Chennai, April 23: KL Rahul and Chris Gayle played reselient knock as Punjab Kings humbled defending champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in Match 17 of IPL 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (April 23).
A spirited bowling performance restricted Mumbai Indians to 131/6 despite skipper Rohit Sharma's 63-run knock. In reply, a half-century from Rahul and Gayle's ubeaten 43 helped PBKS seal their second win of the season with 14 balls to spare.
Chasing 132, openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal gave a flying start to the side as they amassed 45 runs in the first six overs. Mumbai finally got the breakthrough in the eighth over as spinner Rahul Chahar ended Mayank's innings for 25 and broke the 53-run opening stand.
Chris Gayle then joined Rahul in the middle and the pair kept the score ticking at a decent pace on the slow Chepauk wicket. In the 17th over, Rahul completed his gritty fifty.
Rahul and Gayle didn't want to take the game to the last over as they charged Trent Boult's 18th over and took the side over the line to remain unbeaten on 60 off 52 while Gayle amassed 43 including two sixes and five fours. For Mumbai, Chahar was the lone wicket-taker.
Earlier, put into bat, Mumbai lost opener Quinton de Kock (3) early as Deepak Hooda picked him in the second over. Ishan Kishan came in to join Rohit in the middle and the duo stitched a brief partnership of 19 runs for the second wicket as the former struggled to get goin and succumbed to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for 6.
Suryakumar Yadav then joined Rohit to stitch tohether a 79 runs stand for the third wicket as the duo added runs at a quick pace and Rohit smashed hit first fifty of the season.
IPL 2021, PBKS vs MI Match 17 Highlights: Fifty-up Rahul, Gayle guide Punjab Kings to 9 wicket win
Once again it was Bishnoi who gave the breakthrough for PBKS as he removed Suryakumar for 33 in the 17th over as Kieron Pollard joined Rohit in the middle.
In the next over, pacer Mohammed Shami sent Rohit back to the pavilion after he had scored 63 runs. Hardik Pandya (1) failed to leave his mark on the scoreboard as he was dismissed by Arshdeep Singh in the penultimate over. And so was his brother Krunal Pandya, who fell to Shami for 3.
In the last five overs, Punjab conceded just 34 runs and picked four wickets to restrict Mumbai Indians to 131/6. In the end, Pollard remained unbeaten on 16 runs with Jayant Yadav remaining scoreless. For Punjab, Bishnoi and Shami picked two wickets each, while Arshdeep and Hooda claimed a wicket each.
(With Agency inputs)