"Would have loved to finish the game but..." Suryakumar Yadav after victory against KKR in IPL 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 16 (ANI): Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav bounced back against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after failing to perform in the first three matches for MI.
MI registered their second victory in the IPL as they managed to beat KKR by 5 wickets on Sunda at Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a target of 186, Surya played a crucial knock of 43(25). Surya has often been recognised as a natural finisher, but this time he paved the way for MI victory but failed to score the winning runs for his team.
"We had a chat in the dugout that we had to carry the momentum from the last game and the boys put on a show. I would have loved to finish the game but nevertheless, I was very happy with the way the team played," Suryakumar said after the match.
MI won the toss and elected to field first, a decision which paid off at the end. KKR managed to put up a competitive score on the board but Kishan's carnage in the opening overs unsettled KKR and allowed MI to regain control over the game.
"In the afternoon we thought the wicket was a little dry, but the way the guys batted it settled down in the evening. At the Wankhede, in day games, 160-170 is a good score but Kishan got us off to a great start. I took my time in the first five-seven balls and thought if I could get my eye in I could get a score. We know that if the top order gives a good start, what kind of firepower we have lower down the order," Suryakumar continued.
Chasing a target of 186, Mumbai got off to a fiery start as their openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma hammered Shardul Thakur for 16 runs in the second over of the game. The Mumbai duo continued their blistering form as they slammed Umesh Yadav for 17 runs with the help of two sixes and one four.
The constant strike rotation and picking up boundaries for fun kept the pressure off Mumbai. The Mumbai openers settled in with loose deliveries on offer and made use of the scoring opportunities given by the Kolkata pacers.
Kishan in red-hot form slammed Sunil Narine for 22 runs in the 4th over with the help of two sixes and brought his team's score beyond the 50-run mark.
The aggressive pair piled up beyond 60 runs in 5 overs, however, the 65-run partnership between the openers was broken as Suyash Sharma dismissed Rohit for 20.
The right-handed batter Suryakumar Yadav then came out to bat. Kishan kept his red-hot form going as he brought up a 21-ball half-century in the 8th over of the game. After slamming a maximum in the 9th over, Kishan fell prey to Varun Chakaravarthy's stunning ball. Ishan Kishan departed not before scoring a cracking 52 off just 22 deliveries.
Tilak Varma then came out to bat. The Mumbai batters rotated the strike brilliantly, not allowing the Kolkata bowlers to settle down while whacking the loose balls on offer. Suyash Sharma then produced a stunning delivery to bowled Tilak Varma for 30 off 25.
Tim David then came out to bat and slammed Chakaravarthy for 15 runs with the help of two maximums. Suryakumar then fell prey in the 17th over to Shardul Thakur after scoring 43 runs.
Nehal Wadhera then came out to bat but could to do much as he was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just 6 runs. In the 18th over David guided his team to a 5-wicket victory over KKR. (ANI)