IPL 2024: PBKS vs MI, 33rd Match - Who Said What?
Mumbai Indians won a nail-biter at Mullanpur.
An all-round performance with the bat propelled Mumbai Indians to 192/7 in the first innings against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur on Thursday, April 18. However, when Ashutosh Sharma stepped onto the crease, Hardik Pandya's men were put to question of their total. And the man from Madhya Pradesh almost pulled off a heist, of what could have been the best run chases in the Indian Premier League 2024.
The defeat means Punjab Kings will have to re-think a lot of their choices when it comes to match preparations, as nothing has worked in their favour so far in the tournament. In fact, the Kings are on the verge of getting eliminated from the Playoffs race, having lost their fifth game in seven encounters, putting them ninth on the IPL 2024 Points Table.
Talking Points
1. MI's over-dependence on top four
When it comes to batting, MI surely have one of the best depths, but the middle-order not being able to step up and finish the innings. Tonight as well, Rohit Sharma (36 off 25), Suryakumar Yadav (78 off 53) and Tilak Varma (34 off 18) did the majority of scoring, while the likes of Romario Shepherd and Hardik Pandya failed to do what they are meant to with the bat. Till the time they win, it won't hurt, but its better that the finishers realize they've got a job to do.
2. Bumrah - Simply Class Apart
Talk about holding nerves in crunch situations, Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-21-3) has been the 24-carat gold for the five-time champions. Against a formidable batting line-up, Bumrah nailed a perfect yorker to send Rilee Rossouw packing. The speedster also got the better of opposition skipper Sam Curran and dangerous looking Shashank Singh. His fourth over went for only five runs, which pulled the game in MI's favour, and also handed him Player of the Match award.
3. Ashutosh Sharma shows his fearless self
Talent meets opportunity. That is exactly what happened as Punjab gave a spot in the XI to Ashutosh Sharma. The batter scored a mind-boggling knock of 61 in just 28 deliveries to bring Punjab back in the huddle. However, his departure saw the hosts lose by 10 runs in a last-over thriller. A maximum off a sweep shot to Bumrah showcased his fearless approach and grit to win, even if he is facing the best bowler in the world.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Punjab Kings' 2nd Innings Highlights against MI in Match 33
Who Said What?
Losing skipper, Sam Curran said:
Another close one, I think this team likes a close one, but unfortunately another loss. Another incredible knock from the young guy (on Ashutosh), but another close loss. It's very tough, you want to lose close games rather then getting absolutely thumped, but we've lost a lot of wickets at the start, the way the younger guys have taken the team so close is heartening (on Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma). They have incredible confidence, you see a guy like Ashutosh having the confidence to play the sweeps and the big hits against pacers, it's so great to watch them in action. It's disheartening to lose close games, but there are a lot of positives in this team. We still have the belief in us, we believe we can turn this around, the sun will come up tomorrow and we will hopefully get on a winning run.
Winning skipper, Hardik Pandya, said:
Very good game. Everyone's nerves got tested. We spoke that the characters will be checked in this game. But natural you think you are ahead but you know IPL has a tendency to show that oppositions can come back and how! [Ashutosh] Unbelievable, playing the way he did and hitting the ball off the middle. Great for his future. We did speak in the timeout about it is not about how we look, we will keep fighting. Make sure we don't ball the soft balls. Batsmen played good shots but we were soft in certain overs. Nevertheless, a win is a win.
Player of the Match, Jasprit Bumrah, said:
Much closer game than what we thought. Want to make an impact early on. In this format, ball swings for two overs, and you want to make use of that. This format is a little difficult for the bowlers because the batsmanship is going over, plus the time restrictions and the Impact Player rule. What you can do is prepare your best and back yourself. Go out there and give your best. I try to relay messages from wherever I am on the field. You don't want to give too many messages.
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