Indore: Jos Buttler (77, 37b, 7×4, 5×6) and Nitish Rana (62 n o, 34b, 7×6) plundered a hapless Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) bowling to help Mumbai Indians (MI) win by eight wickets in an IPL encounter here, Thursday.
MI stormed past a massive 199-run target in just 15.3 overs with Rana and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (15 n o, 4b, 2×4, 1×6) completing the task.
Mumbai openers Partiv Patel (37, 18b, 4×4, 2×6) and Buttler added 81 runs from 5.5 overs before Marcus Stoinis (1/28) dismissed the left-hander with a slower delivery. It was then all Rana-Buttler show which spoiled Amla party, his maiden IPL ton, with match-winning partnership.
With the win, Mumbai now have 10 points from six games while Punjab have four points from an identical number of games.
Earlier, Hashim Amla’s (104 n o, 60b, 8×4, 6×6) classy century powered KXIP to a challenging 198 for four. Playing shots that would delight the purists, Amla spanked all the MI bowlers en route his unbeaten knock.
Skipper Glenn Maxwell (40, 18b, 4×4, 3×6), on his part played a typically breezy innings. It was the third wicket partnership between Amla and Maxwell that produced 83 runs in only 5.3 overs to send the Mumbai attack in complete disarray. The last six overs produced an astounding 87 runs after KXIP were 111 for two at the end of the 14th over.
It was the 15th over of the innings where Maxwell decided to tee off taking 28 runs off the Mitchell McClenaghan (2/46) over. The very next over from Lasith Malinga (0/58) saw Amla punce on him taking 22 off that over.
However, a couple of overs from Jasprit Bumrah (1/30) at the death, changed the momentum of the game where the Indian pacer conceded 14 runs including the crucial wicket of Maxwell. Malinga however conceded 18 off the final over.
Press Trust of India
