MI vs GL: Nitish Rana, Kieron Pollard power Mumbai Indians to IPL table summit

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians climbed to the top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) table, after a powerful performance by Kieron Pollard propelled them to a 4-wicket victory against Gujarat Lions, at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Mumbai Indians got off to a steady start after Jos Butter and Nitish Rana posted a partnership of 85 runs.

Once again, Rana showcased his good form, scoring 56 runs from 36 balls. Gujarat could have gotten their danger man early, if Jason Roy had held on to a miscued shot that Rana had lobbed in the air. The dropped catch turned out to be quite costly for Raina and co, as Rana was on 9 at that point, and Mumbai Indians on 11-1.

However, Rana eventually had to walk back to the pavilion when he tried to slash hard at an Andrew Tye delivery outside the off stump, nicking it to keeper Dinesh Karthik.

Buttler too departed soon after, as he tried to slog Munaf Patel’s over the leg-side boundary, hitting it straight down Mitchell McClenaghan's throat.

Despite the fact that MI had just lost two batsmen, the home side never really looked in much trouble, with star batters Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard at the crease.

MI (namely Pollard) upped the ante in the middle overs, as the West Indian smashed the Gujarat bowlers all around the park. In fact, MI scored massive 48 runs between the 14th and the 17th over.

Gujarat Lions were not the only ones feeling the damage done by Pollard’s (39 from 23 balls) powerful strikes, quite literally. A firm straight drive by Pollard floored MI skipper Rohit (40 from 29 balls), who writhed in pain for a while, before taking his non-striker’s mark much wider of the pitch.

While Pollard soon fell prey to Tye’s bowling the damage was already done, as Rohit and Hardik Pandya got the Mumbai Indians over the finish line with three balls remaining.

Earlier, the Gujarat Lions had posted a competitive total of 176 for 4 from 20 overs, after Brendan McCullum scored a half century.

Gujarat Lions got off to a good start despite the early wicket of Dwayne Smith. Smith got out in the second ball of the innings as he slashed hard at a Mitchell McClenaghan delivery outside the off stump; deftly caught by Nitish Rana.

However, Captain Suresh Raina and Brendan McCullum steadied the ship, before launching into the overdrive, as they smashed MI bowlers around the park.

McCullum was in good form, smashing six 4s and three 6s, on his way to a 44-ball 64.

Harbhajan Singh, who again bowled a great spell, got the important breakthrough for MI as Raina miscued his shot and lobbed an easy catch for Rohit.

Raina’s wicket changed the momentum of the game, and MI strike paceman Lasith Malinga’s Yorker breached McCullum’s defence.

On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan put up a 54-run partnership.

While Kishan played the sheet-anchor role, Karthik provided the firepower at the other end, scoring an unbeaten 48 from 26 balls.

Jason Roy also came in at the end, to play a cameo innings of 14 from 7.

Apart from the one wicket, Malinga had a rather forgettable day on the field, conceding 51 runs from his spell of 4 overs; this was his worst spell in IPL.