“In the beginning, he was someone who could provide a partnership for someone else to win a game for KKR but I think this year his thought process is about Rinku Singh can win this game for KKR."
In a game that ebbed and flowed, Marcus Stoinis held his nerve to seal a thrilling two-run win for Lucknow Super Giants despite Rinku Singh’s rearguard thrill-a-minute 15-ball 40 as Kolkata Knight Riders bowed out of the tournament.
As Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants begin the last block of the league phase, as many as seven teams are still in contention for a play-off spot.
There's rarely ever a game that goes by for the Kolkata Knight Riders where Andre Russell is not involved.
The win helped the Knight Riders rise to the sixth position in the points table and they now need to win their last game against Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday (May 18) to stay in the hunt for a play-off spot.
Saturday will be skipper Shreyas Iyer's 100th IPL match but the Knight Riders will be without the services of Cummins, who returned to Australia after an MRI scan confirmed a hip injury.
Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League with a mild hip injury and has returned to Australia for two weeks of rest and rehabilitation.
The Knight Riders Group is delighted to announce that it has acquired the rights to own and operate the Abu Dhabi franchise in UAE's T20 League and will set up Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) as an integral part of the UAE’s flagship T20 league.
Pat Cummins has had a lot going on for him. The Australian quick, ranked World’s No. 1 Test match bowler, came into this season of the IPL fresh from captaining his country to a 1-0 series win in Pakistan after a 4-0 Ashes victory over England and earlier, lifted his first ever T20 World Cup for Australia in October 2021.
"You look at the best players, they can do it in all different conditions. It’s always very satisfying to perform well away from home."
The match hung in balance as Mumbai needed 66 off the last six overs, in their chase of 166, with the well-set Ishan Kishan batting on 51 with Kieron Pollard for company at the other end. An over later, Cummins had all but sealed the game in his side's favour.
A strong bowling performance to defend 165 ensured the Knight Riders stayed in the race for a play-off spot as they registered their fifth win of the season. The win also saw them overtake Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings in the points table to jump to the seventh position.
Finding the best playing XI to yield a favourable run of results will be on both sides’ agenda as the Knight Riders yet again attempt to keep their season alive in what could be Tim Southee's 50th IPL appearance.
Head Coach Brendon McCullum rued the side's continued batting struggles as the Knight Riders hurtled to a 75-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (May 7) in Pune, a venue where they hadn't lost a single game on seven occasions.
