IPL 2018: 37th Match, Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Five Game-Changing Moments

The first-half of super Sunday (May 6) witnessed a clash between hosts Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), facing-off each other for the race considering the fourth spot in the playoffs of Indian Premier League (IPL).

It was Rohit Sharma’s side which ended up on the winning side with a vital 13-run win over Dinesh Karthik’s KKR side, with the help of some impressive bowling performances.

Let us look at the five game-changing moments from the game.

MI’s mammoth opening stand:

After being asked to bat first, host Mumbai Indians came out all guns blazing with the opening stand between Suryakumar Yadav and his Windies partner Evin Lewis.

Quick Read: Twitter Reactions: Indians Stay Alive in IPL 2018 After KKR Win

The two took the wind off the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers with their 91-run stand in nine overs.

Suryakumar jumped a couple of spots to take the second position in the race for Orange Cap, with his 39-ball 59.

Lewis, at the other end, smashed 43 off just 28 balls. Both top-order batters struck twelve boundaries and four maximums together, to give Mumbai a flying start.

Sunil Narine’s spell:

Man of the Match from the previous match, Sunil Narine, went on to restrict his opposition yet again with his spell of bowling.

Narine claimed wickets of captain Rohit and Krunal Pandya, which made a difference in between during the first innings.

Also, he came back after being expensive at the start and ended up conceding runs at 8.75 runs per overs

Hardik Pandya effect:

The all-round sensation of Indian cricket, stood out yet again with his efforts, to help the struggling Indians’ cause in the tournament. He first scored an explosive 35 off just 20 balls, with four boundaries and a six.

More effectively, he bowled one of the best spells, where he clinched a couple of wickets and conceded only 19 in his quota of four overs.

Robin Uthappa getting the monkey off his back:

After numerous outings this season, Robin Uthappa finally got a half-century to show for his brilliant hitting form. Uthappa set up KKR’s chase with his blistering knock of 54 off just 36 deliveries.

The Saurashtra batsman scored at a strike rate of 154, lighting up Wankhede with six boundaries and three sixes. KKR looked well and truly in the chase in pursuit of 182.

MI bowlers death bowling:

Mumbai bowlers kept the team’s hopes alive in the tournament by bowling decent death overs and also clinching vital wickets at crucial junctures of the game.

The likes of Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Jasprit Bumrah bowled decisive spells which gave Mumbai Indians a much needed 13-run win.

Also, Read: IPL 2018: Match 38, Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals – Toss Report