Mumbai: Hardik Pandya’s crackerjack 61 not out off 31 balls inspired Mumbai Indians to a five run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders to keep their Indian Premier League play-offs hope alive at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.
Pandya came in with his side needing soe inspiration, and provided it in spades with a fine innings, ably supported by Kieron Pollard (33 not out off 38).
With their win, Mumbai climb from sixth to fourth with 14 points from 13 games, whereas Kolkata remain in second with 15 from 13.
Kolkata managed to score 166/7 in 20 overs, in response to the Indians’ 171/4 in 20 overs.
For Mumbai, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, R Vinay Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kieron Pollard all picked up one wicket.
Kolkata got off to a modest start in the chase with openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa scoring 38 off the first five overs.
Off the third ball off the fifth over, Harbhajan Singh got Uthappa, caught by Malinga for 25.
Incoming batsman Manish Pandey (1) also departed to a direct hit from Lendl Simmons.
Two quick wickets didn’t trouble Gambhir (38 off 29 balls) as he went on scoring.
The skipper fell in the 11th over, losing his leg stump after coming down the track looking to strike it big to a flat yorker from spinner Suchith, to reduce Kolkata to 88/3 in 10.6 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan also went back to the pavilion after smashing a quickfire 23 off 15 balls, the score being 118/4 in 14.2 overs.
Incoming hard-hitting batsman Andre Russell (2) was also dismissed by Malinga.
Yusuf Pathan’s late 52 off 37 balls threatened to win it for Kolkata, but ultimately came up short.
Earlier, put into bat, Mumbai scored 25 off the first four overs, but lost opener Parthiv Patel (21) in the second ball of the fifth.
Patel ran down the track to hit spinner Al Hasan down the ground but miscued into the hands of Manish Pandey at deep midwicket.
Patel’s opening partner Simmons also didn’t last long. After hitting pacer Morne Morkel for a six off the previous ball, the South African banged it in and Simmons (14) ended up scooping it feebly into the hands of Pandey.
Incoming batsman Ambati Rayudu (2) also didn’t trouble the scorers too much.
With the wicket of Rayudu, Mumbai were struggling at 47/3 in 6.3 overs.
With wickets tumbling at the other end, skipper Rohit Sharma managed to play positively, striking five boundaries in his short innings of 30 off 21 balls.
Rohit fell to a beauty from spinner Sunil Narine in the 12th over, leaving Mumbai at 79/4 in 11.4 overs.
But in came Pandya to smash eight boundaries and two sixes to help Mumbai post a competitive score.
The duo remained unbeaten to pile on 92 off 51 balls for the fifth wicket.
For Kolkata, Al Hasan (2/22) was the pick of the bowlers.
