Highlights:
- Mumbai Indian’s bowlers bring the match back for the team as they win the match against KKRO by 10 runs
- KKR failed to score 31 runs from the last 5 overs of the match
- Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag and franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan commented on the humiliating loss
How can a team lose a match when it only needs 31 from 30 deliveries with six wickets remaining and the likes of Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik still in the dugout? This is the question that was asked Kolkata Knight Riders who suffered a stunning collapse against the defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians in Chennai on Tuesday night.
KKR who was chasing a humble target of 153 were 122/4 after they lost their in-form opener Nitish Rana (57).
What followed was a dramatic reversal of fortunes with MI spinner duo of Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya bringing their team back in the contest from the brink of losing as they kept their opponents to 142/7 in 20 overs.
The former India opener Virender Sehwag has branded the performance of the former two-time IPL winners as “shameful” and questioned the approach of both Russell and Karthik who are the two biggest finishers for KKR.
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On Circbuzz, Sehwag said, “Eoin Morgan had given a statement that they will play that way (with positive intent) after the first game but it didn’t look like that when Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik came in to bat”.
“The way Russell and Karthik batted, it felt like they planned to take the game till the end and win it. But that didn’t happen. The batters who came before them – be it Shakib Al Hasan, Eoin Morgan, Shubman Gill or Nitish Rana – all of them played with positive intent.”
Sehwag posted two tweets soon after the match.
In the first tweet, Sehwag wrote, “MI to KKR- Dekha aapne laparwahi ka.natija. To defend 31 from 30 balls with 7 wickets of the opposition in hand is something which not many sides can defend. Brilliant bowling display from @mipaltan”.
MI to KKR- Dekha aapne laparwahi ka.natija.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 13, 2021
To defend 31 from 30 balls with 7 wickets of the opposition in hand is something which not many sides can defend. Brilliant bowling display from @mipaltan .#MIvsKKR pic.twitter.com/dIdd603wKL
In the second tweet, he wrote, “Mumbai to Kolkata in the last 5 overs. Coming back from the dead.”
Mumbai to Kolkata in the last 5 overs.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 13, 2021
Coming back from the dead. #MIvsKKR pic.twitter.com/3SQsSO9vMO
MI had posted what appeared to be a below par 152- all out thanks to Russell’s maiden five-for including three in the final over of the innings. KKR continued to dominate the contest and their top-order put them in a strong position against MI from where MI’s defeat looked a mere formality.
However, when Rana fell off the final delivery of the 15th over, the balance of the contest shifted drastically.
Chahar was the wrecker-in-chief taking 4/27 from his four overs in the match, while Krunal, too, returned impressive figures of 1/13 from his quota of four overs.
Sehwag claims KKR missed out on a golden opportunity to win a game where they didn’t have much to chase.
Sehwag said, “Kolkata Knight Riders just lost the game which was almost won at one stage. When Russell came into bat, KKR needed 30 runs in 27-odd balls. Dinesh Karthik batted till the end but couldn’t win the game. That’s a shameful defeat.
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“The runs per ball difference wasn’t much except for the last couple of overs. We saw how to lose a game that is almost won.
“You hardly get any game where you are chasing 152 and you need to score 36-odd runs in 6 overs with 6-7 wickets in hand.
“In such scenarios, teams prefer to end the game quickly to improve their net run rate. But KKR failed to do that and hampered their net-run rate,” he added.
Sehwag further said either Rana or Shubman Gill should have batted till the end to ensure KKR got over the line.
Sehwag said, “Either Rana or Gill should have batted till the end. They had seen what had happened in the MI innings, despite getting off to a good start they could only manage 152”.
KKR owner, Shah Rukh Khan, after his side’s humiliating defeat, tweeted an apology to the fans.
Disappointing performance. to say the least @KKRiders apologies to all the fans!
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 13, 2021