In the highly anticipated Match 60 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders secured their spot in the playoffs with a thrilling 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians at the iconic Eden Gardens.

KKR’s Batting Performance

Opting to bat first, KKR faced early setbacks, with openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt struggling to make an impact. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, struggled, scoring only 6 runs. Narine, known for his explosive batting, was dismissed for a golden duck by a brilliant delivery from Jasprit Bumrah.

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However, Venkatesh Iyer’s aggressive innings of 42 runs off just 21 balls provided the much-needed momentum. Despite the brilliant bowling effort from Piyush Chawla, KKR managed to post a competitive total of 157/7 in their allotted 16 overs.

MI’s Bowling Effort

MI’s bowling attack, led by Piyush Chawla, posed a formidable challenge to KKR’s batting lineup. Chawla’s two crucial wickets kept MI in the game and set the stage for an exciting run chase.

MI’s Batting Response

In response, MI’s openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan got off to a promising start, raising hopes of a successful chase. However, quick wickets derailed MI’s innings, with both openers departing within the first eight overs.

With the score at 67/2 in 7.5 overs, it was the in-form duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma who continued the chase for the Mumbai Indians. With things still looking in hand for Mumbai, what followed was a batting order collapse with MI struggling at 92/5 at 12.1 overs. Mumbai was limited to just 139/8 with Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Andre Russell picking up 2 scalps each on the night.

KKR’s Victory and Playoff Qualification

With an impressive performance in front of their home crowd, KKR secured a crucial victory and sealed their place in the playoffs. The win boosted KKR’s morale and highlighted their dominance in the IPL 2024 season.

Most wins for a team at a venue (IPL):
52 – KKR (Kolkata)
52 – MI (Mumbai WS)
49 – CSK (Chennai)
42 – RCB (Bengaluru)
37 – RR (Jaipur)
*including Super Over results

Most wins for KKR at the Eden Gardens in an IPL edition:
5 out of 7 (2010)
5 out of 6 (2015)
5 out of 9 (2018)
5 out of 7 (2024)
(They had won 4 out of 4 in 2014)

Most defeats for MI in an IPL season:
10 – 2022
9* – 2024
8 – 2009
8 – 2014
8 – 2018

This is the first time KKR have beaten MI both at Wankhede and at the Eden Gardens in an IPL season.

550 or more wickets in Men’s T20 cricket:
625 – Dwayne Bravo
574 – Rashid Khan
550 – Sunil Narine