Kolkata, May 21: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched victory in the 65th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Wednesday. They defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 4 wickets at Eden Gardens, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
After losing the toss, Mumbai Indians batted first, managing to score only 147 runs while losing 8 wickets. They struggled early, losing 4 wickets for just 41 runs. Rain interrupted the match after 8 overs, but no overs were deducted.
Captain Hardik Pandya tried to stabilize the innings, forming a crucial partnership of 43 runs for the fifth wicket with Tilak Varma off 49 balls. Varma scored 20 runs, while Pandya contributed 26 runs.
Corbin Bosch added a late flourish, partnering with Deepak Chahar to score 42 runs for the eighth wicket off just 20 balls. Bosch remained unbeaten on 32 runs, hitting 2 sixes and 3 fours. For KKR, Saurabh Dubey, Cameron Green, and Kartik Tyagi each took 2 wickets, while Sunil Narine claimed 1 wicket.
In response, KKR chased down the target in 18.4 overs. They lost Finn Allen (8) in the first over. Captain Ajinkya Rahane then partnered with Manish Pandey to add 38 runs off 28 balls.
Rahane scored 21 runs off 17 balls with 4 fours before being dismissed. Cameron Green (4) soon followed him back to the pavilion, leaving KKR at 54 for 3 after 7.1 overs. However, Rovman Powell and Manish Pandey formed a solid partnership, adding 64 runs for the fourth wicket, bringing KKR closer to victory.
Pandey scored 45 runs off 33 balls, hitting 6 fours before getting out. KKR needed 30 runs from the last 30 balls. Powell was caught out on the second ball of the 16th over, scoring 40 runs with 2 sixes and 4 fours.
In the final overs, Rinku Singh (9) and Anukul Roy (4) played crucial unbeaten innings, leading the team to victory with 7 balls to spare. Corbin Bosch was the standout bowler for MI, taking 3 wickets, while Deepak Chahar, Gazanfar, and Jasprit Bumrah each took 1 wicket.
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