NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders emerged victorious in a rain-affected clash at the Eden Gardens, giving another setback for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. Despite a promising start, MI faltered in their chase of 158, managing only 139/8 in 16 overs, as KKR's bowlers tightened the screws.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag voiced his concerns over MI's approach, particularly highlighting the dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.
"Whoever bowls good, just play him out. If two wickets hadn't fallen, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav could've finished the match an over before. Vaibhav Arora, Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell and Harshit Rana had to ball anyway; if they played out the spinners and didn't lose the wickets, they would've won the game," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
"You can't have an ego when you come out to bat. You play them out or punish the loose deliveries. Naman Dhir came right at the end and smashed two sixes and a four; if Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were set at that time, they would've hit 5 balls for boundaries," Sehwag added.
Sehwag was critical of Rohit's dismissal, stressing the importance of tempering aggression with discretion.
"You could be Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav, but at least respect the delivery if you can't respect the bowler. The ball on which Rohit Sharma got out wasn't a weak ball. No doubt Rohit and Suryakumar are great players, but that doesn't mean you should hit the good deliveries, too," he pointed out, urging the senior players to set an example with their shot selection.
Rohit Sharma's recent struggles in the IPL have been apparent, with the skipper failing to replicate his early-season form. Since his century against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit has struggled to make significant contributions, raising concerns about his form ahead of the T20 World Cup.
1/9:Kolkata Knight Riders down Mumbai Indians to confirm playoff berth
<p>Kolkata Knight Riders down Mumbai Indians to confirm playoff berth</p>AFP
2/9:Varun Chakravarthy
<p>Spinner Varun Chakravarthy's impressive 2-17 helped Kolkata Knight Riders secure a play-off spot, defeating Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in a rain-reduced IPL match.</p>AFP
3/9:Venkatesh Iyer
<p>Kolkata Knight Riders posted 157-7 with Venkatesh Iyer leading the charge with a quickfire 42 off 21 balls after being put in to bat at Eden Gardens.</p>AFP
4/9:Rohit Sharma
<p>Despite Mumbai Indians' solid start at 65-0, Chakravarthy's crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya turned the tide in Kolkata's favour.</p>AFP
5/9:Harshit Rana
<p>Mumbai Indians' innings ended at 139-8, with Tilak Varma's brisk 32 off 17 balls before falling to Harshit Rana, who also claimed two wickets in the last over.</p>AFP
6/9:Andre Russell
<p>Andre Russell's two wickets, including that of Suryakumar Yadav, supported Kolkata's victory, securing their ninth win in 12 matches and the first playoff berth.</p>AFP
7/9:Playoffs-bound
<p>The top four teams will advance to the play-offs, with the final scheduled for May 26 in Chennai, as Kolkata Knight Riders set the pace for the playoffs.</p>AFP
8/9:Nitish Rana
<p>Despite early setbacks, Venkatesh Iyer's aggressive innings, complemented by contributions from Nitish Rana and Andre Russell, propelled Kolkata to a competitive total.</p>AFP
