Arshdeep heroics help Punjab trump Mumbai in high-scoring thriller

The Punjab Kings edged past the Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring thriller at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday night, beating the five-time champions by 13 runs to give the visitors their fourth victory of the season. Sam Curran’s side posted a formidable first innings score of 214 for 8 before Arshdeep Singh thwarted Mumbai’s efforts in the chase, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Nehal Wadhera in his final two overs to take the Kings to fifth in the table.

On a night where over 400 runs were scored on a batting paradise at the Wankhede, Mumbai started brightly with the ball, conceding just 20 runs in the opening three overs and taking the wicket of Matthew Short. However, once the swing disappeared, the bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs as Punjab switched gears in the back half of the powerplay.

Jason Behrendorff conceded two sixes in his second over, while Jofra Archer and Piyush Chawla also leaked runs. Punjab finished the powerplay on 58 for 1. But Mumbai pulled things back nicely through the middle. Arjun Tendulkar removed Prabhsimran Singh with a searing yorker, while Piyush Chawla continued his fine form this season, picking up two wickets in an over to restrict the Kings to 83 for 4 at the halfway mark.

Sam Curran and Harpreet Singh Bhatia attempted to resurrect the Punjab innings after the flurry of wickets, and the pair turned the tide in the 16^th over from Arjun Tendulkar, which went for 31 runs. Tendulkar’s over turbocharged the Kings’ efforts at the death, allowing them to score 96 runs in their final 30 deliveries to post a menacing total. Sam Curran finished with a vital 55 off 29 for his side, while Jitesh Sharma’s 7-ball 25 gave the visitors the perfect finish, propelling them to a winning score.

A 200+ total had previously never been chased at the Wankhede in the IPL, but the Mumbai Indians attempted to defy history with their power-packed batting line-up. Mumbai recovered after Ishan Kishan’s early departure through Cameron Green and Rohit Sharma, but the pair failed to keep up with the required run rate through the middle.

Sharma’s dismissal on 44 left Mumbai reeling at 84 for 2 in ten overs, but Suryakumar Yadav returned to his best to take the home side to the brink of victory. Yadav unfurled his full range of innovative strokes, carting Liam Livingstone for a trio of fours and creaming Sam Curran to the boundary to reach a 23-ball half-century. Cameron Green got to a fifty of his own with a six off Rahul Chahar, and the pair added 75 runs from just 30 balls to pull Mumbai back into the contest.

MI required 66 from the final 30 overs to seize an unlikely victory, but Punjab’s death bowling denied the hosts, as Nathan Ellis removed Green with a slower delivery before Arshdeep Singh picked up the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. The game was still evenly poised with 16 needed off the final over, but the left-armer bowled two searing yorkers to uproot Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera’s middle stump to seal the win for Punjab in stunning fashion.