SAHA SLAYS MUMBAI

Kings edge hosts in humdinger despite Pollard’s valiant 50*

Kings XI Punjab kept their playoffs hopes alive with a thrilling seven-run win over table toppers Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring IPL-10 match at the Wankhede here on Thursday.

Chasing an improbable 230/3 after Kings XI Punjab posted this season’s highest score, Kieron Pollard 50 not out (24b, 1x4, 5x6) and Hardik Pandya played a blinder to almost chase it down only to fall short in the end.

Needing 23 in the last 12 balls, Pollard kept home hopes alive till the penultimate ball only to fizzle out in the end. Kings XI pacers Sandeep Sharma (1/42) and Mohit Sharma (2/57) were on the job, bowling two tight overs to take Kings over the line.

Pandya 30 (13b, 4x6) began the mayhem with a six off Axar Patel and four sixes off Matt Henry in the 16th to keep Mumbai in the hunt in an exciting tussle. Pandya perished after sharing a 55-run stand (21 balls) with Pollard for the fifth wicket. Karn Sharma played a cameo of 19 runs in six balls. Mumbai finished on 223/6.

Openers Lendl Simmons 59 (32b, 5x4, 4x4) and Parthiv Patel 38 (23b, 7x4) gave the hosts a blazing start in a huge chase and were cruising at 82/0 in seven overs but the chase fell apart after Kings XI skipper Glenn Maxwell (1/8 in two overs) got rid of dangerman Simmons. The hosts lost wickets in a heap as the asking rate which was near 12 from the start got beyond their reach. Pollard though had other ideas and showed how dangerous he could be in this format by taking hosts mighty closer.

Earlier, Test specialist Wriddhiman Saha showed his explosive side, hammering an unbeaten 55-ball 93 against Mumbai. The wicket-keeper batsman struck 11 elegant boundaries and three well timed sixes after opening the innings along with Martin Guptill.

In the process, Kings XI Punjab notched up season’s highest total of 230/3 in their make-or-break penultimate IPL encounter. Before this, Gujarat Lions had posted 214/3 against Delhi Daredevils in this edition.

Saha excelled in strokeplay and was involved in third fifty-plus partnerships as Punjab played with authority.

— BCCI Overs taken to raise Punjab’s 50 runs against Mumbai, the secondfastest this season behind KKR, who brought it up in 3.3 overs against RCB Wriddhiman Saha scored a brilliant unbeaten 93.

— AP Mumbai Indians’ Kieron Pollard plays a shot in their Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai on Thursday.