Credit: IPL
On April 22, 2023, Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 13 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash held at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. In the absence of their captain Shikhar Dhawan, England’s young all-rounder Sam Curran got the reins of the side. However, the toss favoured MI captain Rohit Sharma and he put PBKS to bat first. Punjab lost their Australian opener Matthew Short in the third over but Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide batted aggressively and stitched a 47-run stand off just 25 balls. Prabhsimran lost his battle to Arjun Tendulkar in the seventh over of the match and closed his innings with 26 off 17.
PBKS lost their next two wickets in quick succession with the departure of Liam Livingstone (10 off 12) and Taide (29 off 17). In the crunch situation, Harpreet Brar and stand-in skipper Curran took MI’s bowling attack to the cleaners and produced a partnership of 92 runs off just 48 balls. Harpreet went back to the dugout with his quick 41 off 28 while Curran chipped in with his swift 55 that came in 29 deliveries. In the final overs of the innings, wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma also dominated the hosts’ bowling unit and racked up 25 runs after facing only seven balls.
Arshdeep’s valiant bowling show deliver victory to PBKS
Defending the massive score, Arshdeep Singh got rid of Ishan Kishan in the second over of the match. However, MI skipper Rohiit Sharma and Cameron Green displayed their relentless approach and hammered PBKS bowlers mercilessly. Both maintained a 76-run stand off 50 balls. In the tight situation, Livingstone delivered a breakthrough to Punjab in the form of Rohit, who handed an easy catch to the England player.
After Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav came at the crease and pounded bowlers ruthlessly. Green fell against his compatriot Nathan Ellis after contributing 67 (43) to his side. After a few minutes, Suryakumar also followed the Aussie as he lost his wicket while attacking Arshdeep. The right-handed batter concluded his innings after notching up 57 off 26.
In the final over, MI needed 15 to win but Arshdeep stood as a bulwark between the five-time IPL champions and the target. The speedster dismissed Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera on consecutive deliveries to ensure Punjab a victory. His deliveries were so potent that they shattered a couple of LED stumps. In the end, Curran became the player of the match (POTM) for his stunning batting innings but Arshdeep’s bowling performance (4/29 in four overs) also won several hearts.
