IPL 2023: MI chase down another 200+ total for win against PBKS; CSK vs LSG washed out in Lucknow

Indian stars Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav smashed blistering half-centuries to help Mumbai Indians chase down 215 in a six-wicket IPL win over Punjab Kings on Wednesday.

Kishan (75) and Suryakumar (66) put on a key third-wicket partnership of 116 before Tim David and Tilak Varma steered the team home with seven balls to spare in the second match of the day in Mohali.

Varma smashed the winning six in his 10-ball 26, and David, who starred in his team’s previous match, made 19 as the two combined in an unbeaten stand of 38.

“When we started T20 format, 140-150 was a winning score. But look at this one,” Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said.

“Plus one extra batter makes a huge difference as well. Not just to us but across the IPL.”

The batting effort boosted Mumbai’s chances of making the play-offs and trumped an unbeaten 82 by Punjab’s Liam Livingstone.

Mumbai switched places with Punjab to be sixth in the 10-team table led by holders Gujarat Titans.

Rohit went for a duck in the first over of Mumbai’s chase and impact sub Nathan Ellis sent back fellow Australian Cameron Green for 23.

The left-handed Kishan, who was named player of the match, and Suryakumar, who has recently hit form after a bad patch recently, turned the match around with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Suryakumar raised his second successive fifty in 23 balls with two sixes and two fours off Punjab’s expensive England import Sam Curran.

Arshdeep Singh cut short Suryakumar’s stay with a leaping catch at short third-man off Ellis and then sent back Kishan with his left-arm pace bowling but leaked 66 runs.

Varma and David once again ensured a second straight win for the IPL powerhouse with five titles.

“We should have bowled tighter lines,” Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan said.

“Because we saw the wicket and saw it’s a very good wicket, we thought change of pace will work a lot and I feel Nathan bowled really well but other bowlers didn’t step up today.”

Punjab rode on an unbeaten 119-run partnership between Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma (49) to post 214-3.

Livingstone hit the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground in his 42-ball knock and was especially severe on England teammate Jofra Archer, hitting the Mumbai pace bowler for three sixes in an over. Archer returned his most expensive IPL figures of 0-56.

Chennai-Lucknow clash washed out

Former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni on Wednesday teased fans about whether this IPL would be his last, before the T20 tournament witnessed its first washout of the season with the match between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants called off.

Hosts Lucknow were 125-7 in 19.2 overs when rain interrupted play in the north Indian city. After an hour and 40 minutes of waiting, the officials decided the points would be shared between the teams, abandoning the game.

Earlier, Dhoni, 41, got the crowd going when he gave the television presenter a tongue-in-cheek answer regarding whether he was retiring from the tournament.

The ongoing season is expected to be Dhoni’s last as a player, but when cricketer-turned-commentator Danny Morrison asked the India legend whether he was enjoying his “swansong tour”, Dhoni replied: “Well, you have decided it’s my last.”

The reply made the fans roar and Morrison said: “I love it, he is going to come back. He is coming back to play next year.”

Dhoni didn’t respond to that, and it is as yet unclear if this will be his last season or not.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who has led Chennai to four IPL titles, is getting a rousing reception at every venue this year, with fans turning up in Chennai’s yellow to cheer him on.

Dhoni had last month thanked the packed crowd at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, saying: “They are trying to give me a farewell.”

Dhoni, who flourished in the role of an innings finisher at his peak, led India to two World Cup titles, including T20’s inaugural showpiece event in 2007.

In the washed out match, Ayush Badoni was unbeaten on 59 after he lifted the hosts from a precarious 44-5 in the absence of regular skipper K.L. Rahul, who was injured in the previous match.

Chennai spinner Moeen Ali returned impressive figures of 2-13 from his four overs.

With AFP inputs