IPL 4 Eliminator: Scrappy Mumbai Indians Send Kolkata Knight Riders Out Despite Late Fight

The Kolkata Knight Riders would have fancied an equal chance as the Mumbai Indians of winning the IPL 4 Eliminator. However, those would have dimmed a little when they suffered early blows. But then again, the same could be siad of the Mumbai Indians when they looked to have lost their way. In the end, the Mumbai Indians proved to be Kolkata Knight Riders' heartbreak at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

munaf patel mumbai indians

The Kolkata Knight Riders should have got going strongly with Gautam Gambhir, the KKR captain, and Jacques Kallis. Instead they were rendered a rude shock particularly by Munaf Patel because of the two of the three wickets he picked as KKR found themselves in plenty of trouble at three down for fifteen in the fourth over. Matters got progressively worse with Manoj Tiwary sent back as well with the score on twenty.

However, the Kolkata Knight Riders did have their comeback period in the match when Ryan ten Doeschate and Yusuf Pathan began to undo some of the horrific start. Munaf Patel struck for a third time to send back the dangerous Pathan for twenty-six runs before not before the KKR duo raised sixty runs in a crucial fifth wicket partnership.

Ryan ten Doeschate's innings was incredibly critical given the kind of start the Kolkata Knight Riders thereby, losing their strongest batsmen at the top of the order. Ten Doeschate's seventy runs from forty-nine balls that include three sixes were the single crucial factor that allowed Kolkata Knight Riders to get as far as 148, a target that was not enough but competitive all the same.

In contrast, the Mumbai Indians got off to a winning start. Aiden Blizzard relieved some of the opening woes for the Mumbai Indians by slamming a half century off thirty balls while the Mumbai Indians captain, Sachin Tendulkar, kept him company.

The Kolkata Knight Riders would have had their doubts while Blizzard and Tendulkar were going strong. It was only when the Mumbai Indians lost their first wicket, that of Blizzard to Brett Lee at the end of the eighth over that the KKR sensed an opportunity. Almost immediately Rohit Sharma was run out without even facing a ball as he attempted a non existent runa nd getting a earful from Tendulkar to the shock and surprise of many.

Suddenly eighty-one for no loss became eighty-two for two and it was not hard to see why Tendulkar was not furious with Rohit because it gave the opposition an opportunity to put one foot in the door. However, Tendulkar had only himself to kick as ten runs later, he played a misguided shot off Jacques Kallis for thirty-six runs.

The door was certainly ajar as Ambati Rayudu felt cheated as he was adjudged caught behind with the Mumbai Indians score on 103, and still a run a ball away from the target and a place in the IPL 4 qualifier 2 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Mumbai Indians would be grateful that they have James Franklin to suddenly thank because a second match in a row, Franklin made the much needed twenty-nine runs, even as the match went down to the final over. Harbhajan Singh's shot for six off the second ball of the last over meant that the Mumbai Indians were through but not without a scrap.

( Unconfirmed word is that the Kolkata Knight Riders mya be the beneficiary if the IPL governing council decides to take the route of the Champions League Twenty20 2011 qualifier before the Champions League Twenty20 2011.)