Wriddhiman Saha scored 93 off 55 balls against the Mumbai Indians to give the Kings XI Punjab a fighting chance for a playoff spot.
The table-topping MI’s, having won six matches batting second in IPL 2017, put the Kings XI in to bat in a thrilling match at the Wankhede Stadium.
The visitors sprung a surprise on their opponents when wicketkeeper-batsman Saha opened along with Martin Guptill.
KXIP raced to 50 runs in 24 balls, thanks to explosive batting from the interim opening pair. Both got off to a flying start, but Guptill played one big shot too many, losing his wicket after an 18-ball 36 (five fours and a six), bringing their captain, Glenn Maxwell, to the crease.
Maxwell supported Saha perfectly as they steamed forward from 71-1 at the end of the powerplay to 100-1 just two overs later.
The ninth over was brutal from the Australia big hitter, who smashed Harbhajan Singh for three sixes, which put him in the lead for the most maximums (26) in IPL 2017.
MI were reduced to 131-2 when Maxwell was undone by Jasprit Bumrah for the third time in four innings, bowling him on 47 off 21 balls (two fours, five sixes) on the last ball of the 11th over.
This did not bother Saha, who reached his half-century off 30 balls with a maximum in the 12th over to keep KXIP in command.
Despite being halted at 183-3 after the wicket of Shaun Marsh (25 off 16 deliveries), Saha continued his fine striking to end on 93 off 55 balls and help his side post 230-3.
This was Saha’s best score of the season and his seventh time opening in 164 matches.
MI’s reply was spearheaded by an incredible knock by Lendl Simmons, who raced to his fifty in 27 balls. Supported by Parthiv Patel (38 off 23 balls), the pair put on an opening stand of 99, before Patel was dismissed at the end of the ninth over.
Simmons’ innings (59 from 32) came to an end, thanks to a blinding one-handed catch from Guptill on the straight boundary as he leapt into the air and plucked a ball going for a maximum.
With MI on 108-2 (10.0 overs), the hosts struggled to recover as two quick wickets, Rohit Sharma (5) and Nitish Rana (12), set them back at 121-4 (12.4).
Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya (30 off 13) put on a 53-run partnership, hitting seven sixes between them, before the fall of Pandya (30 off 13).
Pollard continued to power forward and with some big hitting from Karn Sharma (19 from 6), pushed the hosts past the 200-mark. Karn was dismissed in the 18th over, as the hosts stuttered on 208-6.
With 23 off 12 needed for victory, quick singles brought MI within touching distance, the hosts needing 16 off the final over.
Despite Pollard smashing a six and a single to take his score to 50 off 24 balls, two brilliant dot balls from Mohit Sharma earned them the seven-run victory.
MI finished on their highest score in IPL history, 223-6.
KXIP need the Sunrisers Hyderabad to lose to the Gujarat Lions and the Rising Pune Supergiant to lose their remaining games if they hope to qualify for the playoffs.
Photo: BCCI/Cricinfo
