IPL 2021, MI vs PBKS: Who won yesterday's match?

Hardik Pandya (40 not out off 30) roared back to form as the Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets in Match 42 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Dropped on 7, Hardik made PBKS pay, smacking four fours and two sixes in an innings that would please Indian cricket in the wake of the upcoming T20 World Cup. The struggling batter sliced a cut off Arshdeep Singh in the 14th over but Harpreet Brar at backward point mistimed his jump and the ball popped out.

Saurabh Tiwary batted well for his 45 but his dismissal left MI needing 40 in the last four overs. With the pressure building, Hardik thumped Shami for a four and a six in the 17th over. A length ball was clubbed through midwicket for four and a full ball on leg flicked over midwicket for a maximum.

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Kieron Pollard did just what was expected of him in the next over bowled by Arshdeep. He eased a cover drive for four and whacked a length delivery over long off for a maximum. 13 came off the over, leaving MI to get 16 off the last two.

Hardik ensured the match did not go into the last over, smashing length balls from Shami for fours. The finish came with a flat-batted six over long-on. Deepak Hooda was present on the fence but made a mess of what could have been a good catch.

MI got off to a poor start in their chase of 136 as leggie Ravi Bishnoi sent back Rohit Sharma (8) and Suryakumar Yadav (0) off consecutive deliveries in the fourth over. The MI skipper slog-swept one to mid-on while Yadav’s woes lengthened as he was completely bamboozled by a googly.

MI’s decision to rest Ishan Kishan and bring in Tiwary worked as the latter aided Quinton de Kock in rebuilding the innings. With the run rate not an issue, the duo batted cautiously, finding the odd boundary. De Kock got a life in the eighth over when he took on Bishnoi and Markram’s full length-dive at deep extra-cover ended just short of a spectacular catch.

PBKS had their man, though, as De Kock (27) dragged a back of a length ball from Mohammed Shami on to his stumps. Hardik had a lucky early escape as he completed misread a googly from Bishoi yet got four off the inside edge. It was an early sign that it was to be his day.

Tiwary kept the fight alive for MI. Early in his innings, he slapped Harpreet Brar for a six over long-on. A few overs later, after being struck in the painful area around the groin by Arshdeep's throw, he responded by crushing a low full-toss between extra cover and mid-off for four.

The left-hander also walloped Bishnoi for a six over deep square-leg. He soon fell, nicking a full and wide slower ball from Nathan Ellis, but Hardik and Pollard ensured that MI’s three-match losing streak came to an end.

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PBKS crawl to 135 for 6 batting first

Mumbai Indians (MI) celebrate a wicket. Pic: IPLT20.COM

PBKS put up yet another shoddy show with the bat, managing a below-par 135 for 6 after being sent into bat by MI. Aiden Markram (42 off 29) was the only PBKS batter who looked comfortable on the surface as the rest struggled to score at a decent pace.

With Mayank Agarwal missing out due to a stiff neck, PBKS opened with KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh. MI, on the other hand, opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya (1 for 24). PBKS got off to a decent start finding a few boundaries before Krunal struck for MI, trapping Mandeep (15) leg-before as the batter missed his sweep.

Immediately after the powerplay, Pollard’s double blow hit PBKS hard. The MI medium pacer had his fellow West Indian, Chris Gayle (1), caught at long-on off a slower one. KL Rahul (21) then top-edged a pull to become Pollard’s 300th victim in T20 cricket.

Just before he was out, there was a wonderful ‘spirit of cricket’ moment. Off the last ball of the sixth over, Gayle smashed one straight back at Rahul. The ball ricocheted to Krunal, who hit the stumps but soon withdrew his appeal.

Things went from bad to worse for PBKS as Nicholas Pooran (2) was adjudged leg-before after missing a low full-toss from Jasprit Bumrah. Pooran’s dismissal left PBKS reeling at 48 for 4.

Had it not been for Markram’s fluent innings, PBKS could have been in greater trouble. The South African batter and Deepak Hooda (28 off 26) featured in a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket. In the 11th over of the innings, Hooda pulled Trent Boult for a six to give PBKS something to cheer about.

The batters then combined to take 15 off Boult’s next - the 15th over of the innings. Markram drove a slower ball to the extra cover boundary and punched the next through cover to bring up the fifty stand. Next, Hooda guided a back of a length slower ball for the third boundary of the over.

Just when PBKS seemed to be getting into a decent position for a final flourish, Markram was bowled by Rahul Chahar as the batter picked the wrong length to sweep. Hooda fell trying to take on Bumrah in the penultimate over and PBKS, eventually, crawled their way to 135 for 6.

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IPL 2021, MI vs PBKS: Who was the Man of the Match?

There were some good performances from MI with the ball. Bumrah claimed 2 for 24 while Pollard scalped Gayle and Rahul in one over. Nathan Coulter-Nile, while wicketless, conceded only 19 in four overs.

When MI batted, Tiwary set up the chase with 45 while Hardik finished things off with an unbeaten 40.

For PBKS, Markram top-scored with a breezy 42 while Bishnoi (2/25) stood out with the ball.

Pollard was named Man of the Match for his two big wickets and unbeaten 15.