How much can things get crazy in the IPL? It was a night which saw two Super Overs in a match for the first time. It was a day when two games went into the Super Over for the first time.
Producing thrilling cricket in a heart-stopper, Kings XI Punjab, riding on consecutive boundaries by Mayank Agarwal and a six by Chris Gayle off Trent Boult, chased down 12 in the second Super Over to stun the Mumbai Indians in Dubai on Sunday night. Agarwal had earlier pulled off a goalkeeper-like save to deny Kieron Pollard a certain six at long on. MI took 11 off Chris Jordan in the second Super Over.
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Showing off their brilliance, India pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami conceded just five each to leave the first Super Over tied. While Bumrah dismissed Nicholas Pooran with the second ball, before trapping KL Rahul, who tried a reverse ramp shot, lbw off the last ball, Shami too was on the ball with his yorkers as he restricted Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock.
This was the first time that both the IPL matches of the day went into the Super Over. Going for the second run off the last ball, Kings XI's Chris Jordan was run out when he ran two pitches off the main pitch, sprinting around in a circle to be eventually beaten by Pollard's brilliant throw to the wicketkeeper.
Batting for the first time in IPL-2020, Deepak Hooda (23 not out, 16b, 1x4, 1x6) thrived on two lives to almost take Kings XI Punjab past the finishing line in a humdinger. Needing nine off the final over, Kings XI got a much-needed boundary when Jordan edged Trent Boult behind the stumps for a four. They needed two off the last ball, but could only manage one run Leading Kings XI Punjab's charge single-handedly, KL Rahul stroked a sizzling 77 (51b, 7x4, 3x6) before Jasprit Bumrah unleashed a scorching yorker, almost at 149 mph, to peg back Rahul's off stump. Chasing 177, Kings XI looked almost out of it when they lost Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle. Both the West Indians were dismissed for 24 after sizzling briefly.
During the course of his yet another magnificent knock in the tournament, Rahul crossed 500 runs this season, and inspired his team to jump from the last to the sixth spot. Rahul is now the first Indian batsman to score more than 500 runs for three consecutive seasons Rahul gave Kings XI the perfect start when he smashed three fours and a six off Trent Boult in the third over, which went for 20 runs. The assault rubbed salt into the Kiwi's wounds after he was denied a wicket in the first over when Quinton de Kock didn't appeal from behind the stumps even after Mayank Agarwal had cleared edged a ball.
Earlier, showing yet again what makes them so formidable, MI recovered from a rare top-order failure with a tremendous flourish in the end to score 176 for six.
Choosing to bat first, they slipped to 38 for three in the sixth over, and then 119 for six in the 17th over, before an unbeaten 57-run partnership for the seventh wicket in just 21 balls between Kieron Pollard (34 not out, 12b, 1x4, 4x6) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (24 not out, 12b, 4x4) took them to a far bigger score then they would've imagined.
Going berserk in his trademark fashion, Pollard smashed two sixes each off Arshdeep Singh (in the 18th over) and Chris Jordan in the final over, which went for 20 runs as MI looted 54 of the final three overs.
Earlier, left-handers Quinton de Kock (53, 43b, 3x4, 3x6), who scored his third fifty on the trot -and Krunal Pandya (34, 30b, 4x4, 1x6) rescued Mumbai from the woods with a 58-run stand for the fourth wicket in 52 deliveries.
Mumbai Indians now have four days to lick their wounds before they take on arch rivals Chennai Super Kings on Friday at Sharjah. Kings XI will face Delhi Capitals in Dubai on Tuesday.
In Video:
Super Sunday for IPL 2020: Nail biting finish for two matches with 3 Super Overs