With virtually nothing to play for, and closest chasers’ Chennai Super Kings game in Bengaluru under threat from the weather, league leaders Mumbai Indians slipped to a 51-run defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab at the HPCA Stadium here on Saturday.
It was a fitting farewell for the host skipper Adam Gilchrist who was playing his last match in Kings XI colours and made sure the team would finish their IPL-6 engagement with an even six-win, six-loss record.
Gilly even made it more memorable for himself with the wicket of Harbhajan Singh with the only ball he has ever bowled in the competition. He then went on a capering runabout of the outfield before being engulfed by celebrating team-mates, who then escorted him on a lap of honour around the ground.
Mumbai Indians mentor Anil Kumble on Friday had talked about wanting to take the winning momentum into the playoffs in Delhi in three days time, but the Kings XI bowling unit had other plans.
Making better use of conditions than their MI counterparts, who conceded 183/7 first up, Messrs Azhar Mahmood (2/24), Sandeep Sharma (239), Piyush Chawla (2/20) and Co. kept their powerful opponents on a leash all the way through and never allowed MI to put up a single partnership of consequence.
The persevering Sharma had to in fact dismiss Pollard (22, 21b, 1x4, 1x6) thrice over to send the Trinidadian powerhouse back to the dugout, having him caught off a no-ball, a free-hit and finally striking in identical fashion to chalk up a unique hat-trick.
Earlier, Mahmood was unlucky to miss out on a well-deserved century as he and Shaun Marsh put on an attacking 148 in just 14.2 overs for the third wicket to give the Kings XI total some solid beef.
On a day Sri Lankan gunslinger Lasith Malinga became the first bowler to cross a hundred wickets in the IPL, it was the Kings XI veteran who took centre-stage after a sedate start, his first six deliveries fetching just two runs.
The departure of fellow-senior Adam Gilchrist — playing his last game in Kings XI colours — after Mandeep Singh had fallen in the second over itself saw Mahmood switch gears with Marsh already going at the bowlers. The two paced each other almost run for run, even reaching their respective half-centuries in the same over.
Mahmood needed 27 deliveries for his 50 (5x4, 3x6), taking heavy toll of Malinga (3/39) and Harbhajan Singh (1/33). At the other end, Marsh got to his half-century from 39 balls (9x4) but was bowled shortly thereafter by Harbhajan for 63 (47b, 11x4). The Mumbai Indians bowlers looked clueless in the face of the double assault, conceding in excess of 10 runs from as many as eight overs and one going for 20, from Malinga. ‘Slinga’, however, had the last laugh, trapping Mahmood leg before for 80 (44b, 8x4, 4x6).
From that point on, Kings XI struggled to keep their momentum going as David Miller (6), Gurkeerat Mann (0), Piyush Chawla (1) and Praveen Kumar (0) all went cheaply, squandering much of the spadework put in by Mahmood and Marsh.
Praveen became Malinga’s 100th IPL scalp, taken out in typical fashion by a yorker that speared in on his off-stump. Only young Manan Vohra was able to keep his foot on the pedal, contributing a sparkling 20 not out that included three boundaries and a six.