Mumbai Indians complete another 200+ chase after Kishan, SKY heroics

The Mumbai Indians became the first team in IPL history to chase 200-plus scores in consecutive matches as the five-time champions mowed down their target of 215 with seven balls to spare against Punjab in Mohali. Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone’s end-overs onslaught propelled the Kings to a commanding score of 214, but it still wasn’t enough to test the mighty Mumbai batting line-up.

Rohit Sharma’s side completed the joint-third highest run-chase in IPL history as Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan laced half-centuries before Tilak Varma applied the finishing touches. Mumbai’s victory helped them leapfrog the Punjab Kings in the points table, taking them to sixth place with ten points from nine matches.

Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, Mumbai got off to a strong start with the new ball, getting Prabhsimran Singh to nick off early. Shikhar Dhawan and Matthew Short briefly went on the offensive to end the powerplay, taking the Kings to 50-1 in six overs, but Piyush Chawla spun a web around the two batters through the middle.

The veteran leg-spinner used all his experience to dry up the runs. He also had Dhawan out stumped for 30 before bowling the Australian with a googly in his final over. Chawla’s double strike brought Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma to the crease at 99 for 3 in 12 overs, and the Punjab pair added 115 in the final eight, laying waste to the MI bowlers. The carnage started with a Jofra Archer over that cost 21 runs, while inexperienced youngsters Akash Madhwal and Arshad Khan also went for plenty. Jitesh finished with 49 from 27 balls while Livingstone smashed Archer for three sixes in the penultimate over on his way to a destructive 42-ball 82.

Chasing 215, Mumbai lost their captain Rohit Sharma for a duck. However, the visitors never looked at trouble in their reply, with Green and Ishan Kishan scoring 54 runs in the powerplay, setting the perfect platform for the middle-order. The visitors required 161 runs when Suryakumar Yadav joined hands with Ishan Kishan, and the duo put on a batting masterclass in Mohali to effectively finish the game.

The pair added 93 runs between overs 10 to 15, sparing no Punjab bowlers on their way to devastating half-centuries. MI needed a straightforward 45 off just 29 deliveries when Suryakumar Yadav departed for 66 from 31, and Tilak Varma and Tim David finished the job with their quickfire cameos, taking Mumbai home with seven balls to spare to give them their fifth win of the season.