Mumbai Indians Suryakumar Yadav Brilliant Knock of 78 on 53 balls Edge Out Punjab Kings in Mullanpur Thriller to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Punjab Kings suffered their third consecutive final-over thriller defeat at their home ground in Mullanpur as Mumbai Indians secured a narrow nine-run victory, marking their third win of the season to stay in contention for the playoffs. Despite Mumbai appearing to dominate for much of the match, a remarkable innings from Ashutosh Sharma (61 off 28) injected late drama. However, Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive bowling performance (3 for 21) helped Mumbai withstand the pressure and seal the win, ensuring that Suryakumar Yadav’s superb 78 off 53 deliveries didn’t go unrewarded.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Resilience Shines on Challenging Pitch for MI

The nature of the pitch, particularly in the first innings, was evident from Suryakumar Yadav’s performance. Among his 17 scores of 75 or more in T20 cricket, this innings stood out as the only one with a strike-rate below 160. Despite this, Yadav wasted no time in making an impact after Mumbai Indians were put into bat, showcasing aggression by hitting Kagiso Rabada for two boundaries in the third over. By the end of the powerplay, MI reached 54/1 with Yadav scoring 22 off 15 deliveries.

Approaching the halfway mark, Yadav was on the verge of a half-century, displaying his trademark shots along the way: a six behind the wicket off Rabada, a well-placed boundary off Harpreet Brar, and a stylish six over extra cover off Liam Livingstone. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, after a brisk start, found himself deprived of strike and managed only 29 runs from 20 balls by the 10-over mark.

Sam Curran’s Tactical Brilliance Stifles MI’s Batting Momentum

In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, Sam Curran took charge and displayed proactive leadership with his bowling changes, preventing the MI batters from settling against any particular bowler. Rohit Sharma, who faced just 13 balls in the seven overs leading up to the 12th, was dismissed by Curran after scoring 36 runs off 25 deliveries. Curran, along with Rabada and Harpreet Brar, bowled three consecutive overs without conceding a boundary. However, Tilak Varma broke the 22-ball boundary drought by hitting consecutive boundaries off Arshdeep Singh. Suryakumar Yadav then added a boundary of his own, contributing to a 15-run over that injected momentum back into the innings.

MI’s Furious Finish Overshadows Punjab Kings in Mullanpur Showdown

MI managed to accumulate 62 runs in the final five overs against a worn-out ball that didn’t always behave predictably off the pitch. A significant portion of those runs, 18 to be precise, were plundered off Kagiso Rabada’s fourth over, denting the South African’s figures after a tidy start where he conceded just 25 runs from his first three overs. During that crucial over, Suryakumar Yadav successfully overturned an LBW decision before punishing Rabada with a boundary over extra cover and a six over fine-leg from a full-toss. Tilak Varma capped off the over with a powerful six over mid-wicket.

After Suryakumar’s dismissal in the 17th over, Tilak assumed the responsibility of providing the late surge. He remained unbeaten on a brisk 34 off 18 deliveries, while Tim David contributed 14 runs off 7 balls, which included two fours and a six off Sam Curran’s final over. Harshal Patel delivered an impressive final over, accounting for the dismissals of David and Romario Shepherd with well-executed slower deliveries. Despite MI falling short of the 200-run mark, their total of 192 was the highest scored by any team at Mullanpur, highlighting the potency of their batting lineup.

Bumrah’s Rampage Derails PBKS as MI Seize Control

Bumrah wreaked havoc as PBKS gambled on a lineup change, opting to bench Jonny Bairstow and introduce Rilee Rossouw. However, the move backfired as Bumrah’s fiery spell rattled their batting order. Skipper Sam Curran promoted himself to open but saw his partner, Prabhsimran Singh, depart after gloving a delivery from Gerald Coetzee to the wicketkeeper while attempting a pull shot.

Rossouw’s stint at the crease was short-lived as he fell victim to a lethal inswinging yorker from Bumrah, shattering his stumps. Bumrah struck again, this time with the assistance of the DRS, as he induced an edge from the PBKS skipper, resulting in a catch behind the stumps. PBKS suffered another blow when Liam Livingstone’s attempted pull shot off Coetzee looped back to the bowler, leading to his dismissal.

By the end of the powerplay, PBKS found themselves struggling at 40/4, effectively putting them out of contention in the match.

Punjab Kings’ Ashutosh Sparks Dramatic Turnaround to Stun Mumbai Indians

In the 10th over, with the scoreboard showing a dismal 77/6, Ashutosh joined forces with Shashank Singh, sparking a brief resurgence. Despite adding 34 runs in 3.5 overs, Mumbai Indians appeared on the brink of sealing victory with another wicket. Bumrah, reintroduced into the attack, immediately made an impact with a deceptive slower delivery, inducing Shashank to mistime a shot to mid-wicket.

However, Ashutosh remained undeterred and showcased his aggressive intent by lofting a Bumrah yorker for a daring six with a sweeping shot. He continued to dominate, particularly targeting the region between deep square leg and fine-leg, smashing seven sixes in total. MI’s bowlers found themselves under pressure, resorting to packing the leg side, but Ashutosh still managed to find gaps, even capitalizing on a full toss.

With five overs remaining, Punjab needed 52 runs to win, and the 16th over, bowled by Akash Madhwal, turned the game in their favor. Despite Madhwal’s attempt to bowl from around the wicket, Ashutosh cleverly created room and dispatched the ball over long-off for a six. Moreover, a no-ball granted Ashutosh the opportunity to take a risk, resulting in another six with a reverse-scoop over third man. The over concluded with Harpreet Brar hitting a straight six, accumulating 24 runs. Consequently, the equation was reduced to a manageable 28 runs needed off 24 deliveries.

MI Survive Late Drama to Edge Past PBKS in Thriller

MI’s fate hinged on Bumrah’s final over, where PBKS played it safe, taking only three runs. Hardik Pandya then opted to bowl Coetzee, who delivered a crucial blow by dismissing Ashutosh with a catch to deep mid-wicket. Ashutosh’s departure for a brisk 61 off 28 balls shifted momentum back towards MI, as Coetzee’s over yielded just two runs. Hardik took charge in the 19th over, conceding only four runs and claiming the wicket of Brar. However, Rabada’s unexpected six off the first ball of the final over gave PBKS hope, needing 12 runs. Yet, Rabada’s attempt to steal a quick double on the first ball of the last over resulted in a run-out, sealing PBKS’s fate in another close encounter.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 192/7 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 78, Rohit Sharma 36; Harshal Patel 3-31) beat Punjab Kings 183 in 19.1 overs (Ashutosh Kumar 61, Shashank Singh 41; Jasprit Bumrah 3-21, Gerald Coetzee 3-32) by 9 runs.

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