It was a match which stood by the standards of the T20 cricket. The match between Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Mumbai Indians (MI) saw 13 sixes and 22 boundaries being hit, a close contest and end of it all MI eventually emerging a winner in a nail biting finish. Mumbai who entered the match with vengeance on their mind felt some hiccups in their pursuit of 169 but some last minute hitting saw them through.
It was a busy day for everyone in the match and there were some performances both good and bad that decided the course of the match.
Here are the hits and flops of the match:
Hits and flops of Mumbai Indians
Hits:
Rohit Sharma: Rohit has been playing a consistent cricket and it was his knock of 50 off 30 deliveries that set up a platform for the Mumbai Indians win. At a point of time when Mumbai lost few quick wickets, he held on to his ground and played a sensible cricket. He kept the scoreboard rolling and hit three sixes and three fours in his match saving knock.
Ambati Rayudu: Even though, Rohit Sharma created a platform for the win, it was this man who actually took them to the victory. He played brilliantly and last minute hitting which yielded hi 34 off 17 deliveries helped register their fourth win of the tournament. His knocked was laced two boundaries and as many sixes.
Flops:
Munaf Patel: Munaf Patel is not just able to live up to his team’s expectations. His bowling lacked conviction and he was taken for runs. He leaked 41 runs of four overs and went wicket less.
Hits and Flops of KXIP
David Hussey: The stand in captain of KXIP David Hussey played a captain’s knock but unfortunately that went in vain. He played a breezy knock of 68 of 40 deliveries which included four boundaries and as many sixes.
David Miller: His late blitz actually helped Punjab in posting an imposing target of 169. He was brilliant with the bat and his shot had authority. He scored 34 at a strike of 200 which included one boundary and three huge sixes.
Bowling pair of Parvinder Awana and Azhar Mahmood: Awana and Mahmood were on fire and it was their performance that kept KXIP in hunt. Mahmood picked up 23-2 and Awana who though was on the expensive side returned with figures of 39-3.
Flops:
Piyush Chawla: He was the most expensive bowler of the match and was taken to the cleaners by the Mumbai batsmen. He gave away 46 runs in four overs and scalped one wicket.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News Network
