Kolkata break 11-year bogey by beating hosts Mumbai

MUMBAI, India (AP):

Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Mumbai for 145 and ended an 11-year losing streak at the Indians in the Indian Premier League yesterday.

Mumbai’s chase of the 170 target fell short by 24 runs as Mitchell Starc overcame poor form to pick up 4-33. Mumbai were all out with seven balls to spare.

Kolkata were dismissed for 169 off the second-to-last ball and led by Venkatesh Iyer’s 70 off 52 balls.

Kolkata had lost seven straight times at Wankhede Stadium since 2013.

The Knight Riders remained second overall, and Mumbai were ninth and eliminated from playoffs contention.

Kolkata got off to a horrendous start and were reduced to 57-5 in 6.1 overs. Their high-scoring top order failed for once; openers Phil Salt (5) and Sunil Narine (8), skipper Shreyas Iyer (6) and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi (13) all fell early.

Rinku Singh, who missed the India bus to the T20 World Cup next month, was out to spin for nine.

Mumbai’s Nuwan Thushara picked up 3-42, his best IPL haul in four games. Skipper Hardik Pandya took 2-44.

Manish Pandey was subbed in as impact player and combined with Venkatesh Iyer to put on 83 off 62 balls for the sixth wicket. Their partnership rescued the day for Kolkata; Iyer hit three sixes and six fours, and Pandey hit two sixes.

But it was a sub-par total as Jasprit Bumrah claimed three wickets in his two-over death burst.

Mumbai didn’t start its chase any better.

Ishan Kishan was bowled by Starc for 13, and former skipper Rohit Sharma was subbed in as an impact player and made only 11 before Narine had him caught.

Kolkata’s spinners produced and Mumbai were down to 70-5 in the 11th over.

Defeat loomed for Mumbai when Pandya was caught off Andre Russell on one.

The world’s top-ranked T20 batter, Suryakumar Yadav, had other plans though. He smacked two sixes and six fours for 56 off 35 balls and kept up the fight for Mumbai.

Tim David chipped in 24, and Yadav ran out of time – and partners – before he was caught by Russell in the 16th over.