KKR Clinch Playoff Berth with 18-Run Win over MI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured a playoff berth and a likely top-two finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with an 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a rain-affected match in Kolkata.

Despite losing their openers early, KKR posted a competitive 157 for 7 in 16 overs, thanks to Venkatesh Iyer's 42 and some late hitting from the lower order.

In response, MI's chase was stifled by KKR's spin twins, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. The duo conceded just 22 runs in the five overs after the powerplay, claiming two wickets and mounting pressure on the visitors.

Suryakumar Yadav and Tim David attempted to accelerate the chase but fell to Andre Russell's variations. MI stumbled to 92 for 5, and despite a late cameo from Tilak Varma, they were unable to recover.

Varma reduced the equation to 22 required from six balls, but his dismissal early in the last over sealed MI's ninth loss in 13 matches.

KKR's victory was built on a solid bowling performance, with Chakravarthy and Russell claiming two wickets each. Harshit Rana also chipped in with two wickets.

For MI, Ishan Kishan top-scored with 40, while Varma's 32 provided some late hope. However, the team's batting lineup failed to fire consistently, leading to their defeat.

Tags: #KKR, #MI, #IPL2022, #Playoffs, #SpinTwins