Butterfingers help Mumbai post 168

Three dropped chances cost defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders dearly as visitors Mumbai Indians shrugged off a shaky start to post a challenging 168 for the loss of four wickets in the opening match of the eighth edition of the Twenty20 Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday.

The first chance was of Corey Anderson, batting on 23, when dropped at deep midwicket by Andre Russell off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan. The same batsman, who was let off the hook again in the last over off the Bangladesh all-rounder, went on to score an unbeaten 55 off 41 balls. However, it was Rohit Sharma who stole the show with an unbeaten 98 off just 65 deliveries. The India opener, who was dropped by wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa off the bowling of Sunil Narine on 68, went on to add 30 more runs as the last four overs yielded 59 runs for the visitors.

The recovery work came after Mumbai were reduced to 37 for three in sixth over, losing Aaron Finch and Ambati Rayudu to Morne Morkel and Aditya Tare to Shakib. Despite the early wicket, Shakib finished with figures of one for 48. Morkel was the best bowler for the champions, taking two wickets for just 18 runs.

SCORES IN BRIEF

MUMBAI INDIANS: 168 for 3 (Sharma 98 not out, Anderson 55 not out; Morkel 2-18, Shakib 1-48, Narine 0-28).