CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav hammered sparkling half centuries to steer Mumbai Indians (MI) to a convincing six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in the 46th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) played at the I. S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh on Wednesday.
An unbroken 119-run fourth-wicket partnership between Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma had taken Punjab to 214, but that proved insufficient as their bowlers were blown to smithereens by the explosive Yadav and Kishan.
MI went on to overtake their opponents total with ease as they raced to 216 for four in 18.5 overs and to register their second successive victory this season.
MI put on a chasing masterclass as Kishan and Impact Player Yadav’s blistering knocks helped the away side chase down 215 after Livingstone and Sharma’s aggressive knocks had powered Punjab to 214 for three in the first innings.
Thereafter, Tilak Varma and Tim David provided the finishing touches to power MI to a thumping six-wicket win.
Chasing 215, Mumbai Indians were jolted early as they lost Rohit Sharma off just the third ball of the innings as he sliced one uppishly to deep point off Rishi Dhawan.
However, Kishan and Cameron Green then went on the counterattack as they hit a flurry of fours. Kishan went after Rishi Dhawan in the fifth over and hit him for a couple of sixes into the stands before Green ended the over with a four to make it 17 off the over.
Yadav brought up the 100-run stand with Kishan, off just 52 balls as he flicked one over mid-wicket for a four off Arshdeep. Kishan went after Arshdeep in the same over, smashing two fours and a six to make it 21 off the over.
Tilak Varma got going straight away as he got off the mark with a thumping six over deep mid-wicket, then paddled one for a four and then swung one over deep square leg for another six to turn tables and bring the equation down to 21 off 18.
Earlier, Punjab rode on an unbroken 119-run, 53-ball fourth-wicket partnership between Livingstone and Sharma as Punjab became the first team in IPL history to register four 200-plus totals in a row.
Livingstone reached his fifty off 32 balls and then hit a hat-trick of sixes against Jofra Archer.
Chief scores
Punjab Kings: 214/3 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 30, Matthew Short 27, Liam Livingstone 82 n.o, Jitesh Sharma 49 n.o, Piyush Chawla 2/29)
Mumbai Indians: 216/4 in 18.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 75, Cameron Green 23, Suryakumar Yadav 66, Tilak Varma 26 n.o, Nathan Ellis 2/34).
