MUMBAI Indians kept their enviable all-win record at home intact as they outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs in Mumbai on Tuesday (May 7) to virtually eliminate the defending champions’ hopes of making the Indian Premier League play-offs.
Mumbai rode on their best opening stand of the season – 93 runs – provided by Sachin Tendulkar (48) and Dwayne Smith (47) and a quick-fire unbeaten 34 by Dinesh Karthik to rattle up 170 for six at the Wankhede Stadium.
The hosts then bowled out the visitors for 105 in 18.2 overs to emerge convincing winners and shoot to the second position on the league table with 16 points behind leaders Chennai Super Kings (18), whom they had beaten comprehensively on Sunday (May 5).
Only Manvinder Bisla (17) and Jacques Kallis (24) got the starts for the Knight Riders without flourishing fully among the top five batsmen after the dismissal of captain Gautam Gambhir for a duck.
Spinners Harbhajan Singh (3) and Pragyan Ojha (2) were the main wicket takers along with Mitchell Johnson (2) and Lasith Malinga (2) while Abu Nechim Ahmed too got a wicket.
It was Mumbai’s sixth straight home win of the season and 8th overall.
The comprehensive defeat, their tenth in 12 games against Mumbai in the tournament's history, was also the Kinght Riders’ 8th loss of the season and they are virtually out of contention for a berth in the four-team play-offs.
