IPL 2024 – KKR vs MI: Who won yesterday’s match

The 51st game of the 2024 Indian Premier League KKR vs MI was a comeback game for Mitchell Starc. It was an easy win for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) over five times IPL champion Mumbai Indian. After falling down early on to a poor score of 57/5, Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey’s important partnership helped KKR fight back into the KKR vs MI game. Starc then delivered a match-winning bowling performance to gain a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium.

For KKR, the victory had significance for two reasons. First of all, it put a stop to MI’s 12-year winless record at the Wankhede, a place where MI has always had success. Second, after the KKR had struggled with inconsistent bowling all season, it gave them much-needed confidence.

Starc Shines After Early Struggles

Starc, the most expensive player in the IPL 2024 auction, had a bad run of form going into the game. He has taken just seven wickets at an economy rate of 11.78 in his previous eight games. But he was a very different bowler on Friday night. During his spell, he ripped through the MI batting lineup, claiming four vital wickets for just 33 runs. His three-wicket haul in the 19th over was enough to put KKR in the game.

During the press conference held after the game, Starc talked about his difficulties and how happy he was to have his evening. “It’s been a tough run for me personally,” he stated. “However, I’ve been putting in a lot of effort in the nets, and it’s always satisfying to see the results.” It was my night, and I’m happy that I could help the team win.”

Manish Pandey’s Surprise return

Manish Pandey performed in the match and it was a fascinating element. Pandey had been curiously overlooked for the first five matches, despite his outstanding form at the nets. But, while KKR was struggling at 57/5, the team management chose to insert him as an Impact Player in place of the inexperienced Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

By putting up a vital 83-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52 balls), Pandey proved that the belief placed in him was warranted. This partnership helped KKR reach a respectable total of 169 runs at a pivotal point in the innings.

Iyer Continues to Impress

Iyer, who made a century at the Wankhede against MI the previous year, performed admirably against his old side. With two boundaries in his first four balls, he gave KKR a quick start. He was also a major contributor to Pandey’s partnership. His 70-run innings were crucial in helping KKR to a respectable total.

Credit to KKR Bowling Attack

Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine made significant contributions, but Starc’s bowling performance took the stage. The MI pursuit was stopped by both spinners’ economical bowling and frequent removal of vital wickets. MI was effectively sidetracked when Chakravarthy and Narine returned similar figures of 2/22.

MI’s Missed Opportunities

Even though MI had a solid batting lineup on paper, they were unable to take advantage of KKR’s shaky start. The only batsman who displayed some fight was Suryakumar Yadav (56), as openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan both left the game cheaply. MI’s middle-order problems were exposed by the KKR spinners, and the club ultimately lost by 24 runs.

A Turning Point for KKR?

This win might prove to be the key moment in KKR’s season. They have now moved up to the second position in the standings, and the victory will definitely give them more confidence moving forward. KKR appears to be a team on the rise with important players like Starc finding form and Pandey’s unexpected climb to prominence.

MI’s Struggles Continue

With this loss, MI’s losing streak now stands at five games. Their chances of making the playoffs are currently little to none as they linger in ninth place in the standings. If the team wants to rescue the season, the management will have to figure out how to deal with their batting weaknesses and inconsistent bowling.

An Open Race for the Playoffs

With KKR moving up to the second slot and MI’s poor performance persisting, there is now much competition for spots in the IPL 2024 playoffs. The remaining games should be thrilling and fiercely contested because so many teams are still in the running. KKR wants to maintain their lead in the standings and continue to gain ground. If MI is to have any hope of making the playoffs, however, they will need to see a significant change in their circumstances.

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Can KKR Maintain Their Momentum?

The way KKR defeated MI in the KKR vs MI demonstrated their tenacity and capacity to win over hardship. But the question still stands: will they be able to sustain this momentum in the upcoming games? Their hitting is still a worry, particularly when they are playing in the top order. They stand a decent chance of making it to the playoffs and possibly even contending for the championship if they can figure out a method to deal with this.

MI’s Path to Retrieval

This season, MI’s batting struggles have been their major worry. They haven’t had a strong start from their openers, and their middle order hasn’t been reliable. Additionally, they need their bowlers to settle into a rhythm, particularly the pacers. The pressure will be on players like Trent Boult and Riley Meredith to step up because Jasprit Bumrah is still not playing at his best.

Currently, MI is at the bottom of the point table with RCB. It is RCB vs GT today. Get to watch Today’s cricket match highlights or live updates on Winexch. Sign up now

A Season Full of Surprises

There have already been a number of surprises from IPL 2024, and there will probably be more. The tournament now has a new dimension because of the rise of youthful talent like Venkatesh Iyer and the return of seasoned players like Mitchell Starc. It will be intriguing to watch which clubs can withstand the pressure as the playoffs draw near.

This fascinating encounter between KKR and MI was a microcosm of the entire Indian Premier League season thus far: it was thrilling, unpredictable, and full of unexpected developments. Cricket enthusiasts everywhere will be excited to witness who wins in the end, and the upcoming games promise to be no different.

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