Normal services continued at the Dream11 IPL as Mumbai Indians [MI] registered their 21st win [in 27 meetings] over Kolkata Knight Riders [KKR] thanks to an eight-wicket hammering in Abu Dhabi. In the process, Mumbai completed their 5th consecutive win in a row in the ongoing season.
Chasing 149, Mumbai Indians got off to a rollicking start thanks to the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, who remained unbeaten at 44-ball 78.
The duo took the attack to the likes of Chris Green, Prasidh Krishna, and Pat Cummins by smashing them for a flurry of boundaries in the powerplay.
Green, however, very nearly got QDK in his 2nd over, after he induced him into mistimed sweep shot, only for Varun Chakravarthy to drop it at short fine-leg.
The duo soon registered another 50-run-stand to end the powerplay at 0-51. Quinton de Kock was in his full elements as he cut, pulls and drove KKR bowlers to all corners of the Zayed ground.
The southpaw smashed Prasidh Krishna for two fours and a six in the 8th over to race to 42 off 20 balls. With MI having raced to 0-71 in 8 overs, skipper Eoin Morgan turned to Andre Russell but de Kock was in that sort of mood that it just didn’t matter, who was bowling. He proceeded to smash Russell for a four and an audacious six to bring up his 3rd fifty in the last 4 games.
Rohit Sharma too stroked some audacious shots during his knock (35 off 36 balls) before Shivam Mavi included an outside edge off his bat to break the 94-run-stand.
SuryaKumar Yadav did not look in his elements today as he struggled to time the ball on what was a slow and sluggish track. The right-hander was eventually dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy for a 10-ball 10 after he failed to connect with a slog sweep, leading to the ball flattening the off-pole.
Quinton de Kock launched Shivam Mavi for a four and six immediately after the second Time-Out to bring the equation down to 23 runs off the last five overs.
And, then Hardik Pandya decided to stamp some of his authority as he smashed Pat Cummins for some of the most flamboyant strokes that you’ll ever see. Hardik leaned forward and presented the face of the bat to smoke Cummins over mid-on and then over his head for a couple of boundaries before nonchalantly flicking him for a six towards the long-leg boundary.
And, in what was a fitting end to yet another lopsided game between these two sides, Hardik nailed yet another boundary in the next over off Green to complete an 8-wicket mauling.
An 87-run-stand between Pat Cummins and Eoin Morgan helped KKR to recover from 5-61 to 5-148 against MI
Batting first, KKR did not get off to starts as the duo of Rahul Tripathi and Shubman Gill managed just 12 runs in the first two overs.
Ultimately, the pressure to up the ante got to Tripathi as he strokes a full-blooded square-cut, only to see SuryaKumar Yadav, who dived it his left, to pluck a stunner of a catch from thin air. Boult couldn’t believe it, Tripathi looked stunner and SKY was chuffed to bits, as he should be.
Nathan Coulter-Nile redeemed himself in his second over as he worked out Nitish Rana (5 off 6 balls) with a pacy short delivery, one that the southpaw could only manage to edge to Quinton de Kock.
The introduction of Rahul Chahar brought more dividends for MI as they leggie got rid of both Shubman Gill and former skipper Dinesh Karthik on successive deliveries to reduce KKR to 4-42 in 7.4 overs.
With Andre Russell at the crease, Rohit Sharma brought Jasprit Bumrah in the attack, and once again the fast bowler showed just why he is the best in the business as he bounced out Dre Russ with a snorter of delivery, one that the swashbuckler had no option but to fend it straight in the air, only for QDK to complete an easy catch.
Eoin Morgan struggled for his timing throughout his innings but his last over blitz and Pat Cummins- who got a lucky reprieve thanks to a dropped catch by QDK off Bumrah- courtest his brilliant knock of 53 off 36 balls ensured that KKR recovered to post a competitive total of 5-148 in 20 overs.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Can we have #MI vs #DelhiCapitals finals already? ? #IPL2020
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 16, 2020
H2H its MI 21, KKR 6 in #IPL
Last 12 IPL games since May 2015, its MI 11, KKR 1#IPL2020#Dream11IPL#IPLinUAE#KKRvMI#MIvsKKR#MIvKKR— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 16, 2020
Eyes waiting to get out of the sockets.
Tounge popping out, drolling for more!That’s me, while watching Quinton de Kock in this sort of mood!!#MIvKKR #IPL2020 #QDK #MIvsKKR #deKock
— Yash Mittal ?? (@im_yash2307) October 16, 2020
Quinton de Kock what a player.. leading run scorer for them since he joined MI team
— JSK (@imjsk27) October 16, 2020
Quinton de Kock loves the chase in #IPL cricket:
Batting First – Avg: 30.85 – Run Rate: 7.89
Chasing – Avg: 34.91 – Run Rate: 8.20#IPL2020 #MIvKKR— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 16, 2020
DK is louder than Pant and nobody is louder than Pant so that’s saying a lot.#MIvKKR #IPL2020
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) October 16, 2020
Over the years, @mipaltan have made some excellent overseas purchases. The trade last year of Quinton de Kock is one of the better ones.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 16, 2020
What a recovery by @KKRiders thanks to a superb innings from @patcummins30 ! @mipaltan should have these 2 points in the bag easily! #MIvKKR
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) October 16, 2020
Top scorer for #KKR vs #MI this IPL
23 Sep, Abu Dhabi: Pat Cummins 33(12)
16 Oct, Abu Dhabi: Pat Cummins 53(36)*#MIvKKR— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 16, 2020
I think #KKR have given themselves a chance with a strong finish to take score to 148.
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 16, 2020
Nitish Rana’s last few games in #IPL2020 —
9 vs #CSK
2 vs #KXIP
9 vs #RCB
5 vs #MI — Today #MIvKKR— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 16, 2020
That’s a good fight back from #kkr not a big score but they will take it after 61/5. Something for bowlers to ball at #patcummins #Eoinmorgan
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 16, 2020
Pat Can Bat ?
Everyone has struggled on this pitch expect Cummins. #KKR #MIvKKR— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 16, 2020
Pat Cummins has scored more runs and hit more sixes than Andre Russel this IPL.
Russell has picked more wickets at a better SR than Cummins.
That kind of IPL for #KKR #MIvKKR #IPL2020
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 16, 2020
Not many bowlers can force a wicket like that in this phase of the game. Bumrah you freak.
— Kieran (@BerbaSpinCric) October 16, 2020
Bouncer to Russell. #Bumrah
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 16, 2020
Jasprit Bumrah is the best in the business – he has got Andre Russell twice in #IPL2020 – What a bowler.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 16, 2020
Andre Russell vs Bumrah in IPL —
Six innings
34 balls
44 runs
Three dismissals
SR 129.41Just the perfect bouncer, and Russell, while trying to sway away, edges to the keeper — 12(9)#KKR : 63/5 (11 overs) #IPL2020 #MIvKKR #MI
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 16, 2020
when he’s done and dusted, DK should write a book on his IPL experiences..so sought after at multiple auctions, part of different set ups, varied roles and constant movement..this mid season captaincy shuffle is another chapter #MIvsKKR #IPL2020
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) October 16, 2020
The best catch of #IPL2020 so far?pic.twitter.com/lwMIV7A1Sz
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 16, 2020
Boult’s reaction ? ?
Tripathi’s reaction ? ?
Your reaction ? Use a GIF and tell us!#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL #MIvKKR— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 16, 2020
As a team #MumbaiIndians have a total Powerplay bowling impact of +16.6 in #IPL2020
No team has more.
In contrast their opponents today #KKR have a Powerplay bowling impact of -43.1.
No team has less.#MIvKKR
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 16, 2020
Trent Boult’s reaction says it all. That stunner of a catch by @surya_14kumar.#Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/8zb7XFUxvZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 16, 2020