Hardik Pandya and Co. took home the vital 2 points after defeating the Punjab Kings by 9 runs in front of their home crowd in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) in Mullanpur on April 18.
MI bowlers who were in a lot of criticism lately apart from Jasprit Bumrah, made amends on the night and got their team a crucial 3rd win of the tournament.
Speechless 🤷♂️🙇♂️#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #PBKSvMI pic.twitter.com/k9OiSzYF8b
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 18, 2024
SKY Stars For MI
Mumbai Indians chose to bat first, with opener Ishan Kishan dismissed early on by Kagiso Rabada after scoring just 8 runs. His partner, Rohit Sharma, anchored the innings, scoring runs steadily with well-timed shots.
Suryakumar Yadav also showcased good form, adding momentum to Mumbai’s innings with some impressive strokes. Despite missing regular captain Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab Kings relied on Sam Curran’s leadership.
Although Rohit Sharma, coming off a century in the previous game, fell short and was dismissed for 36 runs by Sam Curran, Suryakumar Yadav’s aggressive fifty, his 23rd in T20 cricket, proved vital for Mumbai. His innings of 78 off 53 balls kept Mumbai’s innings moving. Harshal Patel shone for Punjab Kings, claiming three wickets.
Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 34 runs further boosted Mumbai’s total to 192/7. This challenging target provided confidence to the MI bowlers as they aimed to defend it against Punjab Kings, the five-time champions.
MI Bowlers Finish The Job
In reply, Mumbai bowlers got off to a perfect start as quick wickets saw the home side struggling miserably at 16/4 within 3 overs.
Punjab’s top 4 batters got dismissed at a collective total of just 8 runs which provided Mumbai with a lot of confidence going into the 2nd innings.
However, it was the classic duo of Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh who stitched up a 34-run partnership for the Punjab Kings and gave the home fans a glimmer of hope midway through the innings. Mumbai’s saviour Jasprit Bumrah stepped in and took the all-important wicket of Shashank Singh who had to depart after a well-made 41 on the night.
When all seemed lost for Punjab, it was Ashutosh Sharma’s 28-ball 61 along with an unexpected knock from Harpreet Brar that turned the tide of the game and saw the home side in a great position to finish off the game.
However, it seemed as if the win was written in the stars for Mumbai. Gerald Coetzee’s final over of the night saw him take the all-important wicket of Ashutosh Sharma on the very first ball which eliminated the most dangerous element from the game.
Mumbai got a hard-fought win in the end and the fans will hope for more of the same in the future games as well.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Mumbai Indians Set 193-Run Target For Punjab Kings In Mullanpur
