Earlier, the Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils gave us a rare tight affair game—a match that went to the last ball. Fans were hoping that there would be more encounters like this and the Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders clash as it happened, lived up to the billing.
In a match which was looking like going to a tight finish ended with an easy win for Mumbai courtesy a Kieron Pollard special. The KKR openers gave the team a great start, but the middle order couldn’t build on it.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma’s wonderful knock provided a similar platform for the rest of the Mumbai batsmen—and they grabbed it with both hands.
There were plenty of memorable moments from the match that don't fade away, quite like the Axe Signature range of body perfumes. Here are 5 of the best:
KKR openers strike gold
This IPL has been the tournament of openers. Be it Virat Kohli or even Shikhar Dhawan, the Indian selectors will have a massive headache when they select the squad next time.
The KKR openers, however, have been the pick of the lot. Both Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir are making a case of their own for a place in the Indian squad—and it would be really harsh if one of them don’t make it.
Today, these two amassed 69 runs in just 7.4 overs. While Uthappa took the charge and blasted 36 off just 20 balls, Gambhir played the anchor role and scored 59 off 45 balls.
Southee drops catches
Catches, they say, win you matches. Today, this quote was somewhat falsified as Mumbai went on to win the game despite Tim Southee dropping two catches in a row.
Mitchell McClenaghan has been in fine form this tournament as he leads the charts for the most wickets taken so far. However, he could have had two more today had his fellow New Zealander been more attentive on the field.
At first, Chris Lynn was dropped at mid-wicket. Then, lightning struck twice in the very next ball, the same man in the very same place dropped a similar catch, but of a different batsman, for this time it was Yusuf Pathan.
In the end, it gave us a perfect lesson on how to NOT take catches.
Rohit Sharma leading from the front
When the IPL comes, he becomes an entirely different beast altogether. He was beginning to accumulate critics with his poor performances for India in the Asia Cup and then in the World T20.
However, with the onset of the IPL, we have seen a new and better version of Rohit Sharma—one that scores runs on a consistent basis, unlike the ‘Maggi loving’ one.
And today, he just extended his good form with a well-played 68 in just 49 balls. His innings gave Mumbai the perfect start to make the chase an easy one for the rest of the batsmen.
Chris Lynn’s fantastic catch
We needed something like this in the IPL. Soumya Sarkar stunned the fans with his epic catch in the World T20; it was a gem of a catch that lit up the tournament. Something similar was needed to electrify the fans in the IPL.
And Chris Lynn provided the crackers today with his emphatic display on the field.
As Jos Buttler skied the ball towards the boundary, it seemed like the ball would go over the rope. However, Chris Lynn was standing on the fence. He caught the ball while the momentum was dragging him across the boundary.
He then tossed the ball in the air, let momentum do its work and then jumped back in to complete the catch. A true spectacle.
Kieron Pollard’s record innings
Two games, two brilliant performances. Chris Morris had scored one of the fastest 50s in the IPL by reaching the milestone in just 17 balls. Kieron Pollard matched it today by smacking his way past the mark in just 17 balls.
It was a classic Kieron Pollard innings. This is a man who was bought for his incredible power while hitting the ball. However, his erratic form means that Mumbai can never really trust him to win them games at regular intervals.
However, today was one of those days when he was at his bloody best and smashed his way past every KKR bowler to score 51 runs in just 17 balls—giving them a very easy win in the end. In the process, he also completed the fastest 50 ever by a Mumbai Indians player in the IPL.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
