IPL 2023: Rampaging Batters Rescue Mumbai Indians in Tall Chase Against Punjab

IPL 2023: Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan scored a combined 141 runs in 72 deliveries for Mumbai Indians.

IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians defeated Punjab Kings by six wickets.

(Photo: BCCI)

Only three days after chasing down a mammoth target of 213 runs against Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians produced an even more spectacular batting exhibition, as they took only 18.5 overs to chase down a target of 215 runs against Punjab Kings, in match 46 of IPL 2023 at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium.

Mumbai had the worst possible start with the bat, as skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor run of form continued. Having scored only five runs in the last couple of matches, the 36-year-old could not even open his account in his fixture, with Rishi Dhawan earning Punjab their first breakthrough.

The fall of a big wicket, however, did not deter Ishan Kishan and Cameron Green – two naturally aggressive batters – from playing their usual game. Runs kept flowing as Mumbai scored 54 in the powerplay, albeit losing another wicket, in the form of Green, in the sixth over’s last delivery.

Mumbai’s score read 91/2 after 10 overs, whereas 14 runs off the 11th over bowled by Rahul Chahar proved to be the signalling of an assault Yadav and Kishan were about to launch.

IPL 2023: Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan built a 114-run third-wicket stand.

(Photo: BCCI)

The next four overs yielded 65 runs, including two overs producing north of 20 overs – one bowled by Sam Curran, and the other by Arshdeep Singh. The pair did lose their wickets in quick succession, only after scoring a combined 141 runs in 72 deliveries, but Tilak Varma and Tim David were up to the task, applying the finishing touches to what was a lethally clinical show from Mumbai.

Varma scored 26 runs in only 10 deliveries, while in as many balls, David accumulated 19 runs, as Mumbai crossed the finish line with seven deliveries to spare.

The powerplay yielded 50 runs, but just when he was gearing up to enter the acceleration phase, Dhawan was outfoxed by a perfectly disguised googly by Piyush Chawla in the eighth over.

The acceleration phase, however, arrived soon after. With the scoreboard reading 78/2 midway through the innings, Liam Livingstone decided to take the attack to Akash Madhwal, as the debutant conceded 16 runs in his first over in IPL.

Yet again, Chawla came to Mumbai’s rescue by dismissing Short in the next over, with the googly proving to be a prized weapon for the second instance during the game. However, the momentum took a complete turn towards Punjab’s favour with 21 runs coming in the next over, bowled by Jofra Archer, and Mumbai could not manage to get back in the game ever since.

Punjab scored 115 runs in the last eight overs, with the most conducive over from the batting perspective being the penultimate over. Archer, who had a torrid time with figures of 4-0-56-0, was on the receiving end yet again – this time conceding 27 runs, courtesy of three sixes from Livingstone’s willow.

The English all-rounder was the Kings’ show-stopper, scoring 82 runs in only 42 deliveries, including seven fours and four maximums. Jitesh Sharma should also be credited appropriately, as he provided Livingstone with exactly the company he needed, scoring 49 runs off 27 deliveries.

For Mumbai, the spin pairing of Piyush Chawla and Kumar Kartikeya was among the few positives, as Archer, Arshad Khan and Akash Madhwal were all taken to the cleaners. The trio combined to pick just a solitary wicket, while also conceding 141 runs in 11 overs.