3 most iconic matches between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings in the IPL
The Mumbai Indians (MI) will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a crucial encounter in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Saturday, April 22.
The two franchises have had different paths ever since facing each other in the first edition of the IPL in 2008. MI have gone on to win five titles and become the most successful IPL franchise while Punjab are still figuring out and piecing the jigsaw together.
Punjab have gone through several transitions and rebuilds, but their only claim to fame remains the 2014 IPL, where they made it to the final for the first and only time. Since then, they have not made it to the playoffs and have finished in sixth position across the last three editions.
The matchup between these two sides on a statistical basis is as even as it gets with Punjab winning 14 matches, only one less than MI's 15 to date. PBKS won the most recent encounter between the two franchises in 2022.
On that note, let's take a look at the three most iconic matches between the Mumbai Indians and the Punjab Kings.
#3 IPL 2008 (Wankhede Stadium)
MI's first season in the IPL was a roller-coaster, to say the least. Mumbai were off to the worst possible start after losing each of their first four matches.
MI turned it around in some fashion by winning their next six matches. They were on course to make it to the playoffs on the back of their momentum, but Punjab halted their progress following a thrilling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium.
After being put into bat, the visitors posted 189 on the board, courtesy of eventual Orange Cap winners Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach. The duo scored a combined tally of 170 runs as other batters struggled.
Sachin Tendulkar scored a brilliant fifty, but chaos reigned in the run chase as it featured a total of five run-outs, with the last one proving to be fatal. VRV Singh bowled a tight final over and with two required off the final delivery, the batters tried to scamper through for a single. However, Yuvraj Singh came charging in with a Rhodes-esque effort to complete the run-out and give Punjab a narrow one-run victory.
The match is still fondly remembered and was arguably one of the best, if not the best, contests of the inaugural season.
#2 IPL 2019 (Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
The last time these two teams clashed at MI's fortress, it resulted in a last-ball thriller, resulting in a run-chase attempt that will be etched in the competition's folklore.
Winning the toss and electing to field at the Wankhede, MI were hapless against the opening duo of Chris Gayle and KL Rahul, who put on 116 runs for the first wicket. Rahul eventually went on to score his maiden IPL hundred to uplift the score to 197.
MI were reduced to 94-4 after 12 overs following which Kieron Pollard took matters into his own hands. The Caribbean legend scored 83 runs off just 31 deliveries, reducing the equation to four runs off four deliveries before being dismissed.
Punjab did manage to take the contest to the final ball but came up short as MI pulled off a heist with three wickets in hand.
#1 IPL 2020 (Dubai International Stadium)
It is not an everyday occurrence where a single contest produces multiple Super Overs. With the boundary count rule being scrapped, the two franchises took their respective fan bases and even the neutrals on a wild ride during their clash in the 2020 IPL in the United Arab Emirates.
MI posted 176-7, courtesy of Quinton de Kock's fifty, which was valuable considering that they were reeling at 34-3 at one stage. Kieron Pollard played a crucial cameo towards the end as well to uplift the score.
KL Rahul anchored the run chase with 77 runs but lacked credible support from the other end. Following some frenzied action in the death overs, including questionable running between the wickets from Chris Jordan, MI stretched the match into a super over.
As fate would have it, the scores were level after the end of the Super Over as well. However, Punjab rolled up their sleeves at got the task done in the second Super Over, chasing down the 15-run target with two balls to spare.
Who will win the upcoming contest between MI and PBKS? Let us know what you think.