Pollard blitzkrieg makes mincemeat of KKR's 174 for 5

Rohit Sharma’s graceful 68 not out off 49 balls and Kieron Pollard’s brutal 51 not out off 17 balls starred in an easy six-wicket win for the home team; reaching 178-4 with 12 balls to spare.

Kieron Pollard blew away the Knight Rider's bowling attack with six big hits over the fence.

Mumbai Indians burst off the blocks, motored down the home straight before Kolkata Knight Riders hopes lay shattered amidst smoking rockets when the hard-hitters got to work. Rohit Sharma’s graceful 68 not out off 49 balls and Kieron Pollard’s brutal 51 not out off 17 balls starred in an easy six-wicket win for the home team; reaching 178-4 with 12 balls to spare.

> Full scorecard and ball-by-ball details

The Wankhede stadium turned into a playground for the MI heavyweights with Sharma stroking eight fours and two sixes, and Pollard smashing six sixes and two boundaries in an unbeaten 72-runs stand, making the 175 target look small. MI coasted to a fourth win in eight matches, moving up to third place with eight points. KKR remains in second place with eight points after six ties.

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The home team was on course in the Powerplay overs. An imperious Sharma milked the bowling and his opening partner Rayudu indulged in late cuts, slicing apart the KKR attack before Suryakumar Yadav pulled off a fabulous running catch to send the latter back to the hut.

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Mumbai gambled by sending young Krunal Pandya to the middle with 13 overs left. The left-hander danced down the track against Narine, missed and lost the middle stump.

Chris Lynn bettered Yadav’s catch with a leap and a hop across the ropes to make a stunning effort at long-off look easy. The Aussie’s effort will rank as one of IPL’s fielding highs, for body balance and presence of mind to flick the ball up.

The Gambhir show

Earlier in the first innings, Gautam Gambhir showed the way one more time for KKR with a controlled knock and his 45-ball 59 was laced with six boundaries and a six. The Knight Rider's onslaught on the MI bowling was restricted to four big hits by Yusuf Pathan (19 off eight deliveries), and it finished with 174-5 in 20 overs.

MI's fast bowlers showed discipline, conceding only one run via a leg-bye, to keep the hard-hitters in check. However, the bowlers were let down by the fielders as three chances were put down; two by Tim Southee on the fence and one by Mitchell McClenaghan.