Jasprit Bumrah was on a roll against Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2024 match on Saturday. He picked two wickets for 39 runs in a rain-curtailed IPL 2024 match for Mumbai Indians. One of his victims was Sunil Narine, and the dismissal has gone viral for the sheer beauty of it. So much so, that he has all but ended the GOAT debate, asserting his credentials as the best pacer in the game. It was an in-swinging yorker that left literally had Narine under a spell. He could not move his bat and was bowled.
As for the match, Venkatesh Iyer stood out with a 21-ball 42 before a disciplined Mumbai Indians bowling unit restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 157 for seven in the IPL on Saturday. Battling a strained hamstring, Iyer lifted KKR after their worst start of the season with his counter-attacking knock after MI won a good toss following a late start because of rain.
The highlight of the left-hander's innings was the way he hit Jasprit Bumrah for a six and two fours.
Having missed 11 matches because of a finger injury, Nitish Rana made a 23-ball 33 in a key partnership with Iyer before getting run out.
But Mumbai bounced back well with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla returning 2/38 from his three overs, taking the two key wickets of Iyer and Andre Russell (24 off 14 balls; 2x4, 2x6).
Russell was looking in the mood and his wicket against the run of play denied KKR some extra runs.
Bumrah (2/39 from four overs) ended his splendid spell by dismissing Rinku Singh for a 12-ball 20.
On a tacky wicket that remained under covers for three days owing to persistent rain in the city, KKR had their worst start of the season and lost their openers -- Phil Salt (6) and Sunil Narine (0) -- in seven balls.
After being hit for a first-ball six, Nuwan Thushara dismissed Salt with a slower one and Bumrah flummoxed Narine with a delivery that angled away but swung in late to rattle his off-stump.
Bumrah looked unplayable and teased the batters by bowling a Test match length, knocking over a clueless Narine off his first ball.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer also looked tentative and was bowled around the leg by Anshul Kamboj for a 10-ball seven.
Iyer had a tough time after being hit on his heel by a throw from square leg.
After some treatment, the left-hander batted with disdain and attacked MI's best bowler when he hit him for a six and even stepped out for a boundary in a 15-run over.
His innings ensured that KKR kept their run-rate high, and they were 45/3 in the power play, which was reduced to five overs because of rain.
Chawla got him with his first ball, but then, Russell kept the momentum.
He greeted Chawla with a mighty slog over the cow corner and also showed his graceful side with an elegant four.
With PTI inputs