MUMBAI, India: A whirlwind batting performance powered the Mumbai Indians to a stunning seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Chasing 198 for victory, Ishan Kishan smacked 69 off 34 balls and then Suryakumar Yadav smacked 52 off only 19 balls as Mumbai crossed the finish line in 15.3 overs.
It finished with 199-3 in reply to Bengaluru’s 196-8 in 20 overs with Dinesh Karthik scoring 53 not out off 26 balls.
Put into bat, Bengaluru’s batting faltered against Jasprit Bumrah who picked 5-21 in four overs and restricted the visitors to an under-par score.
Bumrah broke through in the third over and had leading run-scorer Virat Kohli caught behind for three runs.
English batter Will Jacks had been drafted in for Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, but he too fell to Bumrah for only 8.
Skipper Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar put on 82 off 47 balls for the third wicket. Du Plessis found form again and scored his first half-century of the season — 61 off 40 balls, including four fours and three sixes.
Patidar scored 50 off 26 balls as Bengaluru’s innings seemed to correct course. But Mumbai struck back with Gerald Coetzee getting the breakthrough to send back Patidar.
Another big moment followed when Glenn Maxwell was out lbw for a four-ball duck to spinner Shreyas Gopal.
Bumrah returned to sink the remaining Bengaluru lineup — he was on a hat trick twice, but missed out on both. He had du Plessis caught in the 17th over, and then Mahipal Lomror for a duck in the 17th over. Two overs later, he picked another brace off consecutive deliveries.
Karthik held one end together though, hitting four sixes and five fours to prop up Bengaluru from 153-6 in 16.5 overs, falling just short of 200.
It wasn’t going to be enough on a dewy Wankhede wicket, but Mumbai seemed to be in a hurry.
Kishan put on 101 off only 53 balls with Rohit Sharma (38), as he blazed seven fours and five sixes.
Bengaluru’s bowling had no response, or respite, with Mumbai crossing 100 in the ninth over.
Kishan was finally caught in the deep, but Yadav walked in to further torment the visitors. He hit four sixes, and another five fours, scoring 50 off only 17 balls.
Sharma was dismissed in the 12th over, even as it didn’t slow down proceedings. Yadav was out caught in the 14th over, with Mumbai on the cusp of victory and duly won the game with 27 balls to spare.
It was Bengaluru’s fifth loss in six games, along with a major hit to its net run-rate, as it sunk to ninth in the points’ table.
Mumbai moved up to seventh with four points from five games.
Kishan and Bumrah lead Mumbai to 7-wicket win over Bengaluru in IPL
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Kishan and Bumrah lead Mumbai to 7-wicket win over Bengaluru in IPL
- Chasing 198 for victory, Ishan Kishan smacked 69 off 34 balls and then Suryakumar Yadav smacked 52 off only 19 balls
- Mumbai finished with 199-3 in reply to Bengaluru’s 196-8 in 20 overs with Dinesh Karthik scoring 53 not out off 26 balls
Pakistan legend Akram hails ‘incredible’ Starc after Ashes heroics
- Australia’s Mitchell Starc surpassed Akram’s tally of 414 test wickets during Brisbane match against England
- Akram says despite being 35, Starc can “go on and on” due to his passion for cricket and fiery pace bowling
KARACHI: Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram believes even more is to come from Australia’s “incredible” veteran Ashes wrecking ball Mitchell Starc.
Akram was reacting to Starc surpassing his tally of 414 wickets during the Brisbane Test against England on Thursday, becoming the leading left-arm pace bowler of all time.
“Congratulations to Starc on passing my tally of wickets,” Akram told AFP, saying that the 35-year-old’s passion and commitment helped set him apart.
“Starc has shown a great amount of dedication and focus in these times of too much cricket, having T20 leagues with big money coming your way.
“He did play T20 leagues but then decided to play more Tests and left the shorter format because he wanted to be remembered as one of the best in the world in the history of the game.
“Ten years down the line, if anyone decides to have an all-time Test team, then Starc will be named in that team for sure.”
Despite trumping Akram, Starc described the Pakistan great as the “pinnacle.”
“Wasim’s still a far better bowler than I am,” Starc said on Thursday.
Akram dismissed the debate over who is the greatest.
“It is difficult to compare both of us because we are from different eras,” he said. “People say that I played on placid tracks and he played on bouncy Aussie tracks, so that was different.
“But nowadays batters have a different mindset and they play aggressive shots even on good balls, so that makes wicket-taking a more difficult art.”
Akram said he believed Starc’s passion could take him further.
“He is 35 and his pace is still there and passion remains at its peak. He has been incredible as a fast bowler and is enjoying fast bowling, so can go on and on.”
