Dramatic, would be an understatement, when describing the second Indian Premier League match on Sunday, 18 October.
In a game that featured two Super Overs, Kings XI Punjab snatched victory from Mumbai Indians. With their third win – and second-straight – in nine games this season, KXIP move to the sixth spot in the standings and keep themselves in the running for a Playoffs berth.
Chasing Mumbai Indians’ 176/6 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, KXIP captain KL Rahul had smashed a 51-ball 77 but was dismissed in the 18th over by Jasprit Bumrah (3/24).
KXIP needed 22 runs off the last two overs with Chris Jordan and Deepak Hooda at the crease.
Nathan Coulter-Nile went for 13 runs in the penultimate over. KXIP needed two runs off the last ball. Jordan hit the last delivery and ran for a double but fell just short of the crease, and was run out.
The match was tied and headed into a Super Over – the second of the day after the afternoon match was also decided by the one-over eliminator.
Super Over 1
MI handed the ball to their Super Over specialist Bumrah as KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran came out to bat.
After the skipper ran a single, Pooran was caught out by a substitute fielder Anukul Roy for a golden duck. Rahul and Hooda ran a single each. The skipper ran a double on the fifth ball and got out on the last as KXIP finished with 5/2.
With Mohammed Shami bowling, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma ran three singles on the first three balls. A dot and another single brought the required runs down to two off the last ball. The duo tried running a double but a stunning run out effected by KL Rahul dismissed de Kock and tied the Super Over.
Super Over 2
Both teams were now not allowed to use the bowlers or the batsmen used in the previous Super Over.
After two singles, two wides and four, Hardik Pandya was run out. The fifth delivery was a dot and a stunning fielding effort by Mayank prevented Pollard from hitting a boundary on the last ball as MI posted 11/1.
With Trent Boult bowling, Chris Gayle smashed a six on the first ball and then ran a single. Mayank Agarwal hit back-to-back boundaries to hand KXIP a big win.
Mumbai Indians’ Innings
Choosing to bat first, Mumbai were reduced to 38/3 in the first 31 balls, perhaps one of their worst starts this season.
Rookie bowler Arshdeep Singh (2/35 in 3 overs) removed opener Rohit Sharma (9), and number four batsman Ishan Kishan (7), in his first two overs of the day while pacer Shami dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for a duck.
From there, opener Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya stitched a 58-run partnership to steady Mumbai’s innings. The duo took MI to 93/3 in 13 overs before Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Krunal for a 30-ball 34.
The other Pandya, Hardik, became Shami’s (2/30) second victim of the day. The all-rounder added 20 runs with de Kock before falling for a 4-ball 8.
De Kock reached the fifty-run mark of 39 deliveries – his fourth half-century in the last five innings – but fell to Chris Jordan for 53 (off 43 balls) which featured three boundaries and three sixes.
Kieron Pollard (12-ball 34*) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (12-ball 24*) then smashed 54 runs in the last three overs to push Mumbai to a 170-plus score. Pollard hit four sixes and a four while Coulter-Nile's knock features four boundaries.
Kings XI Punjab’s Innings
Jasprit Bumrah prevented KXIP from stitching a big opening stand as he cleaned up Mayank Agarwal for 11 in the fourth over.
From there, opener KL Rahul and number three batsman Chris Gayle – playing his second game this season – stitched a 42-run stand. Rahul Chahar eventually gave Mumbai the breakthrough by removing the dangerman Gayle for a 21-ball 24.
KXIP were 75/2, still needing 102 runs off 65 balls.
Bumrah came back to bowl in the 13th over, and ended another crucial partnership for KXIP. The Indian pacer dismissed dismissed Nicholas Pooran for 24 (off 12 balls), breaking the West Indies batsman’s 33-run stand with the skipper. In the next over, Glenn Maxwell fell to Chahar for a duck, reducing KXIP to 115/4, needing 62 off 29 balls.
KL reached the fifty-run mark with a six on the 35th delivery he faced – his fourth half-century in the last five innings. The skipper led from the front, stayed at the crease, and helped reduce KXIP’s required runs to 27 runs from 18 balls with the help of Deepak Hooda.
However, MI skipper brought in Bumrah to bowl his final over, and the Indian pacer castled KL Rahul for a 51- ball 77, which included seven boundaries and three sixes.
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