Kolkata, 21 May (H.S.):

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) strengthened their position in the IPL 2026 playoff race by registering their second consecutive victory, defeating Mumbai Indians (MI) by four wickets in a thrilling encounter at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 148 runs, Kolkata reached the total in 18.5 overs while losing six wickets.

The match began nearly an hour late due to rain. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Kolkata kept Mumbai under pressure right from the start. Batting first, Mumbai Indians managed to score only 147 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. At one stage, the team had slumped to 84 for five, significantly reducing hopes of posting a competitive total.

For Mumbai, captain Hardik Pandya attempted to stabilise the innings with a knock of 26 runs but was bowled by Sunil Narine. Towards the end, Corbin Bosch played a brisk unbeaten innings of 32 runs off just 18 balls, helping Mumbai reach a respectable score.

Kolkata’s bowling attack delivered an impressive performance. Cameron Green, Saurabh Dubey, and Kartik Tyagi claimed two wickets each, while Sunil Narine picked up one wicket. In addition, Will Jacks was run out at a crucial stage, adding further pressure on Mumbai’s innings.

Chasing the target, Kolkata also had a shaky start and lost three wickets for 54 runs. However, Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell steadied the innings with a crucial partnership that completely shifted the momentum of the match. The duo added 64 runs off 47 balls.

Manish Pandey played a vital innings of 45 runs, while Rovman Powell contributed 40 runs to guide Kolkata to victory.

With this win, Kolkata Knight Riders moved to 13 points from 13 matches and climbed to sixth place in the points table. The victory has significantly boosted the team’s playoff hopes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar