Anurag Kumar
Suryakumar Yadav’s retention by Mumbai Indians (MI) at an exorbitant price of 8 crore prior to the mega auction for this IPL season did not come as a surprise. The 32-year-old batsman’s stellar performance for MI in the IPL led to his selection by India.
MI wished for Yadav to produce match-winning performances with 360-degree shotmaking that can alter the course of games prior to the 2023 IPL season. Surya scored another magnificent 66 (31b, 8×4, 2×6) as MI pursued their second consecutive 200-plus total.
When Punjab Kings scored 214/3 at home, they likely felt assured in their ability to defend the total. In fact, they had scored precisely that score (214/8) and won by 13 runs on April 22 at Wankhede. This time, however, MI’s opener Ishan Kishan was also in scintillating form (75 – 41b, 7×4, 4×6), and he and Surya guided the team to victory with seven balls remaining.
When Kishan was dismissed, MI needed 37 runs off 23 deliveries, which Tilak Varma (26*, 10b) and Tim David (19* – 10b) effortlessly achieved. MI is still in the standings, while Punjab dropped to seventh after the loss, with both teams on 10 points.
Kishan and Surya put together a 116-run partnership to win the game. Sam Curran, the all-rounder for the Punjab Kings, is the most expensive player in IPL history, but he was thrashed by Surya and Kishan. Curran surrendered 41 runs in three overs.
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As an impact performer, Surya recorded his highest score of the IPL and his third fifty in four innings. Kishan scored his second fifty after failing to capitalize on a few opportunities after his first fifty against KKR. MI still required 45 runs after Surya’s dismissal, a firm cut taken on the second attempt at third man by Arshdeep Singh off Nathan Ellis, but Varma and David helped the team to victory.
However, PBKS must be dissatisfied with their bowling performance after their batsmen scored their fourth consecutive 200-run total, this time on a batting pitch. Liam Livingstone scored an outstanding unblemished 82 off 42 balls (7×4, 4×6). Shikhar Dhawan (30) and Matthew Short (27) contributed to the team’s success. Jitesh Sharma scored 49* (27b, 5×4, 2×6) and contributed to an unbroken partnership of 119 off 52 deliveries with Livingstone.
Prior to this IPL, there was much discussion about Livingstone’s availability. Due to a knee injury he sustained during his Test début in Pakistan, he missed the first few games. Wednesday, however, the 29-year-old England batter came into his own.
PBKS were 95/3 just after the halfway point, but Sharma and Livingstone kept smashing. Only an outstanding final over by Akash Madhwal, in which he conceded only nine runs, slowed them down in the end.
