Suryakumar Yadav power show for Mumbai Indians
Abu Dhabi: Suryakumar Yadav made a statement with an unbeaten 43-ball 79 as Mumbai Indians put one foot in the play-offs following their five-wicket victory over Royals Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Not considered for the tour of Australia despite his consistent run in domestic cricket and IPL, Suryakumar led MI’s chase of 165 and helped the defending champions reach the target with five balls to spare.
Earlier, Jaspirit Bumrah (3/14) was his usual devastating self in the death overs as MI pulled things back to restrict RCB to 164 for six. During the game, Bumrah picked up his 100th IPL wicket in the form of RCB captain Virat Kohli, who, incidentally, also was his first scalp in the lucrative event.
The win meant that Mumbai Indians continued to top the table with 16 points. With another two games left, they are all but through to the play-offs. The second half belonged to Surya, who plundered 10 fours and 3 sixes, and he not only took the team out of trouble after early jitters, but also took them home. Hardik Pandya (17) played a useful cameo.
Earlier, Devdutt Padikkal pummelled the Mumbai attack into submission with a 45-ball 74. Put in to bat, Padikkal, who smashed 12 fours and a six, added 71 runs for the opening wicket with Josh Philippe (33). However, the RCB then suffered a middle-order collapse as Mumbai roared back into the game with lead pacer Bumrah doing the bulk of damage.
However, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1/43) pulled things back for Mumbai, removing Philippe, who was stumped by Quinton De Kock. Padikkal, who hit another two boundaries off Chahar, completed his fifty with another four. Skipper Virat Kohli (9) perished early as RCB slipped to 95/2, but Padikkal continued his onslaught against Chahar, hammering a six and two fours, as RCB got 16 runs in the 15th over. Mumbai then took four wickets in quick succession, removing AB De Villiers (15), Shivam Dube (2), Padikkal and Chris Morris (4).
