IPL recap: The best of Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians

We relive some of the best contests between the two teams who would have played each other today in the IPL had the COVID-19 pandemic not intervened.

In this picture taken on May 25, 2011, Sachin Tendulkar plays a drive en route to his 28-ball 36. Mumbai Indians has won 19 out of the 26 matches played between the two teams.

If not for the coronavirus pandemic, the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) would have so far seen two weeks of action. And today, in the evening of a double-header Sunday, there was the big clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens - their first meeting of the season.

Both teams being heavyweights, with Mumbai having won the IPL title four times and Kolkata twice, they have a fair bit of rivalry going on over the years.

In the head-to-head record, Mumbai dominates with 19 wins out of 25 matches. On a few occasions, Kolkata gave the fight but couldn’t cross the line.

Franklin fires

It was a match from the fourth edition, where Jacques Kallis scored a half-century while Manoj Tiwary and Yusuf Pathan chipped in with important contributions, as Kolkata put up a commanding total of 175. Mumbai’s chase got off to a shaky start and it was 96 for 4 in the 13th over.

New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin resurrected the run-chase with solid hitting and gave his team a fighting chance. Mumbai needed 21 off the last over and Franklin blasted four boundaries off the first four deliveries. Then Ambati Rayudu sealed the deal with a six off the last delivery.

Pollard trumps Narine

In this match in the sixth season IPL, Sunil Narine turned the match in Kolkata’s favour with his magical bowling. But it was his compatriot Kieron Pollard who denied Kolkata with a 26-ball 33. Batting first, Kolkata put up a competitive total of 159.

Mumbai got off to a brilliant start in its chase as Dwayne Smith took the Kolkata bowlers to the cleaners. But Narine brought the Knight Riders back into the game with the scalps of Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma. Then Pollard consolidated the innings and took Mumbai close to the target.

For a win, Mumbai needed 10 runs off the last over, to be bowled by Rajat Bhatia. Harbhajan Singh hit a six off the third ball and Rayudu completed the win with a boundary.

• Matches: 25
• KKR won: 6
• MI won: 19
• No result: 0
• KKR Highest total: 232
• MI Highest total: 210
• KKR lowest score: 67
• MI lowest score: 108.