Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Mumbai Indians inched closer to elimination after being defeated by Punjab Kings on Wednesday by 12 runs, registering their fifth loss on the trot in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League. Mayank Agarwal-led side posted a high-scoring total of 199 onboard and managed to restrict Men in Blue despite impressive knocks from Dewald Brevis (49 off 25), Tilak Verma (36 off 20) and Suryakumar Yadav (43).
Batting first, Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan added 97 runs and provided a solid start to their side. Later, Jitesh Sharma's 30 in 15 balls and Shahrukh Khan's 15 in just six balls helped the side post a massive total on board. For MI, Basil Thampi was the only bowler who took two wickets, while Jayadev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah finished the game with a wicket each.
In response to 199, Rohit Sharma (28 off 17) and Ishan Kishan (3 off 6) tried enough to provide a solid start but failed to do so, as both the openers were dismissed within the span of one run. Sharma was dismissed in the fourth ball of the third over, while Kishan returned to the pavilion in the first ball of the fourth over. Later, Brevis' blistering 49, Tilak Verma's 36 and 43 from Suryakumar Yadav were a few honest attempts in the game, but they could not pull off a victory for their side.
Let's take a look at the highlights of the match.
1. 97-run partnership between Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan
Both the openers bring rich experience and top-notch quality to their side. In the game against Mumbai Indians, both the openers provided a solid start and left the bowlers clueless. The knock from Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan once again highlighted the poor bowling potential of Men in Blue as together they hit five sixes and 11 boundaries in their 92-run partnership. Skipper Mayank Agarwal scored 52 off 32 balls, while Shikhar Dhawan stayed further and scored 70 in 50 balls.
2. The blistering knock from Dewald Brevis
In a game against Punjab Kings, he showed his potential in the 9th over of the game, where he hit four sixes and one boundary to Rahul Chahar and added 29 runs in the over. The scorecard from the over read - 1, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6. However, Brevis' heroic didn't last for long as he got dismissed in the 11th over of the game. He scored 49 in 25 balls, and his innings closed the gap for middle-order batters to pull off the victory.
3. Odean Smith's four-wicket haul
It was Smith's redemption match. After losing a thrilling game against Gujarat Titans by conceding 13 runs in the last three balls, skipper Mayank Agarwal trusted Smith and added him in the squad. The Caribbean all-rounder picked four crucial wickets in the game of Dewald Brevis, Jaydev Unadkat, Jasprit Bumrah and Tymal Mills. Smith also caught dangerous-looking Suryakumar Yadav and assisted Kieron Pollard's run out.