AGENCY
Kolkata: Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a sparkling 84 as an inspired Mumbai Indians cruised to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders to open their account in the ninth season of Indian Premier League here today.
Chasing a challenging target of 188 in the T20 match, Jos Buttler made the chase look easier, smashing his way to 41 off mere 22 balls and helped Mumbai Indians chase down the target with five balls to spare at the Eden Gardens.
Having stayed till the end, Sharma got his runs off just 54 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes in the process.
At a venue where he has scored centuries in the all three formats beside his epic ODI world record 264, Sharma did not put a wrong foot and looked in imperious form since kick-starting with a third ball six against Andre Russell.
Gambhir struggled to contain Sharma as he dissected the field with ease while the likes of Buttler (3×4, 3×6) and Mitchell McClenaghan (20 from eight balls; 3×6) put on useful partnerships.
There was a time when Mumbai Indians were in a spot with 101 required from 59 balls as KKR kept on attacking with their spin strategy. In a tactical masterstroke, MI’s think-tank promoted the left-handed New Zealand allrounder McClenaghan who turned it around with two successive sixes against Chawla and followed that up with another slog over midwicket against rookie Kuldeep Yadav.
The cameo brought the required run-rate down and calmed Sharma’s nerves and he also found fine support from Englishman Buttler who hit Russell for two sixes and one four in a 18-run 16th over to inch closer to the target. After Buttler’s departure in the third ball of the penultimate over, Sharma hit Russell for three boundaries in succession to make it one from the last over, a formality Kieron Pollard completed to bring the defending champions’ campaign back on track. (PTI)
score board
Kolkata Knight Riders innings
RV Uthappa† c Pollard b McClenaghan 08
G Gambhir* c †Patel b Pandya 64
MK Pandey c & b Harbhajan Singh 52
AD Russell b McClenaghan 36
YK Pathan not out 09
C Munro run out (Southee/†Patel) 04
SA Yadav not out 04
Extras 10
Total 187/5
Mumbai Indians innings
RG Sharma* not out 84
PA Patel† run out (Hogg/†Uthappa) 23
HH Pandya c Pandey b Chawla 09
MJ McClenaghan c Munro b Kuldeep Yadav 20
JC Buttler c Yadav b Russell 41
KA Pollard not out 01
Extras 10
Total 188/4
