VISAKHAPATNAM, India, CMC – West Indies Twenty20 star Kieron Pollard featured with another cameo for Mumbai Indians but their batting collapsed to hand Kings XI Punjab an uncomplicated seven-wicket win in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
Mumbai struggled to 124 for nine off their 20 overs after opting to bat first at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium and Kings XI cruised to their target with 18 deliveries remaining, behind half-centuries from Wriddhiman Saha and captain Murali Vijay.
With the defeat, Mumbai missed the chance to go top and dropped to fifth, remaining on 12 points. Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders both also have 12 points but are third and fourth respectively.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, on 14 points, top the standings by virtue of a superior net run rate over Gujarat Lions.
Mumbai needed Pollard’s top score of 27 after their batting imploded, courtesy of a lethal opening burst from the new ball pair of Sandeep Sharma (2-11) and Mohit Sharma (2-26).
The reigning champions were slumping at 61 for five before Pollard arrived to spearhead a crucial 42-run, sixth wicket stand with Krunal Pandya (19) which steadied the innings.
Pollard faced 20 balls and blasted three sixes before falling in the 17th over, one delivery after Pandya had also perished to medium pacer Marcus Stoinis, who finished with four for 15 from his four overs.
Mumbai were in with a sniff when South African Hashim Amla was removed without scoring with a single run on the board in the first over.
But Saha stroked 56 from 40 balls and Vijay, an unbeaten 54 from 52 deliveries, in a 116-run second wicket partnership to erase any hopes of a Kings XI defeat.
