Kolkata, May 21 -- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated the already eliminated Mumbai Indians (MI) by four wickets at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday and remained alive in the race for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs, thanks to a match-winning knock from the veteran batter Manish Pandey.

Coming to bat at number three, the 36-year-old Pandey made 45 runs off 33 balls with the help of six boundaries to take his side near the modest target of 148 runs on the surface, which was difficult for batters.

After receiving his Player of the Match award, Pandey said, "This was the only game I've actually batted, so I've been padded up and waiting to bat, but didn't get the opportunity in the first four games. But I think this was a spec...