MUMBAI: Indian batsman Venkatesh Iyer struck his maiden T20 century on Sunday, but it was not enough to stop Kolkata Knight Riders losing to IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians by five wickets.
Iyer’s 104 off 51 balls helped Kolkata to 185-6, a total five-time winners and hosts Mumbai overhauled with 14 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.
Opener Ishan Kishan blasted 58 off 25 balls but it was T20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav’s quickfire 43 that brought the home crowd to life, as he looked like returning to form after a rough patch.
The left-handed Kishan gave Mumbai a flying start in a 65-run opening stand with Rohit Sharma, who made 20 off 13 balls after coming in as an impact sub.
Kishan was bowled by leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy but Suryakumar, who got a first-ball duck in the previous match, soon took charge to smash three sixes in his 25-ball blitz.
Shardul Thakur denied Suryakumar his fifty, before Tim David steered the chase with an unbeaten 24.
Mumbai started by handing debut caps to Arjun Tendulkar, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, and South Africa fast bowler Duan Jansen, twin brother of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Marco Jansen.
Earlier the left-handed Iyer struck the second hundred of this IPL season, after Hyderabad’s England import Harry Brook hit a match-winning unbeaten 100 last week.
Iyer’s knock was the first ton for two-time champions Kolkata since former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum smashed 158 runs in the first ever IPL match in 2008.
Iyer got little support from the other end, but took on the opposition attack with six fours and nine sixes before departing in the 18th over.
Kolkata’s new hero Rinku Singh failed to fire in his 18-ball 18, but West Indies big-hitter Andre Russell hit an unbeaten 11-ball 21 to boost the team’s total.
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