JOIN USIPL 2021: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders highlights: KKR thump MI by 7 wickets
So, back-to-back majestic wins for KKR and back-to-back losses for MI has changed the look of the points table. Both teams have8 points from 9 matches but it is the net run rate that is making all the difference. KKR with a superior net run rate of+0.363 have moved to fourth on the points table. MI's net run rate has taken some beating and has been reduced to-0.310 which has caused the defending champions to slip on the sixth spot. Contrasting sets of fortune for the two teams in the UAE leg for IPL 2021.
Tomorrow, RCB will face CSK in Sharjah.
That would be all from the coverage of this match. Join us tomorrow. Good bye!
Player of the Match
KKR's Sunil Narine wins the Player of the Match award for his spell of 4-0-20-1
Sunil Narine: I am coming off a good amount of cricket in the CPL and The Hundred. It's getting better and better. It has taken me a while with this new action and I have put in a lot of work into it. Getting Rohit out in any form of cricket is good; he is a key wicket for Mumbai. Varun is someone who likes to know about the game and he likes to know what will happen. He is a quick learner and he has far to go. I wouldn't say this pitch was sticky. It was flat but not as flat as last year. My batting depends on what my team requires, if they want to go at the top or at the end, I'll do it.
Eoin Morgan, KKR captain: Well it's been a long time coming. Since McCullumhas taken over last year, the way we have played in the last two games is the way our coach wants us to play. It suits our talent to play this way. To hold such a strong Mumbai Indians side to 155 and chase this down gives us confidence. Fitting Venkatesh Iyer into our XI has been difficult with a lot of talented guys, and it's fanastic the way he's scored his runs. In the practice games too he has gone on to play this way. Sunil and Chakravarthy are two formidable bowlers. Sunil has been integral to KKR winning when they've done. Varun is the fresh guy. The first two games in this phase has been the template for us to play. There's only one way for us to go in the points table and that is upwards.
Rohit Sharma, MI captain:Few areas went wrong. We started really well but didn't get enough towards the back end. I thought it was a good pitch, we failed to capitalize on the start we got and we didn't bowl well at the start. I don't want to look into it too much, things can happen and you have to move on. After a good start we had to get small partnerships but we kept losing wickets at regular intervals, it is not easy for new batters to go in and start hitting the ball. It is something that happened in the last game as well and we will address it. It is always there at the back of the mind on where you stand, we are still in the middle of the table, so we have to get back and fight and hopefully get some wins on the trot.