Highlights IPL 2018, KXIP vs MI at Indore, Full Cricket Score: Rohit, Krunal Pandya's onslaught drive Mumbai Indians home

This is how the points table looks right now. The tournament is very much alive. 

Suryakumar Yadav is the Man of the Match.

Suryakumar Yadav: I am enjoying my new role; opening the innings for Mumbai Indians. Pushing it really hard every game, trying to give good starts so that it helps the team to set good totals. For chasing as well, it is very important to have a good start so that the batsmen finish well. (On his thought process as an opener) I am not thinking too much, trying to keep it simple. Feeling really good, trying to improve my game as the matches are passing. But want to finish games too. (Will the attitude change now?) Not at all. Keeping it simple and starting from scratch again.

Ravichandran Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab captain: I thought the wicket was a bit sticky. Even at the toss, I mentioned that. Stoinis, in fact, got runs in the end. otherwise, we would’ve been more short. It’s just a perception. The week off rejuvenated the boys. If we continue playing the fearless cricket, I think we will be fine. Six games to go. It’s not about getting three wins but about continuing to play our brand of cricket.

Rohit Sharma, MI captain: I think we are still alive. Good performance tonight. Much needed for us. We needed everyone to come to put a collective effort.We did well to start to restrict their batting unit on this pitch was a great effort from the bowling unit restricting them for 175. And the start we had in our first 10 overs it wasn’t really easy, but we backed ourselves and knew the depth in our batting. We needed some momentum, so Hardik was send to bring the momentum and held myself back to finish things off. We’ve been giving too many at the death but that’s how the game goes. I had to bring Jasprit in the 19th over with two set batsmen and if he had struck, it would have made things easier for Hardik with the new batsman in. Plus the longer boundaries would have helped Hardik in the 20th over. It is a factor was us that we are giving too many runs in the death overs, that’s why I gave Jasprit the 19th over. It is something we need to look in. Jasprit being one of our strike bowlers, I had to use him really well. It is about being smart at that moment. For us it is important to not look too far ahead. We are taking one game at a time. We need to win games to make it to play offs. Big challenge for us to keep the winning run going. Team is doing everything at individual level. In the past we have won games and then gone on to lose a few. Don’t want that to happen again. Today was a perfect night for us, we did exactly what we spoke of. Life is easy for the captain when the plans are executed.

His attacking innings in the match turned out to be decisive in the end.

Ravichandran Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab captain: I thought the wicket was a bit sticky. Even at the toss, I mentioned that. Stoinis, in fact, got runs in the end. otherwise, we would’ve been more short. It’s just a perception. The week off rejuvenated the boys. If we continue playing fearless cricket, I think we will be fine. Six games to go. It’s not about getting three wins but about continuing to play our brand of cricket.

Rohit Sharma has remained not out 17 times while chasing in IPL and his team has gone on to win each match.

Some stunning hitting there from Krunal Pandya in the end…. did what Hardik should have done, wait, watch and play…. this is why Mumbai paid the big bucks for him. Punjab may have paid the price of shuffling batting order and stifling their own momentum by accommodating Yuvraj. Some bizarre decision making today!

WHAT A FINISH! Mumbai Indians have won by six wickets. A sensational cameo from Krunal Pandya. Who would’ve thought that Mumbai would win it in the 19th over? But they have and a 56-run off 21 balls unbeaten stand between Rohit Sharma and Krunal has done it for them.

Mumbai get their 20 run over as Stoinis misses his length constantly. Rohit’s finesse and Krunal’s power taking full toll of Pujab’s weak link. Mumbai clear favourites now.

SIX! Krunal is playing a dream cameo. 30 off 10! Slogs it over deep midwicket.

FOUR! Great adjustment. Tye bowls it slow and short, Krunal first wanted to slash but then just guides it over backward point.

Krunal Pandya’s batting average in IPL:

Home – 26.29
Away from home – 36.00

Rohit tees off twice against Mujeeb to keep Mumbai in the hunt. He is looking in sublime touch. No one in world cricket can hit sixes with such ridiculous ease as the Mumbai skipper here.

After 18 overs,Mumbai Indians 159/4 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 22 , Krunal Pandya 20)

This should be the over that seals it for Mumbai Indians. 20 off it. 

16 off 12.

SIX! HUGE! Stoinis goes full once again and Krunal Pandya smashes it over long on.

FOUR! An attempted yorker gone wrong. Ends up being a full toss on the pads and Krunal chips it over short fine leg.

FOUR! Too full from Marcus once again and Krunal Pandya crunches it through cover.

Rohit Sharma becomes the first Asian player to hit 300 sixes in T20 cricket.

Players to hit 300-plus sixes in T20 cricket:

Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Shane Watson, David Warner, ROHIT SHARMA*

FOUR! Too full from Marcus Stoinis. Rohit lunges forward and slaps it through cover.

Marcus Stoinis to bowl the 18th over.

After 17 overs,Mumbai Indians 139/4 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 17 , Krunal Pandya 5)

Rohit begins the over with a huge six but fails to score on the next two balls. In fact, gets rapped on the pad on the third ball. Punjab appeal but nothing from the umpire as it was sliding down the leg side. The over ends with two singles and a six. 

Mumbai need 36 off 18.

SIX! Rohit Sharma waltzes down the track and slogs it over square leg.

Hardik loses his shape as he tries to hit an off pace cutter from Tye out of the ground. The other Pandya joins Rohit at the crease now. He needs to do exactly what his brother was doing, swing hard and find some boundaries to take the pressure of Rohit at the other end.

SIX! Mujeeb tosses it up, Rohit gets forward and smokes it over long on.

After 16 overs,Mumbai Indians 125/4 ( Rohit Sharma (C) 4 , Krunal Pandya 4)

This wicket has made put too much pressure on Rohit Sharma. With 50 needed off 24 at this ground, the game is still wide open. Now it is a game of nerves though.

FOUR! Off the mark is Krunal Pandya with a boundary. Whips this full delivery wide of the midwicket fielder.

What a brainless slog attempt from Hardik Pandya… no eye-hand coordination, just your gully cricket slog… doesn’t work at this level. Was going great guns and has now left it all to Rohit. Poor cricket from the all-rounder.

Rohit’s presence give Mumbai the upper hand as the final act of the game gets underway. Knowing Ashwin, he will be looking to get Rohit out rather than think of restricting him till 20 overs are bowled.

OUT! Yikes. Another wicket. This is not looking good for Mumbai. Tye bowls the cutter and Hardik attempts to slog it. Misses. Timber. 

Hardik Pandya b Andrew Tye 23(13)

After 15 overs,Mumbai Indians 118/3 ( Hardik Pandya 22 , Rohit Sharma (C) 3)

A good over under pressure. Apart from the six, Mujeeb kept it tight. Eight come in the over.

SIX! Huuuuge! Mujeeb bowls it too full and Hardik murders it over long on.

Never mind Ishan Kishan’s wicket, this could still turn against Punjab. Hardik is quite proficient against spin, while Rohit has the ability to hit effortless sixes. Feels like it will come down (once again) to Mujeeb’s last two overs…

After 14 overs,Mumbai Indians 110/3 ( Hardik Pandya 15 , Rohit Sharma (C) 2)

Four singles, a double and boundary in the 14th over. 10 come in the over. 65 off 36.

FOUR! Sloppy fielding. Hardik crunches one through cover and Stoinis fails to cut it off at sweeper cover. Probably because the ball spun at the last moment.

Ishan gets too greedy against Mujeeb. After collecting 13 off 5 balls, he goes for a wild heave and gets his stumps uprooted. He could have given Punjab’s gun bowler a bit more respect. Rohit and Hardik at the crease now. If Mumbai has to win this, one of these two need to stay till the end.

After 13 overs,Mumbai Indians 100/3 ( Hardik Pandya 7 , )

An over which Mumbai Indians desperately needed but they lost a wicket in the process. Meanwhile, the 100-run mark is up for Mumbai.

Rohit Sharma’s last five innings against KXIP in IPL: 5, 15, 0, 26, 0

OUT! You miss. I hit. Ishan Kishan dances down the ground to his shortish Mujeeb delivery and misses. The ball crashes onto his stumps. 

Ishan Kishan b Mujeeb 25(19)

SIX! Mujeeb bowls it flat again and outside off and Ishan slogs it over midwicket.

FOUR! Mujeeb bowls it flat and on the sticks, Hardik whips it to wide of long on.

After 12 overs,Mumbai Indians 87/2 ( Ishan Kishan (W) 18 , Hardik Pandya 1)

This is strange. After Suryakumar’s wicket, Mumbai Indians have promoted Hardik Pandya up the order. Rohit Sharma is still in the dugout. Wonder what the plan is? Maybe, Hardik has been asked to tonk the spinners? We will find out soon…

Marcus Stoinis is having a great night at Indore. Crucial runs at the end and now the crucial wicket of Suryakumar just at the right time for his team. Good move to send Hardik at number 4 again. He needs to start smoking them from the word go tonight.

SIX! A short delivery around leg from Stoinis and Ishan Kishan helps it on its away over fine leg.

Hardik Pandya is the only player to score 100-plus runs and take 10-plus wickets in IPL 11 so far.

OUT! Huge wicket. Stoinis bowls it short and Suryakumar Yadav tries to muscle a pull over midwicket. He top edges it in the process and Rahul gets underneath it to pouch an easy catch. 

Suryakumar Yadav c Rahul b Stoinis 57(42)

FOUR! Stoinis bowls a low full toss and Suryakumar Yadav whips it through square leg where Rajpoot makes a good effort to stop it but fails.

Fifty for Yadav, and he is the batsman to watch out for as Rohit is still in the hut. Ashwin bowls out with half the innings remaining, but then you can take such a gamble with Mujeeb still having three overs to bowl. There’s three overs from Axar Patel took.

After 11 overs,Mumbai Indians 76/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 53 , Ishan Kishan (W) 12)

Ravi Ashwin to finish his quota. Almost gets rid of Suryakumar Yadav who swings and misses on the third ball. But Ishan scores a six on the fifth ball. Nine come in the over.

Mumbai decide immediately after the time out that Rajpoot must go. And it’s that man SKY again who is doing it for Mumbai. His partner at the other end is looking a bit short of confidence at the moment. With 10 overs to go Ishan can’t get stuck in the middle now.

SIX! The release shot from the southpaw. Ashwin bowls it flat and Kishan kneels to dispatch it over deep square leg.

After 10 overs,Mumbai Indians 67/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 51 , Ishan Kishan (W) 5)

A 12-run over. It is a no-brainer about the message which would’ve been given in the strategic time-out but the pressure is mounting on Suryakumar Yadav as Ishan Kishan has started slowly.

FIFTY! Yet another vital contribution from Suryakumar Yadav. Gets to the milestone with a boundary behind point.

SIX! Rajpoot bowls it full and Suryakumar Yadav smashes it for a huuuge maximum over long off.

After 9 overs,Mumbai Indians 55/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 40 , Ishan Kishan (W) 4)

I am afraid Mumbai are digging themselves a hole with this approach. They have scored only 55 runs in the first nine overs. They need 120 off 66 balls now. 

Where are the runs going to come from?

Three spinners used by Punjab now… Mujeeb and Ashwin have done the holding job well enough. We will have to see how Axar Patel goes, hasn’t played much in the last couple weeks. Required rate might play on Mumbai’s minds, but in terms of scoring they are on par with Punjab’s rate. Easier said though!

Timely strike for Punjab as Lewis’ season continues to underwhelm. Mumbai still have a lot of batting to follow and shouldn’t be worried at this moment with the slow run rate but they need to identify a bowler they can really go after from here.

FOUR! Another first-ball boundary. Stoinis overpitches this slower delivery and Suryakumar drives it down the ground.

After 8 overs,Mumbai Indians 49/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 35 , Ishan Kishan (W) 3)

Axar comes into the attack and Suryakumar welcomes him with a boundary. The next five balls: 1, 2, 1, 1, 0. Nine come in the over.

FOUR! Axar bowls one on the pads and Suryakumar Yadav sweeps it through fine leg.

After 7 overs,Mumbai Indians 40/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 29 , Ishan Kishan (W) 0)

Ravi Ashwin continues so does Mumbai’s reluctancy to attack him. One comes in his third over. The required run rate has shot up to 10.38.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling SR of 25.71 against MI in IPL – the second worst for any bowler with a cut-off of 10 wickets against them.

After 6 overs,Mumbai Indians 39/1 ( Suryakumar Yadav 28 , Ishan Kishan (W) 0)

Successful powerplay for Kings XI Punjab. 39 runs and a wicket. Mumbai Indians have started this chase anxiously and someone needs to break the shackles here.

Trivia: 

Ishan Kishan is the only wicket-keeper to get dismissed on golden duck twice in a single season of IPL.

OUT! Mujeeb Ur Rahman draws first blood. Lewis tries to cut the shortish delivery but edges it straight into Rahul’s gloves. Good take. 

Lewis c Rahul b Mujeeb 10(13)

MI doing it nicely here. Their innings is progressing more or less the same way as Punjab but they have more batting depth and the knowledge of what they are chasing. They will hope one of these two openers bat through till at least the 10 over mark to allow the stroke players all the freedom they need.

Mohit Sharma took 22 wickets against MI at an average of 20.14 – the second most by any bowler. Did KXIP miss a trick here by not including him today?

After 5 overs,Mumbai Indians 37/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 27 , Evin Lewis 10)

Good comeback from Andrew Tye after conceding a boundary off his first ball. Only one run off the rest of the over.

FOUR! Tye begins with a slower delivery which moves away and Suryakumar Yadav crunches it through cover.

Suryakumar Yadav has given a matching start to Mumbai… It takes pressure off someone like Rohit, who might be considering coming in at no.3 as well. And while Ankit Rajpoot was in great form before their mid-season break, he has gone wrong with the new ball today.

After 4 overs,Mumbai Indians 32/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 22 , Evin Lewis 10)

Just the kind of over Mumbai Indians needed to gain some momentum. 12 come in the 4th over.

FOUR! Slower ball from Rajpoot and Suryakumar Yadav clips it wide of Ashwin at mid on.

SIX! A lovely pick up shot. Rajpoot bowls it on a length and on the pads. Suryakumar stands still and whips it over deep square leg.

After 3 overs,Mumbai Indians 20/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 11 , Evin Lewis 9)

Ravi Ashwin continues. And Mumbai aren’t willing to take risk against the Punjab captain. Are happy to collect five singles and a brace off it.

After 2 overs,Mumbai Indians 13/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 9 , Evin Lewis 4)

Another good over for Punjab. Single, four dots and a six off it.

SIX! First boundary of the match. Shortish from Rajpoot and Suryakumar Yadav pulls it over the leaping deep square leg fielder.

Ankit Rajpoot to bowl from the other end.

After 1 overs,Mumbai Indians 6/0 ( Suryakumar Yadav 3 , Evin Lewis 3)

Six singles in the first over. A cautious start to the 175 chase.

Suryakumar Yadav has been dismissed by pacers seven out of eight times in this year’s IPL. KXIP should use more pacers against him at the beginning.

No Rohit Sharma at the top again. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis are Mumbai Indians openers. Ravi Ashwin to bowl the first over.

IPL 11:

100th six: Ravichandran Ashwin 
200th six: Rohit Sharma
300th six: Suryakumar Yadav
400th six: Brendon McCullum
500th six: Marcus Stoinis

Here is a look at the first innings summary:

The curse of last of coming back to hurt Mumbai again. An awful last over from Hardik as he was all over the place, a perfect example of how not to bowl the final over in a T20 game. Stoinis may have a thing or two to say to his captain at the other end as the two walk back into the dugout about promoting him higher up the order for the next game. Punjab with their tail up at the innings break and Mumbai’s batting demons this season gives Punjab the edge in the game at the moment.

KXIP today:

First 10 overs: 78/1 (RR – 7.80)
Next 10 overs: 94/5 (RR – 9.40)

Hardik Pandya taking some stick in that final over… 22 off it… suddenly Punjab are comfortable with 174 on the board never mind their loss of momentum mid-innings… Against a struggling batting line-up that is mostly dependent on Rohit Sharma, this should prove to be enough. Ashwin has some interesting spin choices up his sleeve.

After 20 overs,Kings XI Punjab 174/6 ( Marcus Stoinis 29 , Ravichandran Ashwin (C) 0)

Punjab finish with a 22-run over. The momentum is with the ‘hosts’ and Hardik Pandya has to be blamed for this. Just like the previous match against RCB, Mumbai have conceded too many in the final over. That was where Mumbai lost the plot. Will that repeat today? You never know. But one thing is certain, the Mumbai team management must be fuming to allow Punjab to score 174 after that start they had. 

Mumbai Indians need 175 to win and survival.

FOUR! Another rubbish ball from Hardik. Short and on the sticks, Stoinis pulls it to the midwicket fence.

SIX! Terrible bowling from Hardik. He knew the third man was inside the circle and still bowled it short. Stoinis, aware of the field, ramps it over the short third man for a maximum.

OUT! Hardik pitches it up and outside off, Agarwal tries to send it over the off side, but miscues and is caught by Krunal Pandya at short third man. 

Mayank Agarwal c Krunal Pandya b Hardik Pandya 11(7)

FOUR! Short delivery from Pandya and Stoinis pulls it to wide of long on.

SIX! Not a great delivery from Pandya. He bowls it full and outside off, Stoinis tonks it over long off. Manjrekar on air informs that it was the 500th six of the tournament.

Mayank Agarwal wasn’t converting his starts but atleast he was getting them, and that too at a fair clip. Change in batting order to suit Yuvraj has cost them momentum in the innings. Agarwal and Stoinis doing best to inflate the score, but is this going to be enough?

Hardik Pandya to bowl the final over.

After 19 overs,Kings XI Punjab 153/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 8 , Mayank Agarwal 11)

This – 4-019-1 – against a side that comprises of Gayle, Rahul, Karun is worth its weight in gold. Jasprit Bumrah has done an exceptionla job today. Six off his final over.

After 18 overs,Kings XI Punjab 146/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 4 , Mayank Agarwal 9)

A decent death over from Ben Cutting. 11 come in the 18th over. Punjab four runs away from the 150-run mark.

SIX! A half volley from Ben Cutting and Mayank Agarwal has sent it over the leaping long off fielder.

Stoinis and Agarwal finally come to the crease with just over 3 overs to go for Punjab. They need to play a couple of blinders now if Punjab are to post a competitive total. Mumbai need to make sure they don’t repeat the same mistakes they did against RCB and give Ashwin’s team a sniff.

Mayank Agarwal in IPL 11:

7, 15, 30, 18, 2*, 21,12

He has not managed to get a 30-plus this IPL after having a brilliant domestic season. Can he help his team to finish well today?

After 17 overs,Kings XI Punjab 135/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 2 , Mayank Agarwal 0)

How good has Jasprit Bumrah been today?  Only two runs and a wicket off his third over.

OUT! Punjab have lost half their side. The move to send Axar Patel up the order hasn’t worked. He holes out to Hardik Pandya at long on in pursuit of quick runs. 

Axar c Hardik Pandya b Bumrah 13(12)

Karun’s dismissal could possibly rob Punjab off any momentum in the death overs. Mumbai looking for a strong finish here. As much as they would have liked 180, Punjab’s first sights will be on 160-170.

After 16 overs,Kings XI Punjab 132/4 ( Axar Patel 13 , Marcus Stoinis 0)

Considering the fact that he is poor in slog overs, Rohit Sharma decided to finish McClenaghan’s quota before the 16th over. The move has paid off. Nine off his fourht over. His figures: 4-0-31-1.

OUT! Good catch from Hardik Pandya. McClenaghan bowls it full and outside off, Karun Nair plays the inside-out shot over cover but the bat tilts in his hands. Hardik hares across from long off and gobbles this up. 

Nair c Hardik Pandya b McClenaghan 23(12)

Axar gets one in his arc and deposits Markande for a six early in his over but couldn’t really make it a big one. If Axar is promoted to go after Mumbai’s spinner, then he should go on a no holds barred attack whenever he gets the chance to face one. So far Ashwin’s promotions in the batting order have only been played into Mumbai’s hand.

SIX! Karun Nair is really taking the responsibility of accelerating Punjab’s innings. Walks across and pulls one over the fine leg fence.

After 15 overs,Kings XI Punjab 123/3 ( Karun Nair 16 , Axar Patel 11)

Markande is back. Concedes seven off his first two balls. Can he a make a good comeback? Yes he does. Allows only three singles off the next four balls. 

Punjab are 123/3 after 15 overs. They must target the 180-run mark.

Axar Patel at Indore in IPL with the bat:

24, 9, 4*

Some weird running between the wickets… a complete lack of understanding cost Yuvraj his wicket. Was always on the card after their mix up as soon as Karun got out to the crease. In a way, put Yuvraj out of his misery. Axar Patel has been promoted, bit like Ravindra Jadeja, he needs to make a mark in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, Karun Nair upping the ante for Punjab. 180 should be their minimum target.

SIX! Mayank Markande offers too much flight and pitches it up, Axar Patel gets under it and tonks it over long on.

After 14 overs,Kings XI Punjab 113/3 ( Karun Nair 14 , Axar Patel 3)

Just like Markande, who picked a wicket in his first and leaked 14 runs off his next, Cutting has done the same.

SIX! Another short delivery from Ben Cutting but this time Karun Nair middles it. Pulls it over midwicket for a 70 m maximum.

SIX! Another short delivery from Ben Cutting but this time Karun Nair middles it. Pulls it over midwicket for a 70 m maximum.

FOUR! Cutting bangs it short, Karun walks across to pull it but edges it over the keeper.

More surprises from Punjab as Axar is promoted ahead of the more fancied Mayank and Stoinis. Ashwin is really keen on having a left-hander in the middle against Mumbai’s spinners.

Gayle doesn’t make it count today as he goes back right after getting to his 50. Yuvraj makes his intentions clear against the left of spin of Krunal right away as he deposits him over the rope in the very first ball of his spell but then throws it away with a needless runout. The luck is running Mumbai’s way, they need to capitalise on it tonight.

After 13 overs,Kings XI Punjab 99/3 ( Karun Nair 1 , Axar Patel 2)

A right-hand batsman walks out to the centre and Rohit Sharma introduces Krunal Pandya into the attack. Yuvraj welcomes Krunal with a maximum but loses his wicket on the third ball, courtesy some bad running. Because Krunal has three overs left, Punjab have sent Axar Patel up the order. 10 come in the over.

OUT! Terrible running and Mumbai Indians cash in on it. Karun Nair pats this towards point and calls Yuvraj across. But Lewis hurls in a quick throw and Ishan whips the bails off. The umpire takes it upstairs. But Yuvraj knows the decision; he is walking. Another poor outing for the India veteran. 

Yuvraj run out (Lewis/Ishan Kishan) 14(14)

SIX! Yuvraj Singh has pounced on this bad ball. Very full from the senior Pandya and Yuvraj smokes it over midwicket.

After 12 overs,Kings XI Punjab 89/2 ( Yuvraj Singh 7 , Karun Nair 0)

Ben Cutting comes into the attack. And instantly makes an impact. Gets rid of Chris Gayle and concedes only three off it.

Fifty for Gayle, and just as one is typing this… he holes out in the deep… this could be a turning point for Punjab because they have lost their momentum guy. They now need someone to keep scoring freely while Yuvraj finds his bearings. Meanwhile, another free-flowing knock from Gayle. Remember when it was said that he is almost finished. Naah!

OUT! And Chris Gayle departs. Timely wicket for Mumbai Indians. Cutting bowls it short and Gayle holes out to Suryakumar Yadav at deep midwicket. 

Gayle c Suryakumar Yadav b Cutting 50(40)

FIFTY! 24th 50 for the big man. Chris Gayle gets to the milestone with a single. The ‘cradle’ celebration follows.

I am sure Yuvraj Singh has been promoted with a brief but that brief can’t be to eat up deliveries. Perhaps they wanted two lefties at the crease to counter Markande and Krunal but Yuvraj needs to get a move on real soon. Gayle hasn’t played with his usual freedom so far but we know it takes him only one over to switch gears.

Whether pace or spin, Yuvraj taking his time. Gayle’s relative free scoring means he is keeping Punjab’s run-rate hovering at 8/over… you just get the feeling that any batsman other than Yuvraj would have helped move the scoring along quicker. Still, he needs to be afforded this chance.

After 11 overs,Kings XI Punjab 86/1 ( Chris Gayle 49 , Yuvraj Singh 5)

Mumbai Indians have done extremely well to keep Chris Gayle quiet here. 49 off 37 isn’t the typical Gayle innings and if Mumbai manage to dismiss him, it would put Punjab under extreme pressure. 11 come in the Duminy over.

FOUR! A bad ball from Duminy. Short and outside off, Gayle stands tall and cuits it through cover-point.

JP Duminy is introduced into the attack.

After 10 overs,Kings XI Punjab 78/1 ( Chris Gayle 43 , Yuvraj Singh 3)

Hardik continues. Only two runs of his first two balls. Induces an outside edge on the third ball but a diving Ishan Kishan fails to pouch it. Would that drop hurt Mumbai too much? Yuvraj hasn’t had a great start to his innings. A few more dots will probably help Mumbai. Anyways, six come in the over. At the halfway mark, Punjab are 78/1.

After 9 overs,Kings XI Punjab 72/1 ( Chris Gayle 42 , Yuvraj Singh 2)

After a brilliant first over, Markande leaks 14 off his second. That’s how T20 works, doesn’t it? On the other hand, Gayle is slowly changing his gears and is already into 40s.

FOUR! Wasn’t in full control of the ball but Gayle won’t complain. Gayle, unconvincingly, carves it over backward point. The fielder gives it a chase but comes second.

SIX! Markande tosses it up and Gayle kneels and slices it over cover for a huge maximum.

Here is a look at the scoring areas during the first wicket stand between KL Rahul and Chris Gayle

Watching KL Rahul bat can be frustrating at times. He will promise so much with some of the most exquisite shots and then throw it away against a long hop. Mumbai won’t be complaining though. They need some luck going their way to get their season back on track.

After 8 overs,Kings XI Punjab 58/1 ( Chris Gayle 30 , Yuvraj Singh 1)

Hardik Pandya returns. Begins with a wide. But keeps it tight in the rest of the over. Three singles come off it. Four come in the over.

Yuvraj Singh in IPL 11:

12, 4, 20, 14

Rahul goes to Markande… sort of predictable that given his fallacy against leg spin… Interestingly enough, Yuvraj Singh comes out at no.3. Is this a ploy to give him time to get started in the innings? Still, needs to work… he couldn’t possibly have a long rope to latch on to…

After 7 overs,Kings XI Punjab 54/1 ( Chris Gayle 28 , Yuvraj Singh 0)

The 50-run stand is up between Gayle and Rahul. Gayle slaps the first ball down the ground, Markande stretches his arms but doesn’t manage to get fingertips to it. Punjab take a single. Rahul sweeps the second ball for a boundary. Markande provides the breakthrough and guess what Yuvraj Singh is the new man in. He will know Markande well – they both play for Punjab in domestic cricket – and defends the first two balls he faces.

OUT! How many times have we seen batsmen fall to a long hop? Rahul must be fuming. Markande drops it short, Rahul rightly gets tempted and tries to pull it over midwicket. Doesn’t time it well and holes out to Duminy.

Rahul c Duminy b Markande 24(20)

Fifty up for Punjab… and another steaming partnership for Rahul-Gayle… it’s just been half a season but looks as if they have been batting together forever. Of course they did bat together at times during RCB days, but don’t think any of those partnerships were even half as blistering. Punjab have another base to push for a tall score…

Around 50 runs in powerplay overs is just about par for this IPL. MI will be just a bit worried though as they haven’t picked any wickets and the two men in the middle are can really cut loose at any moment.

FOUR! Markande tosses it up and outside off, Markande sweeps it to the midwicket fence.

Mayank Markande is the only spinner who has taken more than 10 wickets in this year’s IPL so far.

Pairs with most 50-plus consecutive stands in IPL:

5 – CHRIS GAYLE/KL RAHUL*
5 – Virat Kohli/AB de Villiers

These are small boundaries here at Indore but if the ball comes of the middle of Gayle’s bat, boundary ropes don’t matter. He has sent more cricket balls on the roof of stadiums than any man alive.

Time for spin. Mayank Markande to roll his arm over.

After 6 overs,Kings XI Punjab 49/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 20 , Chris Gayle 27)

Mumbai Indians desperately want to get rid of both these openers which is probably why McClenaghan has been asked to bowl his third over. Another reason could be the terrible last over which Mitchell bowled against RCB in the previous game. Anyways, Gayle has clobbered his second ball over square leg. He chips the next ball over mid off. 12 come in the over. 

Punjab 49/0 in the Powerplay and it’s time for a strategic time-out. Mumbai Indians in desperate need of a wicket. You know what they will be discussing.

Chris Gayle becomes the first overseas player to hit 600 boundaries (4s + 6s) in IPL.

FOUR! McClenaghan pitches it up and outside off, once again Gayle clears his front leg and lofts it over mid off.

SIX! McClenaghan bowls it short and around middle, Gayle clears it front leg and deposits it to the square leg stand.

Punjab just about touching 8 runs an over… big plus is that they haven’t lost a single wicket. It could mean that they can go attack the bowling at any point, which is their gameplan mostly. And this is a small ground… sixes really do fly here… like the one Gayle just deposited over midwicket and into the third tier…

After 5 overs,Kings XI Punjab 37/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 20 , Chris Gayle 16)

Bumrah is back. Sticks to the slower delivery plan once again. Rahul is happy to hand the strike to Gayle. Bumrah bounces Gayle and the West Indian ducks to leave it alone. Another back of a length delivery follows, Gayle tucks it off his hips for a single. Rahul finds the backward point fielder on the fourth ball. Well bowled. Bumrah slips out a top yorker and Rahul does equally well to bunt it out to mid on for a single. Another yorker. Gayle digs it out to cover. One run taken. Four in the over.

Good opening burst for McClenaghan but the follow up from Hardik was ordinary. He gave too much width to Gayle. On this pitch, the universe boss will murder you for anything loose.

After 4 overs,Kings XI Punjab 33/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 18 , Chris Gayle 14)

Hardik to Rahul. Once again, a slower delivery to Rahul. Rahul collects a single to fine leg. Gayle, too, clips the second delivery behind square. One run added to the total. Right the plan to bowl slower deliveries to Rahul has worked. Barring those two sixes, Mumbai have managed to keep the explosive opener quiet. But will that be enough? These two can make up for the dot balls easily. There it is, a mistake from Hardik – too full – and Gayle launches it over mid off. 
And another boundary. Make it three of the over. Just as I said, Gayle has changed gears. Even though 33/0 after 4 overs isn’t too bad, Mumbai must be nervous right now.

FOUR! This will release some pressure off the Punjab openers. Short from Pandya and Gayle upper cuts it over short third man.

FOUR! Again. The fielder could’ve done better there? Don’t think so. Gayle clears his front leg to this fullish ball and crunches it through cover.

Cracking start from KL Rahul… there can be no argument that this is the best form he has been through his career thus far. And just as I type this… Gayle started to go as well.. Hardik Pandya taking some punishment.

FOUR! Hardik errs and bowls it too full. Gayle launches it over mid off.

Chris Gayle – KL  Rahul opening stands in this IPL:

96 (48) v CSK
53 (47) v SRH
116 (58) v KKR
55 (47) v SRH

Hardik Pandya comes into the attack.

After 3 overs,Kings XI Punjab 17/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 16 , Chris Gayle 1)

McClenaghan continues. Starts with slower delivery – Rahul respects it. And then inside edges the second onto his pads. Wants a single. Gayle refuses. The same story repeats on the third ball. Rahul wants to rotate the strike but he will have to keep pace with which Gayle runs between the wickets in his mind. Nudges the fourth ball to short third man and finally Punjab rotate the strike. Mitchell bounces Gayle and the West Indian leaves it alone. Ends with another back of a length ball, Gayle defends it with an angled bat towards cover.

MI haven’t turned up as a complete unit on most outings. They bowled well for the most part in their last game but one bad final over from McClenaghan cost them the game against RCB. The margin of error is small in this game and a minor mistake may get amplified into a match turning one at any point. They have the team to turn it around. Perhaps this backs to the wall scenario is what they need to pull up their socks and play like the defending champions.

Mitchell McClenaghan has taken 63 wickets since 2015 in IPL – the third most by any bowler.

Chris Gayle v Jasprit Bumrah in IPL:

Runs – 24
Balls – 20
Dismissals – 0
SR – 120.00

After 2 overs,Kings XI Punjab 16/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 15 , Chris Gayle 1)

Bumrah to Rahul. The Karnataka batsman welcomes the Gujarat pacer with a biggie over cover. And takes a single off the second ball. Bumrah tried to set up Gayle here but the southpaw was aware of his plans. Bowled two wide yorkers and between them were sandwiched two slower length balls. Gayle edged the final ball – which was a yorker – but it fell well short of the first slip. Good over from Bumrah.

SIX! Phew. Who says classical batting doesn’t work in T20s? Bumrah begins with an overpitched delivery and Rahul lofts it cover.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl from the other end.

After 1 overs,Kings XI Punjab 9/0 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 8 , Chris Gayle 1)

Mitchell to Rahul. Begins with a full ball on the sticks, KL defends it. Pulls the second delivery to fine leg for a single. Gayle is on the strike. Angles it on a length and the southpaw defends it with an angled bat. Takes the outside edge and rolls towards the gully. Defends the fourth delivery towards the leg side for a quick single. And Rahul scores the first boundary of the match and follows it up with a run to retain the strike.

SIX! Mitchell McClenaghan pitches it up and Rahul’s eyes light up. Just drives it beautifully over cover. Completes 1000 IPL runs with that shot.

KL Rahul v Mitchell McClenaghan in IPL:

Runs – 42

Balls – 25

Dismissals – 2

SR – 168.00

Chris Gayle’s batting average of 42.64 against MI in IPL – the third highest among all the players. (Min. 350 runs)

KL Rahul has scored 208 runs in the first six overs in this year’s IPL – the most by any player. Will he make an impact today?

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle have strolled out to the centre. Mitchell McClenaghan to begin the proceedings for Mumbai Indians.

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mumbai Indians need to win every single one of their remaining games and that they have left out Keiron Pollard in this situation says a lot about their troubles. For Punjab, Yuvraj Singh returns after the gap… Make or break moment for his IPL season.

Change of home base for Kings XI Punjab in the middle of the season… they will play all remaining seven home games in Indore. Top of their list? Rebuild the momentum after a long break. 

Loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad dented them a bit, but they have two games in hand and could potentially compete with Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings for the spot at the top of the table. Again though, they have to start from scratch and rebuild that momentum.

All the five matches which have been played at Indore in IPL before today, won by chasing teams.

Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Andrew Tye, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan, JP Duminy, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Kings XI Punjab make three changes. 

IN: Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis, Yuvraj Singh 

OUT: Aaron Finch, Manoj Tiwary, Barinder Sran

KXIP v MI in IPL:

Matches played – 20
KXIP won – 10
MI won – 10

Both teams have played only a match against each other at Indore before in 2017 and MI won that match by chasing a target of 199 in 15.3 overs.

Mumbai Indians make one change. 

IN: Kieron Pollard

OUT: Evin Lewis

The coin falls in Mumbai Indians’ favour and Rohit Sharma opts to field.

Rahul has been in tremendous form while Rohit has been hot and cold in this IPL. But, their performances will hold the key in the tie. A battle to watch out for.

Pitch report: Seems like a good pitch. Really good smattering of live green grass. Spinners like it here too. Such a good feel of live green grass, says Danny Morrison at the pitch inspection.

Kings XI Punjab’s KL Rahul says opening batting alongside Chris Gayle has made his life easier

We will see the same combination today in all likelihood. 

Read about Rahul’s thoughts here .

Desperate Mumbai Indians look for solutions against rampaging Kings XI Punjab at latter’s adopted home

Read the preview here .

Welcome to Firstpost’s LIVE blog of Kings XI Punjab lock horns with the Mumbai Indians. The defending champions are on the brink of being pushed out of the contention for playoffs in their ninth game if they do not secure a win against the batting-heavy Kings XI Punjab side.