28 April,2023 12:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The Knights are almost certain of a top-two finish (Pic: AFP)
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy returned bowling figures of 2-17 as Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday became the first team to qualify for IPL 2024 playoffs with an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians, with skipper Shreyas Iyer hailing his side's 'many game-changers'.
Two-time champions Kolkata posted 157-7 as Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with 42 off 21 balls after being invited to bat first at their home Eden Gardens in a rain-shortened 16-overs-a-side match. Bowlers combined to defend the total after Mumbai raced to 65-0 and Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner who was named player of the match, got the big wickets of Rohit Sharma, who made 19 after coming in as impact substitute, and skipper Hardik Pandya, who was caught out for two.
Five-time winners Mumbai, who are already out of the play-off race, finished on 139-8 as Tilak Varma hit a 17-ball 32 before he fell to fast bowler Harshit Rana, who took two wickets in the last over. Pace bowler Andre Russell also took two wickets, including that of Suryakumar Yadav, as table-toppers Kolkata got their ninth win in 12 matches to become the first team to book a play-off berth.
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The Knights are almost certain of a top-two finish. The top four teams will make the play-offs, but teams number one and two will have the advantage of getting an extra match to enter the final on May 26 in Chennai.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will play host to the three playoff matches and grand finale of IPL 2024.
Qualifier 1: TBD vs TBD
Venue: Ahmedabad
Date and time: May 21, 7.30 PM
Eliminator: TBD vs TBD
Venue: Ahmedabad
Date and time: May 22, 7.30 PM
Qualifier 2: Eliminator winner vs Qualifier 1 loser
Venue: Chennai
Date and time: May 24, 7.30 PM
Final: Qualifier 1 winner vs Qualifier 2 winner
Venue: Chennai
Date and time: May 26, 7.30 PM
Also Read: No toss, no problem!
IPL 2024 playoffs and final will be broadcast on the Star India Network which will offer coverage in eight languages in the Indian sub-continent, including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, and Kannada. Reliance Jio will live stream the playoffs and the grand finale free of cost in 4K resolution (UltraHD).
