PBKS defeated MI & quite easily chase down 185 runs target with 9 balls left in match & 7 wickets in hand and sealed their top-two spot. After 11 years, they are finishing in the top two and are just two victories away from their first IPL trophy. MI will stay in fourth place and have to play in the eliminator now. Let’s look at the key reasons for MI’s defeat against PBKS.
Ordinary batting display
MI openers gave a decent start of 45 runs for the first wicket in 5.1 overs. Rickelton lost his wicket ( 27 runs off 20 ) to Jansen. Suryakumar Yadav came to bat at no.3. Despite the good start in the powerplay, MI batters couldn’t keep the momentum in the middle overs.
Suryakumar Yadav was striking the ball well, but Rohit Sharma struggled to accelerate. Rohit lost his wicket ( 24 runs off 21 ) to Harpreet Brar in the 10th over. Tilak Verma couldn’t spend much time in the crease ( 1 run off 4 ). Will Jacks played a small cameo of 17 runs off 8 balls and lost his wicket to Vyshak Vijayakumar in the 13th over.
MI lost 3 quick wickets in the gap of 25 runs. ( 81/1 to 106/4). Captain Hardik Pandya walk in. He built a decent partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, but got out at the wrong time. He got out for 26 runs off 15 balls in the 17th over. MI were 153/5 in 17 overs with settled Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir in the crease.
Then Jamieson and Arshdeep bowled two important and excellent overs in the death which changed the match towards PBKS. Jamieson bowled the 18th over and conceded just 5 runs. Arhsdeep Singh bowled the 20th over, conceded just 3 runs and dismissed both Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir.
They both compensated for the expensive 19th over from Vyshak Vijayakumar, where he went for 23 runs. MI scored 184/7 in 20 overs. Even Suryakumar Yadav admitted that they were 15-20 runs short at the end of the innings.
Poor bowling changes
MI captain Hardik Pandya was not on par in his bowling rotation yesterday. He didn’t bring Will Jacks against a left-hander Priyansh Arya, but he brought him into the attack when Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis were playing.
Deepak Chahar struggled with cramps in his first over but somehow, managed to finish it brilliantly by bowling a maiden. He was brought again inside the powerplay and went for 16 runs in his 2nd over. He was struggling to bowl in his normal action and was just bowling slower ones in every ball.
The batters predicted him and he was bashed for 12 runs in his 3rd over. There was no need for him to bowl the 3rd over despite having an injury. They had plenty of other options. Hardik Pandya also has the ability to bowl in the new ball. He could have filled the 2 overs of Deepak.
Ashwani Kumar was brought in as an impact player, and bowled just 1 over and went for 16 runs. Josh Inglis smashed 16 runs of him. He was never used again. PBKS batters Josh Inglis and Priyansh Arya attacked every MI bowlers including Bumrah. Their partnership of 109 runs 59 balls for the second wicket sealed the match for the Punjab Kings.
Also Read:Â MI vs PBKS: Mantra For Bruised & Powerful PBKS To Outclass Champion MI