'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABhAAAgEEAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFBhESMSEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFEQACAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMAERIhBAUTMf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AvN+1iy0rEjKjJXN+r3Mcb2z2wiCgqSxDiRifPCKjlw+0zqJYI8QIZB2jDyT9wp+jtwOOaUqOvX8KSQhoV0o+apIhi8FOC3yO7V//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Suryakumar Yadav notched up his maiden half-century in IPL 2023 on Saturday, April 22, against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium. However, it was not enough for his side as PBKS edged out the home team after a thrilling finish to win the match by 13 runs.
Punjab batted first and reached a daunting total of 214/8, courtesy of contributions from Sam Curran (55 off 29 balls), Harpreet Singh (41 off 28 balls), and Jitesh Sharma (25 off 7 balls).
In response, MI lost Ishan Kishan's wicket early in the second over. Rohit Sharma (44 off 27 balls) and Cameron Green (67 off 43 balls) then scored briskly to keep their side in the hunt. Liam Livingstone dismissed Rohit Sharma in the 10th over and reduced MI to 84/2 in the steep chase.
Suryakumar Yadav came in at this juncture and played aggressively from the outset to keep a check on the required run rate. After a while, the 34-year-old batter looked at his best as he effortlessly hit shots behind the wicket and in front of the wicket with aplomb to accumulate quick runs. Suryakumar Yadav also reached his half-century in just 23 balls, his fastest in the IPL.
Arshdeep Singh dismissed Surya in the 18th over to give a massive breakthrough for his side. Fans were happy to witness Suryakumar Yadav's return to form with a couple of impactful knocks after a series of dismal scores in the past. They expressed the same through their reactions on Twitter.
MI lost the plot after Suryakumar Yadav's departure in the steep chase
Mumbai Indians needed 33 runs from 14 balls when Suryakumar Yadav got out. Tim David (25* off 13 balls) and Tilak Varma (3) then scored 15 runs from the penultimate over bowled by Nathan Ellis to bring the equation to 16 runs from 6 balls.
Sam Curran entrusted Arshdeep Singh to bowl the final over even though he had one over left. Arshdeep repaid the faith by bowling an astonishing over as he picked up two wickets, breaking the middle stump on both occasions to help PBKS win the match by 13 runs. Curran reflected on the win after the match, saying:
"Well, pretty special. What an amazing game. The atmosphere and the support for MI are incredible. Nice to get the win under our belt. Personally, I think I should be getting the man of the match, especially with the way the boys finished the job well.
"I went bang bang in the last few overs, with Shikhar out we have to take responsibilities. Our group has started to come together. Hopefully, Shikhar gets well soon. The coaches have created a great relaxed environment. There is still a long way to go and it’s important to not put too much pressure on ourselves."
PBKS will next face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 28, while MI will go up against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 25.
