2621dThe Report by Deivarayan Muthu

Kings XI barely defend 230 to stay alive

Mohit Sharma put three ordinary overs behind him to deliver a clinical final over, off which he defended 15, as Kings XI lived to fight another day

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

WP Saha
WP Saha
93(55) 11x4 - 3x6
Control %69%
  • Productive Shot
  • off drive
  • 26 runs
  • 3x4 - 1x6
8 8 7 2 11 23 15 19
LMP Simmons
LMP Simmons
59(32) 5x4 - 4x6
Control %78%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 14 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
4 6 9 0 9 12 14 5

Best performances - Bowlers

MM Sharma
MM Sharma
O4
M0
R57
W2
Eco14.25
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W
GJ Maxwell
GJ Maxwell
O2
M0
R8
W1
Eco4
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Commentator: Shashank Kishore

END OF OVER:
20 | 8 Runs | MI: 223/6 (8 runs required, RR: 11.15)

  • Kieron Pollard50 (24b)
  • Harbhajan Singh2 (4b)
  • Mohit Sharma4-0-57-2
  • Sandeep Sharma4-0-42-1

So the Playoff race is still alive. Only Mumbai are through. Rising Pune could join them should they beat Daredevils tomorrow. Kings XI win tonight has put Sunrisers on tenterhooks. They have to win their last game to control their fate. So another blockbuster weekend coming up? We'll find out. Hope you enjoyed the coverage. Until next time, cheers!

11.55pm Mohit Sharma has single-handedly kept Kings XI Punjab alive. They needed three wins in three couple of nights ago, now it's one in one. Tonight, he was carted all over the park in the first three overs that had gone for 49. But Glenn Maxwell trusted his end-overs specialist and he didn't let them down. Kings XI live to fight another day, which means we still have four teams scrambling for three Playoff spots, with only Mumbai Indians assured.

This is the joint highest total in the second innings in the IPL. They've equaled Rajasthan Royals who also made 223 in a losing cause against Chennai Super Kings in 2010.

Wriddhiman Saha is the Player of the match for his 55-ball 93. "The mandate was to go hard in the first six overs. We built up good momentum. When we batted initially, our target was to get 220. We thought it was a par score. I'm ready to bat wherever the team needs me.

Glenn Maxwell: I thought my drop catch may have cost us the game. We dropped two, missed run-out chances but for us to hold on the way we did, the credit to Sandeep and Mohit. Those two overs in the end were absolute class. It was dewy, the ball was slippery. It was tough work, to execute when the pressure was on, with a guy like Pollard out there, was outstanding. We played fearless cricket. Hashim led the way for us, today for Saha to get the reward was superb. We've thrown him up and down the order, been a little harsh on him, but he's been superb. We still have some work to do, would be nice to sneak in through the back door.

Rohit Sharma: Disappointing, but we put up a great fight. I thought it was evenly balanced when Pollard and Hardik were batting, but once Hardik got out, it was tough for one batsman to bring out the big shots. You have to appreciate the boys for the effort. This was a fresh wicket, there was a little bit of grass covering which held the wicket together. I don't want to be critical on the bowlers, one-off games don't change much but moving forward we can take a lot of learning, especially on wickets like these. They were trying different things but when someone like Maxwell and Guptill go like that, it's hard. Saha too batted superbly. As a unit, we want to move ahead in all three facets.

19.6
1
MM Sharma to Pollard, 1 run, another cracking yorker that tails in late to take thick inside edge to fine leg. Fifty for Pollard, but not good enough
19.5
0
MM Sharma to Pollard, no run, sensational. A knuckle ball that dips on Pollard as he looks to swing this over the off side, the ball dipped on him to beat him. Stunning execution under pressure
19.4
0
MM Sharma to Pollard, no run, brilliant! Low, dipping yorker which Pollard can't get underneath. Dug back to Mohit on his followthrough
19.3
0
MM Sharma to Pollard, no run, low full toss, swung away to long-off. Missed the yorker but found the fielder on the bounce. Pollard refuses the run

Debates can be out on this. Pollard knew he had to be on strike and may have deliberately gone one short.

19.2
6
MM Sharma to Pollard, SIX, slower ball outside off, he holds his shape and deposits this swipe into the cow corner boundary.
19.1
1
MM Sharma to Pollard, 1 run, length on off stump, drilled to long-on from where Maxwell fires a poor throw to the keeper's end. Umpire calls one short, Pollard the culprit.

Ishant's horror

0

Ishant Sharma hasn't taken a wicket this season in four matches before this one

Rampaging Kings XI

3.4

Overs taken to raise their half-century against Mumbai Indians, the second-fastest this season behind KKR, who brought it up in 3.3 overs against RCB

Saha's unfamiliar territory

6

Number of times Saha has previously opened across 163 T20s. He's managed just 126 runs at this position