IPL 2023: MI beat KKR to claim second successive win
Mumbai Indians (MI) beat Kolkata Knight Riders to win their second successive match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Ishan Kishan (58), Suryakumar Yadav (43), and Tilak Varma (30) shone as MI successfully chased down 186. Besides, Venkatesh Iyer was the lone warrior for the Knight Riders, having struck a record-breaking century. Here are the key stats.
How did the match pan out?
KKR had a patchy start after Suryakumar elected to field. While three of the top four batters departed in single figures, Venkatesh held one end. He completed his maiden IPL century before Andre Russell (21*) fired at the death (185/6). In response, Rohit Sharma and Ishan got MI off to a flier, while Suryakumar, Tilak, and Tim David brought them home (18th over).
A splendid knock from Venkatesh
Once again, KKR lost an early wicket and Venkatesh was at the crease inside the second over. He steadied the ship by adding crucial runs with Ramanullah Gurbaz and later Shardul Thakur. Venkatesh completed his maiden IPL ton, having slammed 9 maximums and 6 fours at a strike rate of 203.92. He finished with 104 off 51 balls and was dismissed by Riley Meredith.
Second-ever centurion for KKR
Brendon McCullum's 158* against RCB in the opening match of the inaugural IPL season (2008) was the first-ever century scored by a KKR batter. No other batter managed to touch the three-figure mark for the franchise ever since. Venkatesh broke the record by becoming the second-ever centurion for KKR. He is also the first KKR batter to slam a ton against MI.
A historic debut for Arjun Tendulkar
The MI-KKR clash marked the debut of Arjun Tendulkar in the cash-rich league. Arjun, the son of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, has been with MI since the 2021 edition. Interestingly, they have become the first-ever father-son pair to play in IPL. Arjun, who represents Goa in domestic cricket, bowled two overs and conceded 17 runs without getting a wicket.
Most IPL runs against an opponent
Suryakumar led MI in Rohit's absence, while the latter batted as an Impact Player. Although Rohit scored a 13-ball 20, he entered the record books. Rohit broke Shikhar Dhawan's record of scoring the most runs against an opponent in the IPL. The former now has 1,040 runs against KKR. His Indian team-mate Dhawan earlier held this record with 1029 runs against CSK.
A phenomenal half-century from Ishan
Ishan and Rohit came out all guns blazing during MI's run-chase. As a result, MI were cruising on 72/1 after six overs. Ishan completed his half-century off just 21 deliveries in the seventh over. It was his 13th IPL half-century and a maiden one in the ongoing season. Ishan smashed 58 off 25 balls, a knock laced with 5 fours and as many sixes.
2,000 IPL runs for Ishan
Ishan unlocked another achievement during his 25-ball 58. He has now raced to a milestone of 2,000 IPL runs. The left-handed batter has racked up 2,001 runs at an average of 29.43 in the tournament so far.
