Indian Premier League 2024: Suryakumar Yadav powers Mumbai Indians to tough win against Punjab Kings

Mullanpur: Mumbai Indians registered a hard-fought 9-run win over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2024 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium, here on Thursday night. This was MI’s 3rd win 7 matches and reached 7th spot in points table.

Chasing 193 to win, Punjab Kings started badly and lost 4 wickets in first 13 balls of the innings. Pace duo Gerald Coetzee and Jasprit Bumrah broke their top order within few balls. Further they lost Harpreet Singh Bhatia (13) and Jitesh Sharma (9) before 10 overs when the score was 77. Shanhank Singh went back after scoring 41 runs from 25 balls. Ashutosh Sharma tried to take the game away from MI with Harpreet Brar. They needed 25 runs from 3 overs and then Coetzee struck Ashutosh, who made superb 61 runs from 28 balls with 7 sixes, and gave away only 2 runs in the 18th over. They needed 13 from the final over. But Kagiso Rabada was run out in the first ball off Akash Madhwal when trying to take second run. Punjab finally were bundled out for 183 runs in 19.1 overs.

Earlier, top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav brought out his trademark shots to make a fine 78 and power Mumbai Indians to a daunting 192/7. On a two-paced pitch, Suryakumar hit seven fours and three sixes, showing impeccable wrist-work and collecting boundaries behind the square to hit his highest IPL score against PBKS. He was also supported by handy knocks of 36 and 34 not out from Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma respectively, as MI scored 77 runs in their last six overs. For PBKS, Harshal Patel and stand-in captain Sam Curran were the pick of the bowlers with spells of 3-31 and 2-41 respectively.

Electing to bowl first, Kagiso Rabada drew first blood as Ishan Kishan slashed a short ball straight to backward point in the third over. Suryakumar got off the mark by using his wrists to flick and steer Rabada for back-to-back fours, followed by taking another boundary off Harshal with a whip.

Rohit brought out his trademark pull to hit an 80-m six off Arshdeep Singh, before being trapped lbw by a dipping slower delivery from Harshal. He took a very late review, with replays showing the ball missed the stumps, thus earning him a reprieve. Rohit and Suryakumar would take a four and six each off Curran as MI ended power-play at 54/1.

Curran continued to rotate his bowlers, which ensured MI weren’t let off the hook in the middle overs. But Suryakumar continued his shot-making spree by whipping, sweeping and lofting with elan to get his fifty in 23 balls. Rohit didn’t get much of the strike after power-play, despite hitting Harshal for a six down the ground, and was even struck on the helmet by Curran, which needed a concussion test.

MI captain Hardik Pandya’s poor form continued as his attempt to muscle a slower short ball from Harshal found the fielder at deep mid-wicket.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 192/7 in 20 overs (Suryakumar 78, Rohit 36; Patel 3-31, Curran 2-41) beat Punjab Kings 183/10 in 19.1 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 61, Coetzee 3/32, Bumrah 3/21). Agencies

Also Read: Train was always on track, just took a while to get going, says Suryakumar Yadav after 19-ball fifty

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