Mumbai has won a match. That’s because Mumbai is a place of serial winners, so every result that isn’t a win comes as a surprise. They will be hoping that this victory turns their fortunes around and that they can maintain their current momentum. Punjab, on the other hand, would be disappointed that they were unable to cross the line despite bowling exceptionally well, but it was not to be.
Typically, Mumbai’s openers have been strong at creating a good platform at the outset, and they did so successfully in the previous game against Bangalore as well, but that did not happen in this game. Mumbai were in trouble as Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav fell off successive deliveries. Quinton de Kock and Saurabh Tiwary helped to calm things down before de Kock left. Tiwary, on the other hand, persisted and played quite well for his 45, but he was out at the worst time. The onus was on Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard to keep their cool, get a couple of boundaries, ensure the game was within reach, and help their team cross the line.
Punjab had another strong bowling performance, but it was insufficient to secure the two points. They needed a win in this game, but they were unable to defeat Mumbai. They got off to a good start, as Ravi Bishnoi struck off consecutive balls to get rid of two Mumbai batsman early on. Then they kept the pressure on by delivering tight lines and lengths and not allowing Mumbai’s batters to score easily. Aiden Markram bowled a good stint, while Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis delivered another great performance. Mohammed Shami was a little pricey and couldn’t keep the batters at bay near the end. Finally, Mumbai did enough to take the two points on offer.