Mumbai restricts KKR to 157/7 after Iyer’s 42
KOLKATA: Venkatesh Iyer stood out with a 21-ball 42 before a disciplined Mumbai Indians bowling unit restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 157 for seven in the IPL here on Saturday.
Battling a strained hamstring, Iyer lifted KKR after their worst start of the season with his counter-attacking knock after MI won a good toss following a late start because of rain.
The highlight of the left-hander’s innings was the way he hit Jasprit Bumrah for a six and two fours. Having missed 11 matches because of a finger injury, Nitish Rana made a 23-ball 33 in a key partnership with Iyer before getting run out.
But Mumbai bounced back well with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla returning 2/28 from his three overs, taking the two key wickets of Iyer and Andre Russell (24 off 14 balls; 2x4, 2x6).
Russell was looking in the mood and his wicket against the run of play denied KKR some extra runs. Bumrah (2/39 from four overs) ended his splendid spell by dismissing Rinku Singh for a 12ball 20. On a tacky wicket that remained under covers for three days owing to persistent rain in the city, KKR had their worst start of the season and lost their openers -- Phil Salt (6) and Sunil Narine (0) -- in seven balls.
After being hit for a first-ball six, Nuwan Thushara dismissed Salt with a slower one and Bumrah flummoxed Narine with a delivery that angled away but swung in late to rattle his offstump. Bumrah looked unplayable and teased the batters by bowling a Test match length, knocking over a clueless Narine off his first ball.
BRIEF SCORES: KKR 157/7 in 20 overs (V Iyer 42) vs MI