At Mullanpur, Mumbai Indians prevailed in a close game.
In the first innings of their match against Punjab Kings on Thursday, April 18, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Mumbai Indians scored 192/7 thanks to an all-around performance at the bat. But Ashutosh Sharma’s arrival at the crease made Hardik Pandya’s team ponder their total. And the Madhya Pradeshi guy came dangerously close to pulling off one of the Indian Premier League 2024’s greatest run chases.
Since little has gone well for Punjab Kings in the competition thus far, the loss implies they will need to reconsider several of their match preparation decisions. The Kings, who are currently ranked ninth on the IPL 2024 Points Table after losing their fifth straight game, are actually very close to being eliminated from the Playoff Chase.
Talking Points
1. The over reliance of MI on the top four
MI has one of the strongest batting depths in the game, but their middle-order isn’t able to step up and close out innings. Rohit Sharma (36 off 25), Suryakumar Yadav (78 off 53), and Tilak Varma (34 off 18) scored most of the runs tonight as well, with players like Romario Shepherd and Hardik Pandya failing to perform to their full potential at the bat. It won’t hurt until they win, but it’s better for the finishers to understand that they have work to do.
- Bumrah: Quite Exceptional
Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-21-3) has been the 24-carat gold for the five-time champions; talk about maintaining composure under pressure. To remove Rilee Rossouw from the game, Bumrah struck a flawless yorker against a strong batting lineup. Additionally, the swift player defeated Shashank Singh, who appeared menacing, and opposition captain Sam Curran. The fact that his fourth over only yielded five runs helped MI win the match and gave him the Player of the Match award.
- Ashutosh Sharma displays his courageous nature
Talent and chance collide. That is precisely what occurred when Ashutosh Sharma was selected by Punjab for the starting XI. In just 28 deliveries, the batsman struck an incredible 61 runs to put Punjab back in the lead. But after he left, the hosts lost a thrilling final over by ten runs. A maximum off a sweep shot to Bumrah demonstrated his unwavering mindset and will to triumph, even when up against the world’s finest bowler.
Also Read: IPL2024: Highlights of Punjab Kings’ second innings versus MI in Match 33
What Was Said by Who?
Sam Curran, the losing skipper, stated:
Another close one, I think this team likes a close one, but unfortunately another loss. Another incredible knock from the young guy (on Ashutosh), but another close loss. It’s very tough, you want to lose close games rather then getting absolutely thumped, but we’ve lost a lot of wickets at the start, the way the younger guys have taken the team so close is heartening (on Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma). They have incredible confidence, you see a guy like Ashutosh having the confidence to play the sweeps and the big hits against pacers, it’s so great to watch them in action. It’s disheartening to lose close games, but there are a lot of positives in this team. We still have the belief in us, we believe we can turn this around, the sun will come up tomorrow and we will hopefully get on a winning run.
Hardik Pandya, the winning captain, stated:
Very good game. Everyone’s nerves got tested. We spoke that the characters will be checked in this game. But natural you think you are ahead but you know IPL has a tendency to show that oppositions can come back and how! [Ashutosh] Unbelievable, playing the way he did and hitting the ball off the middle. Great for his future. We did speak in the timeout about it is not about how we look, we will keep fighting. Make sure we don’t ball the soft balls. Batsmen played good shots but we were soft in certain overs. Nevertheless, a win is a win.
Jasprit Bumrah, the player of the match, stated:
Much closer game than what we thought. Want to make an impact early on. In this format, ball swings for two overs, and you want to make use of that. This format is a little difficult for the bowlers because the batsmanship is going over, plus the time restrictions and the Impact Player rule. What you can do is prepare your best and back yourself. Go out there and give your best. I try to relay messages from wherever I am on the field. You don’t want to give too many messages.
