Engrossing battle on cards as race hots up for IPL semis

Thu, May 15 12:36 PM

S S Ramaswamy Mumbai, May 15 (PTI) An engrossing and no-holds-barred battle for vital points to book semifinal spots are on the cards as resurgent home team Mumbai Indians take on a revitalised Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium here tomorrow night. Among the many small battles that make up, the overall picture would be the raw pace-versus-ace encounter between Kolkata's Shoaib Akhtar-Ishant Sharma combine and the Sachin Tendulkar-Sanath Jayasuriya duo of the hosts.

Jayasuriya's power-packed display yesterday, when he carted the Chennai Super Kings' bowling around with gay abandon in his amazing 114 not out including 11 sixes and nine fours, would surely have increased the crowds hunger to witness similar pyrotechnics with the bat from the home team. Mumbai Indians, with Tendulkar at the helm since yesterday after he missed the first half of their round robin campaign due to a groin injury, were in the sixth spot with eight points following their fourth win on the trot after a dismal beginining.

Two points ahead of the home team are the Knight Riders led by Sourav Ganguly and a victory for either would be a huge setback for the losing outfit in their race to advance to the knock-out stage of the 44-day competion that ends with the summit clash at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1. PTI.

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