Punjab Kings thrash Mumbai Indians by 9 wickets
CHENNAI: Punjab Kings (PBKS) registered a comfortable 9-wicket win over defending champion Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday night. With this win PBKS moved into fifth place in points table with 4 points from 5 matches while MI remained at fourth spot with better net runrate.
Chasing 132 runs to win in a slow wicket, Punjab openers KL Rahul and Mayak Agarwal gave a positive start, added 53 runs in 7.2 overs before the later was claimed by spinner Rahul Chahar at 25. Captain Rahul and veteran Chris Gayle took Punjab to winning target in 17.4 overs. Rahul remained unbeaten at 60 runs off 52 balls while Gayle made 43 off 35 balls.
Earlier, despite skipper Rohit Sharma getting 63, Mumbai Indians (MI) were restricted to 131 for six in 20 overs. Opener Sharma's 63 (52 balls, 5x4s, 2x6s) was the highest individual score for MI this season and only the second half-century for the franchise after Suryakumar Yadav's 56 in an earlier game. However, even as Sharma tried to anchor the innings, tight bowling from PBKS bowlers restricted the MI batsmen.
PBKS made one change to the team, bringing in Ravi Bishnoi in place of fellow leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin and the decision was vindicated as the Rajasthan bowler took two wickets for 21 in his four overs.
After Quinton de Kock (3) was dismissed early by off-spinner Deepak Hooda, Bishnoi removed Ishan Kishan (6) in the first over after powerplay leaving MI struggling at 26 for two after seven overs.
A 79-run partnership for the third wicket in exactly nine overs between Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 27 balls) resurrected the innings and set a platform for the two and the incoming hard-hitters to put up a competitive and big total.
However, that wasn't to be. Good performance by bowlers Mohammed Shami (2/21 in four overs), Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh (1/28 in three overs) in the death overs saw MI batting fail to get anywhere near 150.
The last four overs saw only 26 runs for MI even as they lost four wickets.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 131/6 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 63, S Yadav 33, M Shami 2/21, R Bishnoi 2/21) lost to Punjab Kings 132/1 in 17.4 overs (KL Rahul 60no, Chris Gayle 43no, Mayank Agarwal 25). Agencies