Mumbai Indians have efficiently defended average totals just a few instances this season. They gained towards Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, defending 152 and 150 respectively. On Friday too, their bowlers tried their greatest to make a match of it. But 131/6 proved to be grossly inadequate as Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul and Chris Gayle placed on an unbeaten 79-run second-wicket partnership to see them by to a morale-boosting 9-wicket win with 14 balls to spare.
Rahul, Gayle take Punjab residence
At one level on Friday night, it seemed like an eerily acquainted script was taking part in out on the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Punjab Kings, in pursuit of a middling 132-run goal, have been off to an assured begin, churning out 53 runs for the lack of opener Mayank Agarwal in 7.2 overs. But then got here the strangle within the center overs, with Mumbai’s spinners Rahul Chahar and Jayant Yadav making use of the brakes. Runs got here in a trickle with Rahul and Gayle struggling to offer the impetus. Was one other implosion on the playing cards? Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad threw away video games towards Mumbai they need to have gained.
✅ 91 v RR❌ 5 v CSK✅ 61 v DC❌ 4 v SRH✅ 50* v MI
KL Rahul is sticking to a sample in #IPL2021 😬 pic.twitter.com/jP9ZEMP2U9
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) April 23, 2021
Sensibly, Punjab saved their wickets intact. A boundary by Gayle down the leg-side towards Chahar eased the strain. He then tore into Yadav for a brace of boundaries and a humongous six that soared into the highest tier. Rahul, on the different finish, saved rotating strike with a common sense method. Despite struggling together with his timing for the higher a part of the innings, the Punjab Kings captain introduced up a run-a-ball fifty that helped his workforce previous the end line.
Bowlers apply the choke on MI
Batting in Chennai has been a treacherous proposition. The pitch is sluggish and two-paced. Resultantly, stroke-play will be arduous, and batsmen by no means actually have the measure of the situations. Mumbai Indians have been off to a lacklustre begin, meandering to 21/1 after 6 overs — their second-lowest whole within the powerplay within the IPL. It was captain Rohit Sharma who performed the anchor’s function to a nicety, utilising his expertise to discover a means bat on this floor. Without his 52-ball 63, and Suryakumar Yadav’s effervescent 27-ball 33, the defending champions would have struggled to get previous the three-figure rating.
Credit ought to be given to Rahul for marshalling his bowling assets admirably. He used Moises Henriques and Deepak Hooda, who utilized the choke upfront. Even throughout Mumbai’s mini resurrection — a 79-run third-wicket partnership between Rohit and Suryakumar — Punjab’s bowlers held their nerve. Through Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh, they prised by Mumbai’s center order, proscribing them to 34/4 within the ultimate 5 overs.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 131/6 (Rohit Sharma 63 off 52 deliveries, 5×4, 2×6; Suryakumar Yadav 33 off 27 deliveries, 3×4, 1×6; Ravi Bishnoi 2/21, 10 dots) misplaced to Punjab Kings 132/1 in 17.4 overs (KL Rahul 60 not out off 52 deliveries, 3×4, 3×6, Chris Gayle 43 not out off 35 balls, 5×4, 2×6; Rahul Chahar 1/18; 8 dots) by 9 wickets
