IPL 2021, Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians: Man of The Match, Post Match Presentation, Highlights

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Chennai, April 23: Punjab Kings tasted a win after losing three matches on the trot as they hammered defending champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 encounter here on Friday (April 23).

Skipper KL Rahul's gritty half-century and a disciplined bowling effort helped Punjab Kings tame Mumbai Indians on a tricky MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch. Punjab bowlers, led by Ravi Bishnoi (2/21 in 4) and Mohammad Shami (2/21 in 4), restricted Mumbai Indians to 131 for six despite a fine half-century by their skipper Rohit Sharma (63 off 52) on a sticky surface.

Though Mumbai are known to defend low totals, Punjab were clinical in the run chase and got the job done in 17.4 overs. Openers Rahul (60 not out off 52) and Mayank Agarwal (25 off 20) shared a 53-run stand before the skipper got support from Chris Gayle (43 not out off 35).

The win was Punjab's second in five games while Mumbai suffered their third loss in five matches. Mumbai were able to claw their way back into the game after Agarwal's dismissal but a flying start allowed Rahul and Gayle to take their time in the middle overs before romping home. The duo shared an unbeaten 79-run partnership.

Rahul began by hitting Krunal Pandya for a couple of boundaries and played the anchor's role to perfection. Gayle's knock, comprising five fours and two sixes, was equally important in the context of the run chase. Rahul fittingly finished the game with a straight-six and a four towards the third man off Trent Boult.

Earlier, Mumbai struggled to 21 for one in the first six overs, the lowest powerplay score this season after being put in to bat. A 79-run stand between Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 27) steadied the ship for the five-time champions but they could not find the final flourish, managing only 34 runs in the last five overs for the loss of four wickets.

Losing skipper Rohit Sharma conceded that they failed to post enough runs on the board on the surface that was still good to bat on. The MI captain also blamed the middle-order batsmen for not applying themselves better as his team has lost two matches back-to-back in Chennai.

"Not enough runs. I still feel it is not a bad wicket to bat on. You saw how Punjab Kings batted and won the game with 9 wickets in hand. It is just the application that is missing in our batting. If you get 150-160 on this wicket then you are always in the game, that is something we failed to do in the last two games. You can look at it, either way, I thought their bowlers bowled well in the powerplay, Ishan was trying to hit but couldn't get it and even I was not able to hit. We have batted well in the powerplay previously but today we failed to do so.

"Something is missing in our batting line-up, we are not able to bat 20 overs in the fashion we want and something that we have to look at and see what we can do. It was just a tactical thing, we wanted someone who would bat well against the spinners in the middle and SKY was the one to do that. But when you play on such a challenging pitch then you have to be ready for all the possibilities. When you try, if it works it looks good and if it doesn't work then it looks bad, but we always back the decision we make. We are not putting enough effort on the field and when the conditions are tough you need to understand how you need to bat and how you need to bowl," said Rohit.

The winning captain and player of the match KL Rahul seemed happy with his team's clinical show as the Mohali-based franchise claimed its biggest win over Mumbai (in terms of wickets in hand). Rahul was pleased with the bowlers as they kept MI's batting heavy attack silent after he chose to field.

Rahul said: "We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves (if this win is going to be the turning point for the team in the tournament). Slowly we are coming together as a team. We are still a young team. Every year we keep bringing in newer guys. It's important to be patient. The guys we have backed and given opportunities are slowly coming through."

Rahul also praised the likes of Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi (tonight) for rising to the occasion. "Hooda has been playing really well, Shahrukh got an opportunity and he's been batting really well, Bishnoi came in this game and the way he bowled was brilliant. Fingers crossed, hopefully, we can keep climbing and keep getting two points every game. The main coach (Anil Kumble) did have a little bit of a long chat about batting second. I felt that the wicket was sticky. I felt that the bowlers always were under pressure, it was important that they bowled on a wicket like this early.

"We had heard that there was a lot of dew here. I felt like that could play a part. The drier ball started to grip, when it turns and bounces like that, it gets really hard. It was good of Chris that he got through that period. He was always confident that he could make it up. He knew whom to target. That's what you get with Chris, not just destructive batting but also experience of so many years playing T20 cricket. I am sure it gives him (Bishnoi) a lot of confidence. He, unfortunately, missed the first few games, he's been working really hard with Anil bhai. There were a few things he needed to correct and he's been somebody who's brave, that's very good to see. He held his composure and bowled really well. When I know what target I am chasing, it gets slightly easier to pace the innings. Really happy with the way I finished the game and that's the most important thing."

Here are highlights of PBKS vs MI 2021 post-match presentation:

Man of the Match: KL Rahul (PBKS)

Vivo perfect catch: Nicholas Pooran (PBKS) - Catch to dismiss Krunal Pandya (MI).

Safari Super Striker: Kieron Pollard (MI) - 16 off 12 balls.

Dream11 game changer: KL Rahul (PBKS) - 60* off 52 balls.

Unacademy Sixes Award: KL Rahul (PBKS) - 3 sixes.

CRED Power player: Mayank Agarwal (PBKS) - 20 off 16 balls.

UPSTOX Most Valuable Asset: Chris Gayle (PBKS) - 43* off 35 balls