Abu Dhabi: A late onslaught by Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard powered Mumbai Indians to post a mammoth total of 191 runs in their allotted 20 overs here at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday.
Pollard, Pandya
Pollard and Pandya smashed 18 runs in the 18th over and 19 runs in the 19th over. The duo then whacked four sixes in the final over to reach 191 runs in 20 overs.
Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians started their innings on the wrong foot as they lost opener Quinton de Kock in the very first over. Three overs later Mohammed Shami’s brilliant throw ended Suryakumar Yadav (10) short stint at the crease.
Slow innings
Ishan Kishan then joined skipper Rohit Sharma, however, the left-handed batsman played slow innings. The duo stitched a 62-run stand before Krishnappa Gowtham dismissed him in the 14th over.
Kieron Pollard picked up from where he left and whacked Ravi Bishnoi for a six. Rohit too jo MI smash 104 in lasined the party and smashed Jimmy Neesham for consecutive boundaries. He completed his 38th IPL fifty and rescued Mumbai Indians from a bad start.
Mohammed Shami dismissed Rohit after the batsman went for the big one down the ground, but a relay catch between Maxwell and Neesham at the boundary ended his stint at the crease.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya then joined Pollard and the duo bludgeoned the KXIP bowling attack in the death overs.
For KXIP, Cottrell, Shami, and Gowtham picked one wicket each.