IPL 10, Match 51, MI v KXIP – Kings XI Punjab Player Ratings

It was a nerve-wracking match which swung from one side to other before Kings XI Punjab held their nerves and sealed a sensational 7 runs victory against the Mumbai Indians to keep their hopes alive in Vivo IPL 10. It was a great batting show by both the teams and in the end a sublime innings from Kieron Pollard went in vain as Mohit Sharma bowled a fantastic final over to seal the deal for Punjab.

Riding on a brilliant 93 of 55 deliveries by Wriddhiman Saha and a quickfire 47 of 21 balls by captain Glenn Maxwell the visitors posted the highest score in IPL 10. They finished their allotted 20 overs at 230/3. Chasing the huge target, Mumbai began in a terrific fashion with Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel going great guns.

There was a stem in the run flow during the middle overs and it was a late burst from Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard which brought MI within touching distance of the target. It was a must-win encounter for Punjab and Maxwell will proud of his boys. That said here we have a look at the Player ratings for the winning team, Kings XI Punjab

Martin Guptill- 7/10

The Kiwi opener smashed the Mumbai bowlers all round the park during the powerplay and got Punjab off to a breezy start. He pierced the circle on a consistent basis and struck 5 fours and a six during his innings of 36 of 18 deliveries.

Guptill held on to a stunner on the field to send back the dangerous Lendl Simmons who was going great guns. He was stationed in the long-on boundary when Simmons mistimed a low full toss. He timed his jump to perfection and plucked on to it from thin air. It will undoubtedly be in the reckoning for the best catch in the tournament.

Wriddhiman Saha- 9/10

The wicket-keeper batsman from Bengal was promoted up the order despite Manan Vohra being on the side. He did his reputation no harm as the pocket-sized dynamo smashed a sensational 93 of a mere 55 deliveries which were instrumental in Punjab posting a commendable total on the board after the 20 overs.

He pierced the gaps consistently during the powerplay and played 2^nd fiddle to Martin Guptill. He was well on course for his 2^nd IPL century but he was left stranded on 93 after 20 overs. His innings contained 11 fours and 3 hits over the fence.

Glenn Maxwell- 8/10

The captain showed why he is regarded as one of the dangerous players, especially in this format. He made his presence felt and treated the Mumbai bowlers with utter disdain. His brief 21 ball innings yielded 47 runs which included 2 fours and 5 hits over the fence. He was going berserk before Jasprit Bumrah halted with progress with a slower delivery.

With the ball in hand, the captain rolled over his arms for a couple of overs giving away only 8 runs. The offie also bagged the crucial wicket of Lendl Simmons.

Shaun Marsh- 6/10

The southpaw looked good during his brief stay and struck some gorgeous shots en route to his 16 balls 25. He smashed two big sixes which went sailing over the fence. He was eventually dismissed by Mitchell McCleneghan while attempting a big shot.

Axar Patel- 7/10

The left-arm spinner had yet another impressive day despite not being at his best with the ball in hand. He smashed a solitary six during his innings of 19 of 13 deliveries. The lanky spinner also bagged a wicket during his 3 overs spell giving away 28 runs. Considering the context of the game, it wasn’t too bad.

Manan Vohra- 2/10

He didn’t have much too much to do in the match. Saha was promoted up the order with Guptill while Vohra didn’t get a chance to bat. In the field, he took the catch of Parthiv Patel for which the extra one point.

Rahul Tewatia- 4/10

The leggie who bowled brilliantly in the previous match bowled 2 overs and bagged a wicket while conceding 17 runs. He bagged the crucial wicket of rival captain Rohit Sharma but with Pollard and Hardik Pandya going great guns, Maxwell didn’t risk the spinners.

Matt Henry -1/10

The Kiwi fast bowler was belted all round the park and it was especially Kieron Pollard and HARDIK Pandya who was pretty severe on him. His 27 runs over tilted the scale in Mumbai’s favour before Mohit Sharma bowled a fantastic over to win the match for Punjab.

Mohit Sharma – 5/10

I gave him 5 points only because he bowled a sensational final over. Apart from that, he was pretty mediocre in his first 3 overs as the medium pacer was belted all around Wankhede by Pollard and Hardik. With 9 required of 4 deliveries, he executed his yorkers to perfection as Pollard failed to get under it. Despite conceding 57 runs in his 4 overs, the final over was instrumental in keeping Punjab in the reckoning for a play-offs berth.

Ishant Sharma -3/10

The lanky fast bowlers had another off day in the office. Making a comeback, Ishant conceded 29 runs in his 3 overs and went wicketless. He fell as many as three times on his follow through which irked a lot of laughs.

Sandeep Sharma- 4/10

Like all other bowlers, Sandeep Sharma wasn’t spared either as the skiddy customer conceded 42 runs in his 4 overs. But it was the wicket of Hardik Pandya in his final over which again ignited Punjab’s hopes and they eventually won by 7 runs.