IPL 2019: Hardik Pandya stunner goes in vain as MI loses

KKR's Andre Russell en route his unbeaten 80 against Mumbai yesterday. (Right) Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya plays an adventurous shot against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League at Eden Gardens yesterday. Pic/AFP

Kolkata Knight Riders buried Mumbai Indians under an avalanche of runs, winning by 34 runs to keep the dying embers of their playoff hopes burning. Posting their season best of 232 for two, the Knights struck early blows to peg back the chase at a packed Eden Gardens.

Hardik Pandya played a blinder to resurrect MI hopes but there was just too much left to do after the top-order had fallen to scoreboard pressure. Hardik, who added 63 off 30 deliveries for the fifth wicket with Kieron Pollard and stitched together another 64 off 28 with brother Krunal, scored a 34-ball 91 with six boundaries and nine fours before he fell going for another big one.

It was their first victory over MI after a string of eight losses. Earlier, reeling under six successive defeats, KKR had got the start they needed when Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill laid the foundation by stitching together 96 off 57, KKR's best opening partnership of the season. Andre Russell, promoted to No. 3, celebrated by hammering an unbeaten 40-ball 80 that had six boundaries and eight sixes. For good measure, he would later pick up a couple of wickets.

MI, beginning the chase needing to score at 11.6 runs an over, saw Quinton de Kock fall in the second over while trying to force the pace. Skipper Rohit Sharma, his opening partner, left two overs later. When Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav fell, MI looked lost at 54 for four after 8.2 overs. But Hardik was not done yet.

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