With Ashutosh almost taking Punjab over the line, and Shashank Singh injecting the first ray of hope with a 25-ball 41 after the home side was reduced to 14 for four, the uncapped Indian duo was yet again left to do the heavy-lifting.
On the 16th commemoration of the Indian Chief Association (IPL), the competition seen one of the most emotional scripts that the crash, blast, clobber of T20 cricket can serve as Mumbai Indians pipped Punjab Rulers by nine runs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Universal Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.
With the beat and middle-order bulldozed, Ashutosh Sharma and Harpreet Brar undermined to turn the coordinate on its head in a 10-ball 16th over, preying on Akash Madhwal’s more full lengths. The over fetched Mumbai 24 runs and cleared out Punjab requiring a comfortable 28 from four overs.
Jasprit Bumrah was still cleared out with one over and the twosome properly rode it out with three singles. But the resulting move in force had Ashutosh pulling the another over’s to begin with conveyance, bowled by Gerald Coetzee, straight to profound midwicket.
Fate gave Madhwal a moment chance and made a difference him out when Kagiso Rabada was run out off the to begin with ball of the final over, off which Punjab required 12 with fair the solitary wicket in hand.
With Ashutosh nearly taking Punjab over the line, and Shashank Singh infusing the to begin with beam of trust with a 25-ball 41 after the domestic side was decreased to 14 for four, the uncapped Indian pair was however once more cleared out to do the heavy-lifting.
Though the coordinate ebbed and streamed, Punjab’s batting burdens endured and Jasprit Bumrah’s two-wicket to begin with over, which accounted for Rilee Rossouw and Sam Curran, as it were made things worse.
Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav proceeded to play Russian roulette, scoring up a 53-ball 78 (7×4, 3×6) after scores of 0, 52, 0. The right-hander, in spite of the fact that not at his most damaging, was still creative with his shot-making.
With Mumbai going on the frenzy in the late-overs after Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma’s 81-run stand for the moment wicket, it was Harshal Patel, Punjab’s most degenerate fast-bowler this year, who put the slips on the resistance by conceding fair three runs in the last over.
Harshal blended the yorkers and bouncers wisely with his changes of pace to keep the players speculating. Liam Livingstone and Brar conceded as it were 37 runs in five overs of turn and kept Mumbai underneath 200, which was still as well much for the domestic side. Know More Latest IPL Cricket News…
