Mumbai: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) had almost messed it up with their inconsistent bowling and below-par catching after Wriddhiman Saha (93 not out) guided them to a daunting total.
However, Mohit Sharma bowled a wonderful final over to deny the dangerous looking Kieron Pollard as KXIP managed a seven-run win against table-toppers Mumbai Indians, at the Wankhede on Thursday, to stay alive in IPL X. In response to KXIP's mammoth 230/3, Mumbai Indians could go till 223/6 despite valiant efforts from opener Lendl Simmons, Hardik Pandya and of course, Pollard, who took it all upon himself in the final over.
Mumbai Indians needed 16 off the final over, but the maximum Pollard could do was hit just one six. He wanted to take his team home all by himself, not giving Harbhajan Singh the strike. But Mohit ensured he was accurate with his line and length as KXIP stay afloat and can still hope to make the play-offs.
Earlier, Test specialist Saha displayed a different facet of his batting with a stroke-filled unbeaten 93 of 55 balls to power KXIP past 200 in this do-or-die tie for the 2014 runners-up.
Saha, who also has a century in the 2014 IPL final, struck 11 boundaries and three sixes to anchor the innings. Martin Guptill hit a flurry of boundaries (5x4, 1x6) during his 18-ball-36 and skipper Glenn Maxwell's 47 off 21 balls also propped up the total. Maxwell's innings had five sixes apart from two boundaries.
It was an off day for Mumbai Indians bowlers with all of them taken to the cleaners by Saha and the rest. Mitchell McClenaghan (1/54), Lasith Malinga (0/45), Harbhajan Singh (0/45), Jasprit Bumrah (1/24), Karn Sharma (1/32 ) and Hardik Pandya (0/29) were hammered to all parts of the ground.
KXIP were well-poised at 173/2 at the end of 15 overs and smashed 57 off last five overs to post the their overall highest score at the Wankhede. The side has posted a total of 230 or above for the third time in all the 10 season of IPL.
Put in to bat, KXIP had a flying start as their openers Saha and Guptill put on a 68-run stand in 5.3 overs. Hardik conceded three fours in the opening over, two of them struck by Kiwi Guptill and the other hit by Saha, who opened the innings in place of Mannan Vohra.
In the second over, Saha stuck three boundaries off McClenaghan as the visitors raced to 29. Guptill was in his elements, hitting a towering six over long-off off Malinga's bowling. Saha struck two consecutive fours in the same over as KXIP reached 50 in only 3.4 overs. As Guptill was looking in ominous touch, Hardik took a splendid running catch at long on to send the New Zealander back to the dugout, giving Karn Sharma the first wicket. At the end of Powerplay, KXIP were 71 for 1.
Guptill's departure did not bother Saha, as he continued to take on opposition bowlers, hitting two fours in the seventh over.
Captain Maxwell joined in as he struck two massive sixes, one over long on and the other over extra cover off Karn with KXIP completing 100 in just eight overs.
In the ninth over, off-spinner Harbhajan was hit for three sixes by Maxwell as KXIP batsmen continued to dominate the Mumbai Indians bowlers. There was no looking back for Preity Zinta co-owned team from thereon.
Kings XI
M. Guptill c Pandya b Karn 36
W. Saha not out 93
G. Maxwell b Bumrah 47
S. Marsh c Patel b Mitchell 25
A. Patel not out 19
Extras (lb-1 w-6 nb-3) 10
Total (3 wickets; 20 overs) 230
Fall of wickets 1/68 2/131 3/183
Bowling: Hardik 2-0-29-0, Mitchell 4- 0-54-1, Bumrah 4-0-24-1, Malinga 4-0-45-0, Karn 3-0-32-1, Harbhajan 3-0-45-0
Mumbai Indians
L. Simmons c Guptill b Maxwell 59
P. Patel c Vohra b Mohit 38
N. Rana c Guptill b Patel 12
R. Sharma c Guptill b Tewatia 5
K. Pollard not out 50
H. Pandya c Saha b Sandeep 30
K. Sharma b Mohit 19
H. Singh not out 2
Extras (lb-2, w-5, nb-1) 8
Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 223
Fall of wickets 1/99, 2/106, 3/119, 4/121, 5/176, 6/207
Bowling: Sandeep 4-0-42-1, Henry 2-0-40-0, Ishant 3-0-29-0, Mohit 4-0-57-2, Patel 3-0-28-1, Maxwell 2-0-8-1, Tewatia 2-0-17-1
MoM: Wriddhiman Saha
