Ponting's Mumbai see off KKR in IPL
Rohit Sharma starred for Ricky Ponting's Mumbai Indians. (AAP)
Ricky Ponting's Mumbai Indians have recorded their first Indian Premier League win of the season with skipper Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 84 laying the foundations for a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
Chasing an imposing 188 for victory, the visitors reached their target with five balls to spare after India star Sharma and England's Jos Buttler (41 off 22 balls) putting on 66 for the fourth wicket to turn the game in their side's favour.
Half-centuries from Gautum Gmabhir and Manish Pandey and a quickfire 36 from 17 balls from Andre Russell had earlier guided the Knight Riders to 5-187 from their 20 overs.
After being reduced to 2-87 at the halfway stage, Mumbai head coach Ponting took the left-field decision of sending big-hitting tailender Mitchell McClenaghan in at No.4, and the New Zealander vindicated the move by clubbing 20 off just eight balls.
The arrival of Buttler at the crease accelerated the chase with a Russell over going for 17 before he holed out to Suryakumar Yadav.
A brilliant 18th over from Australia's John Hastings yielded one run to put the brakes on the Indians' chase, but Sharma then blasted three successive boundaries off Russell before Kieron Pollard hit the winning run.
