaggi (28) to derail KKR’s innings. Suryakumar Yadav (31) and Jaggi put a semblance of a fight with a 56-run association for the sixth wicket but could not script a turnaround as the former fell in the 18th over looking to accelerate.
Umesh Yadav (2) was not out as Ankit Rajpoot (4) was the last man to be dismissed. At the start, opener Chris Lynn (4) was sent back early by medium pacer Jasprit Bumrah (3 for 7). —