Visakhapatnam: Kings XI Punjab produced a solid all-round show to outmuscle Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in their IPL-9 encounter on Friday.
Following Marcus Stoinis' impressive display with the ball which hamstrung the Mumbai batsmen, Murali Vijay (54 n.o, 52b, 5x4, 1x6) and Wriddhiman Saha (56, 40b, 6x4, 1x6) shouldered the chase to ease their side to the target with 18 balls remaining.
Punjab looked comfortable throughout the chase and despite a double strike by Mitchell McClenaghan late into the chase, with a target as low as 124, there was hardly any panic in the dressing room. The loss, meanwhile, is a huge blow for the defending champions who have struggled for consistency during the season.
Earlier, medium pacer Stoinis led the way with four wickets as a disciplined Punjab restricted Mumbai to a modest 124 for nine.
Stoinis returned brilliant figures of 4/15 in his full quota of four overs after Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma elected to bat.
Mumbai Indians were off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets for just eight runs on the board within the third over of the innings.
Playing in place of Parthiv Patel, Unmukt Chand could not make the rare opportunity count as he got out to a terrible shot, giving an easy catch at mid-on off the bowling of Mohit Sharma while trying to whip a length ball into the leg side.
Chand failed to open his account. Ambabti Rayudu was done in by a delivery that swung in prodigiously and hit the off and middle stumps. Rayudu, too, was dismissed for nought, the bowler being seamer Sandeep Sharma.
Mumbai Indians were dealt a body blow when they lost the in-form Rohit, bowled by left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Rohit made 15 off 24 balls with a lone boundary.
The reigning champions sank deeper as they lost Nitish Rana (25) followed by the big wicket of Jos Buttler (9). Stoinis got both the wickets to leave Mumbai reeling at 61 for five in the 14th over. Rana struck three sixes while facing 28 balls. However, MI still had the firepower of Kiron Pollard and the burly West Indian did not disappoint his team, smashing a flurry of sixes. MI gained some momentum by scoring 17 runs in the 16th over bowled by Axar.
