Match 50 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 saw Mumbai Indians face off against Kings XI Punjab in a must-win game to stay alive in the tournament, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
R Ashwin won the toss and chose to field. They made three changes to the team with Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary coming in. MI chose to go in with Pollard in place of Duminy.
Andrew Tye was the man of the hour for KXIP, as he removed Suryakumar (27 in 15 balls) and Evin Lewis (7) in quick succession. Ankit Rajpoot removed MI captain Rohit Sharma for 6 runs. Tye then came back to remove a dangerous looking Kishan for 20 off 12 balls with 2 sixes. But Krunal Pandya (32 off 23 balls, 2 sixes, 1 four) and Kieron Pollard (50 off 23 balls with 3 sixes) added 65 runs to stabilize MI innings.
However, KXIP came back in a good manner, picking up the lower order wickets for cheap runs, after dismissing Hardik and Pollard quickly. MI could only muster 186/6 in 20 overs. Andrew Tye was the pick of KXIP bowlers with 4/16 and Ashwin picked 2/18.
The only hope of an MI win depended on quick wickets of KXIP batting lynchpins Rahul and Gayle. McClenaghan got Gayle for 18, but Rahul and Aaron Finch continued to march on towards a win. After a brilliant 111 runs partnership, Finch got out for 46 off 35 balls with 3 fours and 1 six, to Bumrah. Bumrah also dismissed Stoinis for 1 in the same over.
KXIP sent in Akshar Patel ahead of the likes of Yuvraj and Manoj Tiwary, to help Rahul take them home.
KL Rahul took them close, with KXIP needing 20 runs from 9 balls when Bumrah got him out caught by Cutting for a brilliant 94 from 60 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes. Bumrah brought MI back in the game with a spell of four overs, 3 wickets for 15 runs.
Yuvraj and Akshar needed 17 runs in last over bowled by Mitchell McClenaghan. Yuvraj looked too much under pressure and was dismissed for 1. In the end, MI prevailed in the game by 3 runs, despite a six from Akshar Patel.
With this win, MI went to the fourth place and are well and alive in the tournament to make the playoffs. KXIP will rue the wicket of KL Rahul at the most inopportune moment of time.
BRIEF SCORES:
MI 186/8 (K POLLARD 50, A TYE 4/16) defeated KXIP 183/5 (KL RAHUL 94; J BUMRAH 3/15) by 3 runs
