(IPL) With a three-run win over Kings XI Punjab yesterday, the Mumbai Indians (MI) kept themselves in the reckoning for a place in the VIVO IPL 2018 Playoffs. While Kieron Pollard lifted the defending champions to a solid 186 for eight; Jasprit Bumrah’s second spell yielding three wickets, including that of KL Rahul (94 off 60), helped MI to a nerve-wracking win.
Asked to bat first at the Wankhede Stadium, MI lost opener Evin Lewis with 37 runs on the board.
Suryakumar Yadav, who had smacked Ankit Rajpoot for two sixes and two boundaries to collect 21 runs in the third over, was then joined by Ishan Kishan in the middle.
While the youngster was tested by Andrew Tye, he deposited Mohit Sharma over square-leg and point for a couple of sixes in an effort to keep the momentum going.
However, Tye applied the brakes in the MI innings by accounting for both batsmen off successive deliveries to leave the side on 59 for three.
And with Rohit Sharma returning to the pavilion for six, MI were floundering on 71 for four.
Pollard then joined Krunal Pandya in reshaping the innings.
The pair had taken the team to 136 when Krunal departed handing a catch to short fine-leg.
Pollard, however, struck two boundaries and six off Marcus Stoinis in the 14th over. But, in the following over the Trinidadian departed hitting R Ashwin towards long-off. With Tye bowling tidy overs in the death, and dismissing Hardik Pandya, KXIP were able to reign in MI.
After a couple of quiet overs, Rahul and Chris Gayle launched into the KXIP bowling. They clobbered Hardik for 19 runs to the set the tone of the innings. Although Mitchell McClenaghan got the better of the Jamaican to leave the team on 34 for one, Rahul and Aaron Finch took the match to the hosts. Promoted up the order, Finch joined the opener in plundering runs off the MI attack. The duo had taken KXIP to 145 when Bumrah, back in the attack, claimed the No 3 batsman and followed up with the wicket of Stoinis to leave the side on 149 for three in the 17th over. But with Rahul hammering the bowlers all over the park, the match was hanging in balance until Bumrah accounted for him in his next over to tip the balance in MI’s favor. With 20 runs required Yuvraj Singh then joined Axar Patel in the middle with nine balls remaining. The bowlers kept a lid on the flow of runs and McClenaghan defended 17 runs in the last over to bowl his team to a thrilling win.
Brief scores
Mumbai Indians – 186/8 in 20 overs (K Pollard 50, K Pandya 32, A Tye 4/16) beat
Kings XI Punjab – 183/5 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 94, A Finch 46, J Bumrah 3/15) by 3 runs
Man of the Match – Jasprit Bumrah for his 3/15
