'Nothing to Report, Just a Cricket Match': Mumbai Indians Troll Punjab Kings
Tilak Varma and Tim David after the win [AP Photos]
In a thrilling run-fest at the Punjab Cricket Association I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, Mumbai Indians (MI) cruised to a six-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings (PBKS), avenging their earlier defeat this season.
The victory was particularly satisfying for the Mumbai side, who took to social media to cheekily imply that there was nothing noteworthy to report about the match, other than the fact that it was merely a cricket game.
The previous encounter between these two teams had seen the Punjab Kings emerge victorious by 13 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, thanks to Arshdeep Singh's brilliant final over, during which he broke the middle stump twice.
Following the victory, the Kings had sarcastically reported a "crime" to the Mumbai Police's official Twitter handle, in reference to their triumph over the defending champions.
However, in the return fixture, it was the Mumbai Indians who emerged as the dominant force, despite a shaky start to their run-chase.
Meanwhile, after winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Mumbai's bowlers struggled to contain the hosts, as they conceded a daunting total of 214 runs. The bulk of Punjab's runs came from an unbroken 119-run partnership between Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone, with the latter scoring a scintillating 82* off just 42 deliveries.
In response, the Mumbai Indians lost their skipper Rohit Sharma in the very first over of their innings. However, the duo of Cameron Green and Ishan Kishan steadied the ship with a 54-run partnership before Green fell in the final over of the powerplay. It was then left to Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav to take control of the chase, as they added a match-winning 116 runs together.
Kishan was the standout performer for Mumbai, as he scored a blistering 75 off just 41 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award. Yadav, too, played a crucial role, contributing a stroke-filled 66 off just 31 deliveries.
The dismissal of both batsmen in consecutive overs gave the Kings a glimmer of hope, but Tim David and Tilak Varma ensured that there were no further hiccups as they guided Mumbai to a well-deserved victory.
 "Jatin")
