IPL: Iyer, Starc shine as KKR beat MI after 12 years at Wankhede

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling attack worked together seamlessly to secure a 24-run victory against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in an IPL match on Friday. While KKR's batsmen struggled with their game plan and were bowled out for just 169, with Venkatesh Iyer's 70 being the standout performance, Mumbai Indians' underperforming batters faltered on a challenging wicket that required both skill and patience. They were bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs, effectively ending their campaign in what has been a difficult season for Hardik Pandya. This victory marked KKR's first away win in Mumbai in 12 years, recalling the last time they won at this venue, when their owner Shah Rukh Khan faced a three-year ban after an altercation with security staff. KKR won the trophy that year, and this recent win brings them to 14 points, keeping them in the running for a top-two finish in the tournament. Despite Suryakumar Yadav's brilliant fifty, Mumbai Indians were shot out for 145 in 18.5 overs chasing 170, found wanting with the bat once again as Mitchell Starc (3.5-0-33-4) cleaned up the tail for KKR's seventh win in 10 matches. Until he top edged one off a full toss from Andre Russell (2/30), Suryakumar appeared to be proving the difference between the two sides with a top quality knock which brought MI back from the brink. With six fours and two sixes, Suryakumar made 56 off 35 balls in an innings that kept MI's hopes alive. Suryakumar also brought the equation down enough for his side to get over the line after they were reduced to 71/6 at one stage. But none of the MI batters showed their hand up as KKR ran away with the game with a flurry of wickets towards the end. Also impressive were KKR's spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, producing identical figures of 4-0-22-2 to keep the MI batters under the pump. Having smacked a six and a four off Starc, Ishan Kishan (13) missed connecting a wild heave which resulted in the Aussie knocking down his leg stump. Naman Dhir (11) hit two fours to start with but he also went for a heave and missed with Chakravarthy striking on his first delivery. Playing as an impact sub, Rohit Sharma (11) lofted Starc for a spectacular six over extra cover but failed to connect well when he went to pull a short one from Narine. Manish Pandey covered a fair distance moving backwards to reduce MI to 46 for three in the powerplay. Chakravarthy ensured a short stay in the middle for MI's most successful batter this

KKR conquer Fort Wankhede to end 12-year long win-drought

NEW DELHI: Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan got a three-year ban from the stadium for getting embroiled in an argument with security staff, the last time Kolkata Knight Riders won a match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede before Friday. And ending the 12-year drought after the infamous win, KKR finally breached Fort Wankhede -- for the first time since 2012 -- and put the hosts almost out of the reckoning of the playoffs race. As the Knights successfully defended 169, the team came together to break the jinx at the venue, putting a smile of the faces of principal owner Shah Rukh and mentor Gautam Gambhir. KKR's bowling unit fired in unison to win a battle of attrition against five-time champions. While the batters were guilty of not working out their game plan on the go in the first half to be bowled out for just 169 with Venkatesh Iyer contributing 70, Mumbai Indians' underperforming batters stood no chance on a tricky wicket which demanded both application and patience. They were all-out for 145 in 18.5 overs with IPL's biggest buy ever Mitchell Starc (4/33) leading the way with his four-for. As KKR registered their 7th win of the season, taking another big leap towards playoffs and pushing Mumbai out of the knock-outs contention, several record were broken and rewritten in the game between the two heavyweights. * First win for KKR in 12 years at Wankhede - only previous win over MI at Wankhede came back in 2012, with Sunil Narine returning 4/15 from 3.1 overs in a 32-run win. KKR vs MI at Wankhede Matches : 11 Wins : 2 Defeats : 9 * The match was just the fourth instance in 33 head-to-head matches in which MI got bowled out against KKR. * The game was also just the fourth in IPL where both teams got all-out DC vs RR , Nagpur, 2010 KKR vs RCB , Kolkata, 2017 MI vs SRH , Mumbai (Wankhede), 2018 MI vs KKR , Mumbai (Wankhede), 2024 * MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah continued his IPL dominance with record-extending three-fer 23 - Jasprit Bumrah (131 innings) 20 - Yuzvendra Chahal (154 innings) 19 - Lasith Malinga (122 innings) 17 - Amit Mishra (162 innings) * It was the fifth loss for MI while chasing this IPL season Matches : 6 Won : 1 (vs

'Rinku didn't get an opportunity maybe because...': Ganguly

NEW DELHI: Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly reassured Rinku Singh not to be disheartened by his exclusion from India's T20 World Cup squad, emphasizing that it was a tactical decision by the team management. Ganguly explained that India opted for an "extra spinner" considering the spinning conditions expected in the West Indies, which might have impacted the selection process. Rinku, known for his explosive batting and finishing skills with a strike rate of over 176 in 15 T20Is and as a key player for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, was likely edged out due to this strategic choice. "It's West Indies. The wickets may be slow and assist spin so they (selectors) wanted to go with another spinner. Maybe because of that Rinku didn't get an opportunity but it's just the beginning for Rinku," Ganguly said at the Trophy unveiling ceremony of the Bengal Pro T20 League. Ganguly anticipated that India and Australia would dominate the tournament similar to how they did in the 50-over World Cup last year. India will kick off their group stage matches in the USA, commencing their campaign against Ireland on June 5. The tournament will then transition to the Caribbean countries for the Super Eight onwards. "India and Australia the two best teams of the tournament. I'm sure they will do the same thing in the USA and the West Indies," Ganguly said. On the Indian squad, Ganguly said: "It's a fabulous squad, they are all match winners. All 15 are good enough to be selected, I'm sure Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) will pick the best." Meanwhile all the eight franchises and their marquee players in the Bengal Pro T20 League were also announced. The inaugural edition of the league will take place at Eden Gardens and Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground from June 11-28. The Teams Kolkata Royal Tigers (areas: Kolkata & Hooghly) (marquee players: Abhishek Porel and Mita Paul). Harbour Diamonds (North & South 24 Parganas) (Manoj Tiwary and Sukanya Panda). Rashmi Medinipur Wizards (Medinipur and Jhargram) (Abhimanyu Easwaran & Richa Ghosh). Servotec Siliguri Strikers (Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Kalimpong) (Akash Deep and Priyanka Bala). Adamas Howrah Warriors (Howrah, Purulia and Bankura) (Anustup Majumdar and Dhara Gujjar). Malda Sobisco Smashers (Dinajpur and Malda) (Mukesh Kumar & Rishita Basu). Murshidabad King (Murshidabad and Nadia) (Sudeep Gharami and Deepti Sharma). (With PTI inputs)

Piyush Chawla achieves this incredible milestone in IPL history

NEW DELHI: Experienced Mumbai Indians spinner Piyush Chawla made history on Friday by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in Indian Premier League history. The 35-year-old spinner reached this milestone during the IPL 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Chawla claimed his 184th IPL wicket by dismissing Rinku Singh. This achievement saw him surpass former Chennai Super Kings and West Indies veteran pacer Dwayne Bravo, moving Chawla to second place on the all-time wicket-takers list. At the top of the list is Rajasthan Royals' spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has taken 200 wickets. Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Lucknow Super Giants spinner Amit Mishra round out the list in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Top five bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history: Yuzvendra Chahal - 200 wickets Piyush Chawla - 184 wickets Dwayne Bravo - 183 wickets Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 178 wickets Amit Mishra - 174 wickets

England Women's cricket coach using AI to pick team

NEW DELHI: England Women's cricket coach Jon Lewis disclosed on Friday that he is utilizing artificial intelligence to assist with team selection, noting that this technology played a role in his team's success during last season's Ashes. Lewis initially encountered the technology developed by London-based PSi when he assumed leadership of the UP Warriorz franchise in India's Women's Premier League. Now, the 48-year-old former England paceman relies on the company to assist him in making decisions about squad composition, team balance, and in-game match-ups between players. The system generates projected outcomes based on the composition of each side. "I can send multiple different line-ups to the PSi in London and they run, I think, about 250,000 simulations per team that I send, with all different permutations that could happen through the game," he said. "We are able to run simulated teams versus the simulated opposition to give us an idea about how those teams may match up against each other. "I came across it during my time at UP Warriorz and it's something I looked at and thought it could add some value to the England Women's cricket team." Lewis said he still favoured a "people-first approach" but he added: "What data can do is give you a really objective view of what could happen and what has happened previously. I think it will help with borderline decisions in terms of selection and match-ups." Lewis, who has spoken to England's rugby union coach Steve Borthwick about his own use of the PSi model, said the system had proved its worth as his side drew last season's multi-format Women's Ashes series against arch-rivals Australia. "There was one selection particularly last year, one period of the Ashes that we targeted as a team," said Lewis, speaking at the announcement of England's squad for T20 and ODI series at home to Pakistan later this month. "There were a couple of selections where AI really helped because both players I was thinking about picking were both in really good form and were both really selectable and it did help with those selections. "We saw a real strength in Australia and we matched up our strength to that. That worked really, really well and it helped us win the T20 series in particular, which got us back in the Ashes." AI is becoming an increasing feature of top-level sport, with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach saying last month it could help identify talented athletes "in every corner of the world". He

Beautifully done! Gambhir overjoyed as KKR turn the tide at Wankhede

NEW DELHI: As Kolkata Knight Riders registered a sweet 24-run win over Mumbai Indians, they ended a 12-year losing streak at the Wankhede on Friday. Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped the seal an easy win. As KKR broke the 13-year bogey in Mumbai, an elated mentor Gautam Gambhir was quick to congratulate the Shreyas Iyer and Co. on a memorable win. Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs as pacer Mitchell Starc overcame poor form to pick up 4-33. Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata. The win was Kolkata's seventh from 10 games this season while Mumbai slumped to ninth position in the 10-team competition after their eighth loss in 11 games. Kolkata are placed second and well poised to make it to the play-offs.

Bumrah continues his IPL dominance with record-extending three-fer

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians' pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued his dominance in the Indian Premier League with record-extending three-wicket haul. The right-arm pacer returned impressive figures of 3/18 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. Bumrah leads the pack with an impressive 23 hauls of three wickets in just 131 innings. Bumrah's precision and ability to deliver under pressure have made him a formidable force in the IPL. Not far behind is Yuzvendra Chahal, the crafty leg-spinner, who has claimed 20 such hauls in 154 innings. Chahal's knack for outfoxing batsmen with his guile and variations has been crucial for his teams over the years. Most hauls of 3 wickets or more in the IPL 23 - Jasprit Bumrah (131 innings)20 - Yuzvendra Chahal (154 innings)19 - Lasith Malinga (122 innings)17 - Amit Mishra (162 innings) Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan yorker specialist, has left an indelible mark on the league with 19 hauls of 3 wickets or more in 122 innings. Malinga's lethal death bowling and ability to clinch wickets at crucial junctures have made him a legend in the IPL. Amit Mishra, the veteran leg-spinner, rounds off this elite list with 17 hauls in 162 innings. Known for his flight and turn, Mishra has been a consistent wicket-taker, proving time and again the value of spin in the shortest format of the game. Talking about the match, on the back of Bumrah's astonishing spell, Mumbai Indians bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for a modest 169. Sri Lankan medium pacer Nuwan Thushara (3/42) blew the top-order while Bumrah was menacing at the back end while skipper Hardik Pandya (2/44) also got a couple of wickets. For KKR, Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) made significant contributions to take the visitors to a decent but sub-par total.

Watch: No Russell fireworks as KKR slogger suffers a disastrous run out

NEW DELHI: There were no fireworks at the death for Kolkata Knight Riders as their slogger Andre Russell, known for his mighty hitting, fell cheaply after being involved in a disastrous run out against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on Friday. Looking for their first win at the venue since 2012, KKR were knocked over for par 169 by the hosts. With the stage set for Russell to work his magic, he arrived in the middle as the score read 140 for six at the start of the 17th over. Russell then started off with a bang, smoking MI skipper Hardik Pandya for a maximum first ball but then three balls later, got involved in an unfortunate run out. And the reason for Russell's unfortunate run out was his partner Venkatesh Iyer, who didn't respond to his call on the final ball of the over. Soon after Iyer reverse-swept a Hardik ball to short third man, Russell just took off from the non-strikers but found Iyer unresponsive. Having almost reached his partner, Russell had no chance of returning as Hardik collected a wide throw and dismantled the stumps at the non-striker's end. Russell walked back for a 2-ball 7 as commentator Shane Watson later said that his run out cost around 30 runs to KKR towards the end. With 6 wins in 9 matches, KKR currently sit at the second spot on the points table. MI on the other hand are languishing at the ninth spot with just three wins in 10 games.

Hardik's MI put Rohit on 'bench' for must-win game against KKR

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians' former skipper and stalwart Rohit Sharma did not feature in the original XI for the side's clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede on Friday. Rohit was interestingly put on the 'Impact Sub' bench and was not in the starting XI when skipper Hardik Pandya exchanged the team sheet with opposition number Shreyas Iyer at the toss. This is the first time this IPL season that Rohit will feature for MI as an Impact Substitute. It is also the first time under Hardik's captaincy that Rohit is being used as an Impact Sub rather than featuring in the entire contest. However, it is not the first time Rohit is playing an IPL game as an Impact Sub. Last year as well, Rohit came in as a sole batter in a few MI matches while Suryakumar led the side while fielding. Alongside Rohit, MI also made one change, bringing in Naman Dhir in place of Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi. KKR, on the other hand, decided to field the same playing XI. With 6 wins in 9 matches, KKR currently sit at the second spot on the points table. MI on the other hand are languishing at the ninth spot with just three wins in 10 games.