NEW DELHI: Venkatesh Iyer's impressive half-century outshone a similar effort from Suryakumar Yadav, as Mitchell Starc's four-wicket haul helped Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians by 24 runs in a low-scoring IPL 2024 match. This victory marked KKR's first win at the Wankhede Stadium since 2012 and their second ever at the iconic venue.
In a match that was largely dictated by bowlers, Iyer saved KKR from a challenging 57/5 with his gritty 70 off 52 balls, guiding them to a modest total of 169.
In response, Starc's four-wicket burst, coupled with the two wickets each from KKR's spin duo Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, secured a historic win for the two-time champions.
Following the game, Mumbai Indians' star batsman Rohit Sharma was seen giving a hug to KKR's batting sensation Rinku Singh.
1/9:Mitchell Starc shines as KKR beat MI
<p>Mitchell Starc shines as KKR beat MI<br /></p>AFP
2/9:KKR Break 11-Year Losing Streak
<p>Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Mumbai for 145, ending a 11-year losing streak at the Indians in the Indian Premier League on Friday.</p>AFP
3/9:Venkatesh Iyer Leads
<p> Kolkata were dismissed for 169 off the second-to-last ball, led by Venkatesh Iyer's 70 off 52 balls.</p>AFP
4/9:Kolkata's Long Struggle
<p>Kolkata had lost seven straight times at Wankhede Stadium since 2013.</p>AFP
5/9:Mumbai Eliminated
<p>Knight Riders remained second overall, and Mumbai was ninth and eliminated from playoffs contention.</p>AFP
6/9:Kolkata's Top Order Falters
<p>Kolkata got off to a horrendous start, reduced to 57-5 in 6.1 overs as its high-scoring top order failed for once.</p>AFP
7/9:Pandey and Iyer Rescue KKR
<p>Manish Pandey and Venkatesh Iyer's partnership of 83 off 62 balls rescued the day for Kolkata, despite a sub-par total.</p>AFP
8/9:Starc Shines as Mumbai Fall
<p>Mumbai's chase of the 170 target fell short by 24 runs as Mitchell Starc overcame poor form to pick up 4-33.</p>AFP
9/9:SKY's Heroics in vain
<p>Suryakumar Yadav's valiant effort with 56 off 35 balls wasn't sufficient as Mumbai fell short, eventually being bowled out.</p>AFPThough Rinku did not make India's main 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, he has been named as a reserve player.
India's T20 World Cup journey kicks off against Ireland on June 5 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
Mumbai Indians' social media account shared a video capturing the moment of Rohit's embrace after the match.
Despite his impressive record of 356 runs at an average of 89 and a strike rate of 176.24 in T20Is for India, Rinku's exclusion has sparked significant debate since the Indian team's announcement and has created a stir on social media.
