There’s no end to Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2022 nightmare after the most successful franchise in the league’s history collapsed to its fifth straight defeat in a row. Facing Punjab Kings at the MCA Stadium in Pune, MI slipped from a strong position to finish with 186/9 in chase of 199 as PBKS won by 12 runs for their third victory of the season.
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MI captain Rohit Sharma (28) looked in fine touch as he struck three fours and two sixes to kickstart the chase but he failed to convert the start becoming Kagiso Rabada’s first victim of the night. Ishan Kishan (3) fell cheaply as MI lost both their openers inside five overs of the chase.
However, Dewald Brevis (49 off 25) and Tilak Verma (36 off 20) revived their chase with a superb 84-run partnership for the third wicket. However, their departures in quick succession derailed the chase before Suryakumar Yadav began finding boundaries leaving PBKS camp worried.
Surya would score 43 before Rabada removed him in the 19th over to remove a major threat. PBKS captain Mayank Agarwal then made a brave call to throw the ball to Odean Smith for the final over of the chase knowing fully well how the medium pacer conceded two sixes off the last two deliveries against Rajasthan Royals in a heartbreaking defeat.
On Wednesday, he was defending 22 runs and he did that successfully by allowing just 9 runs apart from picking three wickets in it as well. He finished with 4/30.
Earlier, Mayank and veteran Shikhar Dhawan struck their first half-centuries of the season as PBKS rode on a fine start from the openers to post a challenging 198 for five.
PBKS have deployed “attack is the best form of defence” philosophy during this edition of the league and there was no shift in policy as they added 97 in less than 10 overs to provide a perfect launchpad but Jasprit Bumrah’s (1/28 in 4 overs) brilliance kept the score below 200.
Bumrah’s toe-crusher which yorked the dangerous Liam Livingstone helped MI to keep things under check with 99 runs coming of the last 10 overs.
Agarwal, who wasn’t having a great run before this game, brought his customary square off the wicket shots on the off-side and straight lofts of spinners to score 52 off 32 balls.
Dhawan took his own time while playing the second fiddle but still kept up the tempo letting Agarwal go for the whole hog during their stand. But he did accelerate after that before getting out for 70 off 50 balls.
It was Mumbai’s domestic bowlers like Basil Thampi (2/47 in 4 overs) and Murugan Ashwin (1/34 in 4 overs), who aren’t measuring up match after match but skipper Rohit is helpless due the lack options.
Despite knowing Agarwal’s propensity to make room and smash through off-side, he was fed with length balls outside the off-stump by Thampi and Tymal Mills. When they bowled short, the pace was used to good effect.
In case of Ashwin, the PBKS skipper would come down the track to loft him straight but he did get his man when Agarwal went for one shot too many.
Dhawan went onto his 45th IPL half-ton but the shot that showed his authority was a disdainful slog sweep off a 137 click delivery from Thampi.
Thampi did got his revenge by getting Dhawan holed in the deep before rookie Jitesh Sharma (30 no off 15 balls) smashed 23 off Unadkat (1/44 in 4 overs) in the 18th over to get the momentum back which had slipped after a few dismissals.
With PTI Inputs
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