Kolkata Knight Riders entered the IPL play-offs with an 18 run victory over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
The match was reduced to 16 overs a side after a late start due to rain. Batting first in the rain-curtailed match, KKR scored 157 for 7.
In reply, MI were stopped at 139 for eight.
Just two batters played impactful knocks on the night. Here's how they went...
Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer has enjoyed batting against Mumbai Indians in this IPL. In the first leg match against MI at the Wankhede stadium, he stroked a fine 70 to take KKR to victory and once again at the Eden Gardens, he was the forefront with the bat against the same opponents.
KKR were off to a horror start as openers Phil Salt and Sunil Narine perished in the first two overs. Venkatesh got KKR back on track with a superb counter-attacking knock.
He got off to a good start, with a stylish boundary through the covers off Nuwan Thushara in the first over. He used his feet against pacer Anshul Kamboj, lofting the pacer straight down the ground for a six.
The left-hander saved his best for MI's top striker bowler Jasprit Bumrah. After edging the pacer over the slips for a boundary, Venkatesh played a cracking flick shot off his pads for a six over midwicket as Bumrah erred slightly in line.
Venkatesh was not all scared to use his feet against Bumrah, lofting the last ball of the fourth over mid-on for a four to take 15 runs from the over.
His entertaining knock of 42 from 21 balls was cut short when he lofted Piyush Chawla straight into the hands of the fielder at long off.
Ishan Kishan
Needing 158 off 16 overs on a decent track was a slightly big ask but all MI needed was a good start.
And Ishan was off in a flash, off the mark with a single before hitting a wonderful boundary -- whipping the ball off his pads to the mid wicket for a six!
That shot showed his intent and he kept finding the big shots every over. Harshit Rana was his early target, smashing him for two fours and a six in the 4th over.
In the 5th over, the final over in the Powerplay, he took a couple and then decided to get innovative! He played a switch hit, changing his stance and picking up the ball from the leg stump he hit it over deep point for a four. Next ball he just played a regular Ishan Kishan shot, pulling the short ball over deep mid wicket for a six!
At one point he was scoring at a strike rate of 200 with Rohit Sharma a mere spectator at the other end.
Ishan was stifled for a bit before Narine got his revenge in the next over, Rinku Singh completing the catch at deep mid wicket to end his blitzkrieg. He was out for 40 off 22
He kept MI on track but after his dismissal, no one could take the team across the finish line.
Venky or Ishan? Who Impressed More?
