JAIPUR: Australia’s Josh Inglis scored 73 to help Punjab Kings finish in the top-two moving into the IPL playoffs with a seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians on Monday.
Both the teams have already secured their play-off berth along with Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the T20 tournament.
A top-two position in the final group phase table makes Punjab grab one of the two spots in the first qualifier on May 29 and two shots at reaching June 3’ final.
Chasing 185 for victory, Punjab depended on a 109-run second-wicket stand between Inglis and Priyansh Arya to achieve their target with nine balls to spare in Jaipur.
The left-handed Arya made 62 before he departed in the 15th over and Inglis fell after his first IPL fifty with the team needing another 14 to win.
Inglis, a wicketkeeper-batsman, hit nine fours and three sixes in his 42-ball knock.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer made an unbeaten 26 off 16 balls to steer the team home.
“Every individual stepped up at the right time,” said Iyer.
“We’ve had players putting their hands up when we were in the dumps. (Coach) Ricky (Ponting) has been fantastic with player management, it’s important for me to get trust too.”
Ponting praised Iyer, who was brought for $3.17 million in November’s auction.
“It was pretty obvious with the amount of money we spent on him, we wanted him here,” said Ponting.
“He’s a man who has been so good and has a sparkle for captaincy, he has led this team superbly.”
Five-time champions Mumbai sit bottom of the top-four teams and will play the eliminator on May 30.
“We just want to play good cricket going forward, figure out the right template for the batting group,” Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said.
“Not much panic though, we knew what was at stake.”
Gujarat’s position will depend on the final league match between Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.
The winner of the first qualifier will enter the final, while the loser will take on the winner of the second qualifier to book their spot in the title clash.
Mumbai reached 184-7 after Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 57 off 39 deliveries to boost the total.
South Africa’s opener Ryan Rickelton hit a brisk 27 in a 44-run opening stand with Rohit Sharma, who scored 24.
Wicketkeeper Rickelton, a left-hand batter, departed in the sixth over as wickets fell at regular intervals including Rohit and England’s Will Jacks, out for 17.
Suryakumar took stock in a partnership of 44 with Pandya, who took on the opposition bowling in his 26 off 15 balls.
Pandya hit two fours and two sixes before being caught behind off South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen to put Mumbai in trouble.
Number seven Naman Dhir came out firing as he and Suryakumar, who reached his fifth half-century of the season in his 640 runs, hammered 23 off the 19th over.
Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh took down Dhir after the batsman’s 12-ball 20 at the start of the 20th and trapped Suryakumar to finish the over with two wickets and just three runs.
