IPL 2020, MI v KXIP: Who won yesterday's match?
Kings XI Punjab finally conjured a way to get out of last position on the IPL 2020 points table, although the win did come after two Super Overs in a single game against the Mumbai Indians in the 36th match of IPL 2020 at Dubai.
There was nothing to separate the two sides even after one Super Over as the game went into a second Super Over for the first time in the history of the IPL. Eventually, KXIP overcame the nerves and pocketed two valuable points.
Needing to scale 177 for two vital points, KXIP opted for a cautious approach after they lost Mayank Agarwal in the fourth over. Chris Gayle and KL Rahul stitched a 42-run stand and seemed to lay the foundation for some fireworks, but the big Jamaican flat batted the first ball of the 10th over bowled by Rahul Chahar to long-off and departed for a 21-ball 24.
Nicholas Pooran arrived at the crease and was in an attacking mood right from the onset, belting two fours and two sixes before he pulled a bumper from Jasprit Bumrah to Nathan Coulter-Nile at fine leg, and perished for a 12-ball 24.
Glenn Maxwell's miseries this season continued as the Australian looked to tonk a fullish delivery from Chahar down the ground, but only managed an edge to Rohit Sharma at first slip. Post the timeout, Bumrah was carted for 15 runs in the 16th over, but the seasoned seamer came back strong and castled Rahul with a jaw-dropping yorker, removing the KXIP skipper for a 51-ball 77.
Punjab needed 22 runs off the last 12 balls, and a couple of boundaries in the 19th over brought the equation down to 9 runs off the final over. KXIP could manage to get just 8 runs though, as with two runs to get off the final ball, Chris Jordan eked out a single to long-on, and a flat throw from Kieron Pollard caught the Englishman short by just a few inches at the striker's end.
What followed was a stunning display from two of India's best bowlers, with Bumrah conceding just 5/2 from his over, before Mohammed Shami delivered top lengths to keep the MI openers to just five runs too.
With the game going into another Super Over, Pollard and Hardik came out to bat for MI and put on 11/1 with Jordan delivering a good six balls. MI skipper Rohit threw the ball to Trent Boult, and the New Zealander was hammered for a six off the first ball by Gayle.
With six runs to get off the next five balls, it took KXIP just three more deliveries as a flick off Agarwal's blade took the fourth ball to the boundary and triggered wild celebrations in the KXIP camp.
Late fireworks propelled MI to 176/6
KXIP took early control of the game with some crucial inroads upfront with the new ball, courtesy of the Arshdeep Singh-Mohammed pair. The young left-arm seamer removed Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, while Shami dismissed Suryakumar Yadav as MI were in trouble early at 43/3 after six overs.
Krunal Pandya and Quinton de Kock set about getting their side back in the game and put on a 58-run partnership, before Pandya holed out to Deepak Hooda off Ravi Bishnoi's bowling in the 14th over.
With five overs left in the bank, MI were 114/4 with De Kock and Hardik Pandya at the crease. However, the duo fell within the space of seven deliveries, and it looked like the momentum had swung KXIP's way.
The Kieron Pollard-Nathan Coulter-Nile pair had other ideas though as they muscled the ball away to all parts of the ground and collected 54 runs off the last three overs. Pollard, in particular, was at his aggressive best and slammed 32 runs off the last eight balls he faced with four sixes and a four as MI put up a challenging 176/6 total on the board.
IPL 2020: MI v KXIP, Who won man of the match yesterday?
KL Rahul's impressive run in IPL 2020 continued last night as the KXIP skipper put on quite a show at the top of the order against the Mumbai Indians. The Punjab captain opted for an aggressive approach right from the start and looked his fluent best throughout as he scored a 51-ball 77 with 7 fours and 3 sixes.
Set a stiff target of 177 to get, KXIP needed a strong start, and as always, Rahul put his hand up and was at his best against an in-form MI bowling unit. And although he could not take his side across the line, Rahul was named the Man of the Match in yesterday's IPL match for his scintillating knock.