IPL 2020, MI v KXIP: Who won yesterday's match?
The Mumbai Indians rocketed to the top of the IPL 2020 points table courtesy of a massive 48-run win against the Kings XI Punjab at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Asked to bat first by KXIP skipper KL Rahul, MI lost Quinton de Kock on the fifth ball of the first over to a ripper from seamer, Sheldon Cottrell. An untimely run-out three overs later saw Suryakumar Yadav walk back for a 7-ball 10, and despite wickets falling at the other end, MI skipper Rohit Sharma remained unfazed.
In the company of Ishan Kishan (32-ball 28), the MI captain put on a 62-run stand and laid the breadcrumbs for a strong finish from Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard.
Although Rohit was dismissed for a 45-ball 70 at the start of the 16th over, pyrotechnics from the Pollard-Pandya duo knocked the wind out of KXIP's sails.
The MI batsmen made the most of some lackadaisical death bowling from the KXIP unit, collecting 104 runs off the last six overs, including 25 runs from the 20th over bowled by Krishnappa Gowtham.
Ultimately, Pollard and Pandya's 67-run stand off just 23 balls gave MI all the momentum, and the defending champions finished with 191/4 from their 20 overs.
KXIP's middle order fails to show up
Tasked with a tall order of needing to chase 192, KXIP got off to a bright start with Rahul and his opening partner Mayank Agarwal putting up 37 on the board after 4 overs.
However, Jasprit Bumrah's introduction in the 5th over worked wonders for Rohit, with the seamer castling Agarwal on the fifth ball. Five balls later, Krunal Pandya got Karun Nair to chop a short of length delivery onto his stumps, and soon, KXIP's middle order was in for a stern test.
Rahul, in the company of Nicholas Pooran, did manage to milk the singles and doubles and pick up the occasional boundary until the first strategic timeout at the end of the 8th over.
On the first ball after the break, Rahul Chahar struck by removing Rahul (17), and at the halfway stage, KXIP were 72/3, needing 120 runs from 60 balls.
Pooran upped the ante and picked up a six and a four off Chahar and Bumrah respectively, until he perished to a harmless length delivery from James Pattinson in the 14th over.
Glenn Maxwell remained KXIP's last glimmer of hope to scale down the target, but the Australian's random swipes eventually brought about his downfall. In the 15th over, Maxwell looked to deposit a Chahar delivery over mid-wicket, but he could only get it as far as the fielder in the deep.
With 73 runs needed off the last five overs, it was too much of an ask for the rest of the batting unit, and in the end, KXIP finished on 143/8, handing the four-time champions a 48-run win.
Result: MI won by 48 runs.
IPL 2020: MI v KXIP, Who won man of the match yesterday?
Although Rohit Sharma's 45-ball 70 laid the foundation at the top of the order for MI, it was Kieron Pollard's blitzkrieg, a 20-ball unbeaten 47 with three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 235 that helped MI put up a strong total.
And, for his fireworks at the end of the match, Pollard was named the Man of the Match.
Also read: Mayank Agarwal displaces KL Rahul for top spot; 3 MI batsmen in contention for IPL 2020 Orange Cap