IPL 10, Match 51, MI v KXIP – 5 Game Changing Moments

Kings XI Punjab faced the daunting target of overhauling the Mumbai Indians in their own fortress thr Wankhede Stadium, to remain alive in the tournament. As it turned out, Kings XI Punjab are still looking to sneak in from the back door as they defeated the table toppers by 7 runs.

Rohit Sharma won the toss and looked to chase down the total set by Kings XI Punjab. The Maxwell-led boys seemed on a mission to dispatch every ball over the boundary as they smashed 229 powered by heroics from Saha and the captain himself.

Mumbai threatened to chase it down in phases essentially due to knocks from their openers, Pollard, Pandya and Karn Sharma. However, due to some exceptional death bowling from the Kings XI Punjab bowlers, Mumbai Indians fell short of the required target by just 7 runs.

All in all, the fans were treated to an amazing cricket match during the business end of the tournament. Let us look at the game-changing moments of the game.

1. Opening Partnership of KXIP

The match started off on a perfect note for the KXIP as Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill made merry of the good batting conditions at Wankhede. Keeping in mind the dew and chasing ground that Wankhede is, KXIP needed a mammoth total to remain alive in the tournament. The duo added 70 runs within the powerplays to lay the platform for the big hitters lower down the order. Guptill added 36 off just 18 balls hitting five boundaries and a maximum.

2. Saha’s Brilliance and Contribution from the middle order

Wriddhiman Saha was all set for his ton but missed out within touching distance as he anchored the innings with his unbeaten 55-ball 93* at strike-rate of 169. His innings was laced with 11 boundaries and three gigantic sixes. After the wicket of Guptill, Maxwell launched an assault with his explosive innings of 47 at a strike rate of 223.8. Maxi hit five sixes and one boundary. Marsh and Axar Patel scored at brisk rates for their 25 and 19 respectively. KXIP posted a mammoth total of 230 in front of the home team.

3.  Simmons and Parthiv’s befitting reply

Simmons and Parthiv Patel were in no mood to fool around with the required run rate of 11.5 as the opening pair added almost 100 runs in hardly 9 overs to set up the chase brilliantly for the Mumbai Indians. Simmons threatened to repeat his heroics at the World Cup semi-finals as he scored a brilliant 59 before he was caught off a blinder by Guptill placed at long-on. Parthiv Patel did his part as he scored a quickfire 38.

4. Resurgence from Pollard and Co.

Mumbai Indians were going at a decent place, but a flurry of wickets changed the momentum of the match. Mumbai lost Parthiv Patel, Rohit Sharma, Lendl Simmons and Nitish Rana due to some good spin bowling from the visitors. Pollard and Pandya, brought the Mumbai innings back on course with their partnership of 55 runs from just 21 deliveries. Pandya brought Wankhede alive with his electrifying 13-ball 30 which consisted of four sixes. After Pandya’s dismissal, Pollard was supported by Karn Sharma as played a brilliant cameo scoring 19 of 6 balls, hitting 3 boundaries and a six.

5. The two Sharmas saving it for KXIP in the last two overs

With 23 required in the last two overs, the match was poised for Mumbai Indians with Kieron Pollard in his zone. However, Sandeep Sharma bowled a brilliant penultimate over as he concedes only seven runs in the all-important over. This meant that Mohit Sharma had as many as 17 runs to play with. Even though Pollard hit Mohit over the square leg boundary in the second ball of the over, he followed it up with four brilliant yorkers.

In the end, Mumbai Indians fell short of the target by 7 runs despite the late onslaught from Pollard as he brought up his half-century off just 24 balls.