Gerald Coetzee and Jasprit Bumrah helped bowl the Mumbai Indians to a thrilling nine-run win over the Punjab Kings in their Tata Indian Premier League showdown at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Thursday night.
After the hosts won the toss and chose to bowl first Surayakumar Yadav hit an entertaining half century to help get his side to a very competitive 192/7 in their 20 overs.
Coetzee, 3-32 in four overs, and Bumrah, 3-21 in four, then laid waste to the Punjab top order to set their side up for a big win, only for a stunning fightback to almost see the hosts come back from the dead before ending all out for 183.
No 8 batter Ashutosh Sharma launched seven sixes and two fours in an unbelievable 28-ball 61, and No 6 Shashank Singh struck 41 off 25 balls (2x4, 3x6) to get them extremely close, but it was Coetzee and Bumrah who returned to pick up vital wickets that made sure their team held on for a tight win.
ALL THE FEELS 🥹🥹💙#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #PBKSvMIpic.twitter.com/xIo8jdIpsU
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 18, 2024
The Punjab chase got off to a disastrous start as they found themselves four wickets down after just 13 balls bowled in the innings.
Coetzee had Prabhsimran Singh caught superbly for a first-ball duck by flying keeper Ishan Kishan, Bumrah then made a mess of Rilee Rossouw’s (1) stumps with a perfect yorker and had Sam Curran edging to Kishan.
By the time Coetzee followed through nicely to catch Liam Livingstone (1) off his own bowling, the Punjab chase looked to be in tatters at 14/4 after just 2.1 overs.
However, Harpreet Singh (13) and Shashank began the fightback with a 35-run fifth-wicket stand, before Shreyas Gopal caught Harpreet off his own bowling to reduce them to 49/5 in the seventh over.
Jitesh Sharma (9) didn’t last long before he was trapped LBW by Akash Madhwal and at 77/6 in the 10th over most would have thought the game was over.
However, the Shashank and Ashutosh party got under way as they first shared in a quickfire 34-run stand off 17 balls, before Bumrah returned to the attack to make the breakthrough, having Shashank top edging to Tilak Varma as they slipped to 111/7 at the start of the 13th.
Ashutosh then took centre stage, dominating a 57-run eighth-wicket partnership off just 30 balls with Harpreet Brar (21) to stunningly bring Punjab right back into contention.
Confidence & composure! ✨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2024
Ashutosh Sharma reaches his Maiden IPL fifty and he's kept the chase well & truly alive! 🔥
Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱 #TATAIPL | #PBKSvMI pic.twitter.com/YUIR7gn9Bu
However, Coetzee returned to crucially remove Ashutosh, caught at deep square leg by Mohammad Nabi, leaving Punjab on 168/8 at the start of the 18th over.
Contrasting emotions post a special knock 👏
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2024
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Brar followed in the next over, pulling Hardik Pandya straight to Nabi at deep backward square leg, and although Kagiso Rabada (8) launched his first ball for six to give Punjab hope of a famous win, he was then run out in the last over going for a desperate two as they fell just short.
For his economical three-wicket haul in a high-scoring affair, Purple Cap Holder @Jaspritbumrah93 receives the Player of the Match award 🏆
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2024
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YADAV STARS WITH THE BAT
In the first innings Yadav arrived at the crease in the third over and crunched his way to 78 off 53 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Varma produced a solid 34-run cameo off 18 balls (2x4, 2x6) down the back end to get Mumbai to a strong total.
Harshal Patel was the pick of the Punjab bowlers, picking up 3-31 in his four overs, while Brar was a livewire in the field taking three catches.
The Mumbai innings got off to a mixed start, with a few early boundaries, before Rabada struck first ball, as Kishan (8) slapped a short and wide ball straight down Brar’s throat at deep third man, with the score 18/1 at the start of the third over.
This brought Yadav in to join Rohit Sharma, 36 off 25 (2x4, 3x6), and they set about a positive 81-run second-wicket stand, as they took their side to 54/1 at the end of the powerplay and into a solid position on 86/1 at the halfway mark.
In the 11th over Yadav brought up his half century with a single off Patal, before an action packed 12th saw the back of Sharma, after he mishit a ball from Curran to a diving Brar at backward point, while new man Varma brought up the team's 100 with a single off the next ball.
SKY show on display in Mullanpur! 🍿
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2024
Half-century comes up for @surya_14kumar 👌👌
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A few quiet overs followed, before Mumbai looked to up the rate, as three boundaries off Arshdeep Singh in the 15th over saw 15 come off it. A four and six from Yadav, and a six from Varma off Rabada yielded 18 runs in the 16th over.
Curran finally made the breakthrough in the 17th, with Yadav slicing the ball to Prabhsimran Singh at backward point, as he timed his jump perfectly to send him on his way, leaving them on 148/2.
Pandya (10) hit his third ball for six, but soon fell at the end of the 18th when he pulled Patel straight to Brar at deep square leg, as they slipped to 167/4.
Tim David (14) took aim at Curran in the 19th over, crashing two fours and a six as 18 came off it, but a top final over from Patel saw three wickets tumble.
David was caught at long-off, Romario Shephard (1) was caught at deep backward square leg and Nabi was run out for a duck, giving Punjab a slight boost to take into their chase.
PUNJAB KINGS: Rilee Roussow, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (capt), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh
MUMBAI INDIANS: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Gopal