Rating charts

KXIP 8/10 - With KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, KXIP has the best opening partnership in the tournament, which has fired in every encounter. However, while they got 34 runs off the first three overs, the back three overs was a watchful effort as they reached 51 for the loss of just Agarwal. 

MI 8/10 - The intent, the approach and everything were not even up for a question, this was Mumbai Indians, a side which has the best run-rate in the overs between 6-15 overs. De Kock and Krunal Pandya cleared boundaries, took the singles, converted them to doubles and found gaps that seemingly didn’t exist in the powerplay. 71 runs in the middle-phase gave them a step-hold before the burners in the death. 

KXIP 7/10  - In comparison to MI’s innings, KXIP had a tougher task in hand - to approach the run-chase with the asking rate always creeping on the higher end of 9s. However, despite the pressure lurking, the batsmen did not struggle. First Rahul picked off from where he left, Gayle and Pooran tonked in between with 48 runs to take them to 125/4, needing 51 runs off the last five. 

MI 3/10 - Rohit Sharma’s plans were spot-on, bringing Jasprit Bumrah to bowl in the 16th over, but lest did he know that KL Rahul had different plans! Rahul and Deepak Hooda poached 25 off the first two before Hooda took it upon himself to get Punjab across the line but could only get 30 runs, taking the game to extra-time. IPL, please have mercy on those working!

KXIP - 5/10 - Punjab’s death-over bowling has been shambles, to say the least, but the first two overs were brilliant. They just conceded eight runs and picked up two wickets, restricting MI to 122/6 in 17. The last three overs resembled KXIP’s season - 54 runs without any wicket, where Kieron Pollard and Nathan Coulter-Nile teed off, taking Mumbai to a total of 176. Jordan, Shami and Arshdeep conceded 22, 12 and 20 off the last three. 

Arshdeep Singh an upgrade over Sheldon Cottrell 

With Sheldon Cottrell, KXIP certainly looked like they had finally found their perfect ‘left-arm’ option after trying out several pacers in the past. While it may have worked against RCB, it certainly left them in a frenzy with their team selection which then rung around in circles. However, after KL decided to hand-over the cap to a 21-year-old Arshdeep Singh, things dramatically changed and fortunes seemingly started favouring them with the ball. Against KKR, if not for their batting, they would certainly have got over the line and then later against RCB, he once again was in the limelight. In short, six wickets in four games at an average of 15.16 compared to Cottrell, who picked the same wickets at a higher average of 29.33. Just the start of big things for the youngster. 

It is definitely not the first time we have seen the left-right combination coming under the limelight, several franchises have exploited it to the fullest. Today was no different but for KXIP, it presented a potent problem, one that they seemingly took the defensive approach. Rahul instead of going with his trusted leg-spinners threw the ball to the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Deepak Hooda, who didn’t pick any wickets. Once it was reset and Rahul went back to his trusted ally, Ravi Bishnoi, Krunal Pandya was back in the hut. A lesson for all skippers, to go ahead and back your main guns and not worry too much about match-ups, as Rohit Sharma expressed earlier. 

Where’s the Glenn Maxwell that KXIP trusted?

Turning Point

That was it, Jasprit Bumrah against KL Rahul, IPL’s king-pin bowler vs the golden boy, Rahul. Until then, the KXIP skipper alongside Deepak Hooda took the premier bowler for a ride, scoring 14 runs off his bowling. However, the joke was over, as Bumrah returned to his usual form, where he hit the right-length and line, to take the cherry. If in 2020 something has not changed, it is Bumrah’s stunning accuracy, so over to Bumrah!

While the start of the game was disappointing, with Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav walking back to the hut, Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya brought the game back in Mumbai’s favour only for Kieron Pollard and Nathan Coulter-Nile to light up fireworks towards the end. For KXIP, the KL show continued, as Gayle and Poran chipped in with their contribution. A high-quality contest, all in all.