IPL 2018, MI vs KKR: Mumbai threat looms large as Kolkata up against odds

In today's IPL 2018 match, KKR have an onerous task as they need to defy history against MI, who have won 17 of the 21 matches against Kolkata Knight Riders across 11 seasons. Catch IPL latest updates

In the 41st match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) led by Dinesh Karthik at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Back in the mix riding consecutive victories, a buoyant Mumbai Indians will cross swords with an erratic Kolkata Knight Riders for a second time in a space of three days in IPL today’s match. Recovering from a slow start, defending champions MI recorded back-to-back wins against Kings XI Punjab and KKR to jump to fifth spot (8 points from 10 games) in the Vivo IPL points table. KKR, meanwhile, have blown hot and cold, winning five and losing an equal number of matches.

KKR have an onerous task at hand as they need to defy history against Mumbai Indians, who have won 17 of the 21 matches against the Kolkata Knight Riders across 11 seasons -- the most wins for an IPL team against any opponent. Their 13-run defeat at the Wankhede on May 6 stretched their losing streak to seven matches and 1125 days -- KKR's last win over Mumbai Indians was way back on April 8, 2015. While the Dinesh Karthik-led KKR have not managed to string together consistent performances, MI led by India's limited-over Vice Captain Rohit Sharma have looked like a team on a mission to turn the tide in their favour at the end of the IPL 2018.

Mumbai Indians were on the verge of falling by the wayside after losing most of the starting matches in the last over before they managed to pull through in the previous two games. While against Kings XI Punjab it was a Rohit and Krunal Pandya blitz that kept them alive in the competition, a challenging 181/4 coupled with well-directed short balls during KKR's chase helped MI stay afloat and stake a claim for a playoffs berth. KKR looked like getting away with the points at various junctures of the match but planned short deliveries from the likes of Mitchell McClenaghan at the start and Hardik Pandya towards the end helped MI pick up wickets at regular intervals as well as break crucial partnerships. Given the role of an opening batsman, Suryakumar Yadav has been a revelation for MI and will to continue the same in IPL today’s match, scoring as many as four half centuries in 10 matches. The 27-year-old former KKR player is MI's highest run-getter amassing 399 at 39.90. One concern for Rohit would be MI's middle order which continued to struggle against KKR and had it not been for Hardik's innovative shots at the end, they would have not managed to post 181 despite getting off to an explosive start. MI also lack depth in bowling and Robin Uthappa almost exposed that in the previous match of IPL 2018.

On display in IPL 2018: The brutal beauty of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The CSK skipper's knock against KXIP on Sunday night wasn't about answering the brickbats; it was about him and his fans

There are things in sports that genuinely cheer you up. One such is the sight of Mahendra Singh Dhoni swinging through the arc, head down, knees slightly bent, kinetic energy from those baseball-bat-sized arms powering through the ball, and the crowd exploding. It is a thing of brutal beauty. There were many around the world who woke up on Monday morning with that very image still fresh in their minds. The bowler missing, Dhoni pouncing. The ball soaring, the stadium erupting.

In Mohali on Sunday night, a Colosseum-like crowd found itself paying obeisance to a gladiator whose time many thought had come. The willingness to carry on, as admirable as it was, was proving to be too stifling. The performance was no longer backing the obduracy. That still may hold true, but we will leave that for another day.

Instead, this was about celebrating the gifts of a man whose show we have feasted on for 15 years and still cannot seem to feel content. This was about him and his fanatical band of followers, the kind who still look up to him like an eternal demigod. This was about him telling us why he still remains indispensable. This was about him showing us what we have been terribly missing. This, in a boxing sense, was like a seasoned heavyweight fighter absorbing the early blows and then unleashing a savage combination of jabs and hooks to leave his opponent sprawled on the canvas. Well, almost.

The critics have made their peace with Dhoni’s scrappiness. Dhoni is justified in believing that he doesn’t have anything to prove to them, and they don’t bother too much with arraigning him, either. Anyway, this wasn’t about answering the brickbats — Dhoni just doesn’t play his cricket that way. For long, the Indian public has lionised him for his capacity to put on a show, for his mastery that allows him to elevate his game to a whole new level when the chips are down. The performance against Kings XI Punjab was just about the Indian cricket fan. It was Dhoni’s way of thanking thousands of them for sticking by him so loyally, despite his very apparent decline. After all, this is what fandom often triggers; a belief that your heroes can never be spent forces. Acceptance isn’t something that is part of the fan lexicon. And Dhoni on Sunday night competently displayed why it mustn’t be.

This wasn’t so much about Dhoni rolling back the years as it was about him exhibiting what he can do when he’s afforded time at the crease. Dhoni is no longer the furious sprinter of his youth, he is now the canny middle-distance runner who knows exactly when to make his move. He perhaps left it too late in Mohali, but he was clearly hampered — in addition to a back problem — by Ravindra Jadeja’s sluggishness at the other end. Even then, this was a calculated assault that would have culminated in an unlikely win on another day. (more)

IPL 2018: Kolkata Knight Riders hand Daredevils crushing 71-run defeat

Delhi Daredevils miserable show continues at Eden Gardens as they lost the 7th match in Kolkata against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Chasing 201, Delhi Daredevils led by Gautam Gambhir failed miserably and were all out for mere 129 in 14.2 overs in match 13 of IPL 2018. Kolkata Knight Riders won by 71 runs. No Delhi Daredevils batsman could take the pressure of the huge total and face the menacing bowling of Kolkata Knight Riders let by spin trio of Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla. Rishab Pant and Glenn Maxwell tried hard to challenge the KKR bowling but their efforts could not do much as both got out of the short ball while trying to hit Yadav out of the park. This is the second win for Kolkata Knight Riders in four matches. Dinesh Karthik-led KKR had lost the previous two matches against Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Daredevils' wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals and DD never looked to chase the mammoth target. Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets each for KKR. This win over Delhi Daredevils moved Kolkata Knight Riders to the second spot in Vivo IPL points table with 4 points.

ALSO READ: IPL 2018: Delhi Daredevils perfecting the nuances of losing back-to-back matches

Delhi Daredevils were in deep trouble as they lost three wickets in three overs. Opener Jason Roy was dismissed in the first over. He was followed by Shreyas Iyer in the second over. Captain Gautam Gambhir was played on in the third over. DD was 38-3.

Earlier, powered by Nitish Rana and Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a huge score of 200 in their 20 overs in the match against Delhi Daredevils. While a few wickets did fell quickly, Nitish Rana made sure that the scoring rate did not fall. He did not stop playing shots and kept the scoreboard ticking. Russell played a fantastic cameo of 41 from 12 balls. He smashed Chris Lynn and Mohd Shami all over the park. Delhi Daredevils will now need 201 runs to win.

ALSO READ: IPL 2018: Why Gambhir failed to turn things around for Delhi Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils innings update: Over by over

Delhi Daredevils Playing XI: Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Shreyas Iyer, Vijay Shankar, Chris Morris, Rahul Tewatia, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Shami, Trent Boult

Over 1: Piyush Chawla to open the bowling. He strikes in the first over.

Over 2: Shreyas Iyer departs. DD: 15-2

Over 3: Shivam Mavi into the attack. Rishab Pant joins Gautam Gambhir. Four to Pant. good shot. DD 24-2.

Over 4: Russell comes to the attack. Maxwell hammers him. DD: 38-3

Over 5: DD: 45-3

Over 6: Rishab Pant trying to make the most of the powerplay. 11 runs from the over. DD 56-3

Over 7: Here is the onslaught by Rishab Pant, six, four, single. DD: 69-3

Over 8: Curran smashed for a six and a four. These two are taking it to KKR bowlers. DD 81-3.

Over 9: Kuldeep Yadav comes to the attack. Maxwell reverse sweeps him for four. Rishab Pant is out, Delhi in deep trouble. Pant put for 86-4. Rahul Tewatia comes in. End of over. DD 90-4

IPL 10 eliminator: KKR beats Hyderabad by 7 wickets, will face MI next

As Duckworth-Lewis method came into play, KKR had to chase 48 in six overs

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir led from the front to knock defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a seven-wicket win and made to Qualifier 2 in a rain-interrupted eliminator clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.

KKR will take on Mumbai Indians on Friday at the same venue.

Chasing 48 to win in six overs after rain and wet outfield ate up a large chunk of playing time, forcing Duckworth-Lewis method to come into play, Gambhir steadied the ship after KKR were 12/3 at one stage with an unbeaten 19-ball 32.

Ishank Jaggi, playing his first match, was not out on five.

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At the start, Chris Lynn was on the money right away, smacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first ball he faced.

But the second ball saw the destructive Australian get out after replays showed Lynn had edged to wicketkeeper Naman OJha off a Bhuveshwar near-yorker.

Yusuf Pathan, promoted up the order to score at a brisk pace, lasted just one delivery before he was run out. Robin Uthappa did not last long too, holing out to Shikhar Dhawan at deep mid wicket off Chris Jordan's bowling.

Earlier, KKR rode on a superlative show by their bowlers to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 128/7 in 20 overs. Read more