IPL 2023: Venkatesh Century in Vain as Mumbai beat KKR With 14 Balls to Spare

Venkatesh Iyer scored his maiden IPL century against Mumbai Indians on Sunday in IPL 2023.

(Photo: BCCI)

Ishan Kishan scored a half century and Suryakumar Yadav got back among the runs, making 43, as Mumbai Indians successfully chased down Kolkata Knight Riders' 185/6 to win their second game of the season, on Sunday evening at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

After being put into bat, Venkatesh Iyer scored Kolkata's second IPL century, after Brendon McCullum's 158* in the maiden season, to help the team post 185/6.

Ishan Kishan hammered 58 off 25 balls, hitting five boundaries and as many sixes while Suryakumar smacked a 43 and Tilak Varma added 30 off 25 balls as Mumbai Indians won with 14 balls remaining.

Venkatesh Top Scores in KKR's Innings

After KKR were put into bat first, Iyer waged a lone battle as he kept one end going, hitting nine maximums and five boundaries, making the most of the life he got when in the 80s. Iyer was the Impact Player for KKR a week back when he blasted an 83 in the team's three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans.

On Sunday, he was included in the Playing XI and made a great impact as he kept alive the KKR's hopes of winning their first match at the Wankhede. He raised 46 runs for the second wicket with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (8), fifty runs for the fourth wicket with Shardul Thakur (13), and 36 for the fifth wicket with Rinku Singh (18) as KKR set up a challenging total on a pitch that is expected to get slower and offer a bit more turn in the second innings.

Earlier, KKR reached 57/2 at the end of the Power-play after being inserted in by Suryakumar Yadav, leading the side in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma who was not included in the Playing XI because of a stomach bug. Mumbai made three more changes in their squad with Arshad Khan and Jason Behrendorff left out and Arjun Tendulkar, Tim David, and Duan Jansen, the left-arm seamer from West Indies, taking their place.

Arjun Tendulkar made his IPL debut in the match against KKR on 16 April, 2023. Suryakumar Yadav at the toss, standing in place of captain Rohit Sharma.

(Photo: BCCI)

KKR lost opener N Jagadeesan early, Hrithik Shokeen picking up a brilliant catch diving forward as he drove on the up against Cameron Green. Venkatesh Iyer and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (8) kept the scoreboard ticking with Iyer doing most of the scoring as they reached fifty in the fifth over. But Gurbaz was out towards the end of the Power-play, caught by Jensen off Piyush Chawla.

Shokeen then struck another blow to KKR hopes, sending back their skipper Nitish Rana for five, mistiming a big one over long-on and caught by substitute fielder
Ramandeep Singh. Shokeen saw him off with a hot send-off and Rana responded with verbals of his own.

Venkatesh Iyer, meanwhile, kept going from the other end as if he was playing another match. He slashed Green hard over slips for a six in the 4th over and struck a streaky boundary two balls later. The KKR batter struck Jansen for two sixes in the fifth over and bashed Shokeen for two boundaries in the seventh over, getting to his half-century off 23 balls when an inside edge off Shokeen went to the boundary in the ninth over and then celebrated that by slog sweeping Shokeen for a six over midwicket.

Venkatesh Iyer and Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Kolkata Knight Riders running between the wickets during the match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on the 16th April 2023

(Photo: BCCI)

As KKR crossed the midway stage, Venkatesh Iyer pulled Riley Meredith for back-to-back sixes in the 11th over, the second one a sweetly-timed pull over backward square leg.

The 28-year-old batter, who was dropped by Tilak Varma at deep cover off Shokeen reached the 90s with a six off Meredith, reaching the three-figure mark off 49 balls, hitting five fours and nine sixes in the process. He celebrated his first century in IPL with a streaky four off Meredith but the bowler had the last laugh off the next delivery Jansen caught him at short third-man, playing a reverse scoop -- his superb innings ending at 104.

Andre Russell hammered back-to-back six and four off Duan Jansen and though Rinku Singh was out for 18 (17 balls), caught by Wadhera off Jansen, offering a simple catch as he attempted to flat-bat a length ball over long-on. Russell remained unbeaten on 21 as KKR reached a total worth bowling at.

For Mumbai Indians, Hrithik Shokeen claimed 2-34 off his four overs while veteran Piyush Chawla finished with the most economical figures of 1-19 off his four overs.

Nita Ambani owner of Mumbai Indians along with Mumbai Indians players after the win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on the 16th April 2023

(Photo: BCCI)

Mumbai's Chase

Mumbai Indians made a brilliant start to their chase as they raised 72/1 in the Power-play, in hot pursuit of the target of 186 runs.

Ishan Kishan started the carnage for Mumbai Indians by bashing Shardul Thakur for two fours and a six in the last three balls of the second over, creaming through covers, cutting over point, and a flat-hit over covers as Mumbai made a blazing start. The second over cost KKR 16 runs.

Rohit Sharma, who came in as an Impact Player replacing Riley Meredith and nearly offered a catch back to Umesh Yadav off the first ball he faced, heaved Umesh Yadav over extra cover for a six, and Ishan bashed a four and a six off successive deliveries as Mumbai scored 17 runs from the third over.

KKR skipper Nitish Rana introduced Sunil Narine but the run flow continued as his first over cost 22 runs, Rohit Sharma started the run collection with a four off the first delivery, and after a wide down leg side, Ishan hammered him for two sixes, and a four. That was some power-hitting by the Mumbai Indians openers as Rohit Sharma greeted Suyash Sharma's introduction with a sweep over deep square for maximum.

Suyash Sharma of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians during match 22 of the Tata Indian Premier League between the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders held at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on the 16th April 2023

(Photo: BCCI)

Suyash had the last laugh as he got Rohit Sharma to offer a leading edge and Umesh Yadav completed a superb catch, running to his left and leaping to pouch it with both hands.

Ishan Kishan went on to complete his half-century off 21 balls with an edged four off Suyash Sharma, hitting five boundaries and four maximums in all. He struck another six off Varun Chakravarthy in the eighth over but was bowled off the next delivery, going for a slog sweep, edging the ball into his pads and then onto his stumps. He scored 58 off 25 balls and Mumbai lost their second wicket with 87 runs on the board.

Suryakumar Yadav announced his return to form with back-to-back sixes off Lockie Ferguson, a fine pick-up over fine-leg, and a flick over midwicket in next-up. Varma pulled Varun Chakravarthy for a four in the next over as Mumbai Indians reached 130/2 in 12 overs. They completed the fifty off their partnership in 303x4, 1x6).

Though Varma was out for 30 off 25 balls (3x4, 1x6), chopping onto his stumps off Suyash Sharma, SKY continued to grow strong, hitting Andre Russell for a six and a four off successive deliveries and Tim David drove Varun over long-on for a six as Mumbai crossed the 150-run mark in the 15th over.

Suryakumar, who survived a DRS review off Sunil Narine in the 16th over, responded by whipping the West Indies spinner for a four between deep midwicket and long-on as Mumbai went into the Strategic timeout at 171/3, needing 15 runs off 24 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav got out soon after the resumption of play, edging behind a ramp-shot off Shardul Thakur -- ending up 43 off 25 balls in a welcome return to form that would come as a big boost for Mumbai Indians. Nehal Wadhera struck Lockie Ferguson for four but was out the next ball, edging behind but that was too late to make much impact for KKR. Suyash Sharma, who substituted Venkatesh Iyer as Impact Player, was the best KKR bowler in action, finishing with 2-27 off his four overs.

(With inputs from IANS)