IPL

Mumbai Indians remain winless as Argarwal and Dhawan star in Punjab Kings win

By Sports Desk April 13, 2022

Mumbai Indians' winless start to the Indian Premier League season continued, as an exceptional display from Punjab Kings' top order was enough to hold off the five-time champions

Half-centuries from Mayank Argarwal (52) and Shikhar Dhawan (70) established a commanding lead for the Kings, which Mumbai always looked unlikely to reach once Rohit Sharma went for 28. 

Dewald Brevis (49) and Suryakumar Yadav (43) both looked to spearhead an unlikely revival for Mumbai, but fell narrowly short of half-centuries as they suffered a fifth consecutive loss.

Mumbai elected to put the Kings into bat when winning the toss, but Agarwal and Dhawan struck up an excellent partnership as the Mumbai attack struggled to make headway early on.

The Kings reached 97 before Argarwal was caught by Yadav, before Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone were bowled out for 12 and two runs respectively. 

Dangerman Dhawan was finally caught by Keiron Pollard after joining Argarwal in hitting a half-century, after which a decent showing from Jitesh Sharma (30) and a mammoth haul of 28 runs in the 17th over carried the Kings to 198.

Mumbai skipper Rohit was tasked with leading the response with the bat, but their hopes of avoiding another defeat looked slim once he fell for 28, particularly once partner Ishan Kishan went for just three runs shortly after.

Brevis and Tilak Varma subsequently sought to lead a stunning response, with the former smashing four consecutive sixes in a spectacular eighth over before falling to Odean Smith when one run short of his own century.

Tilak was run out by Argarwal soon after, before Pollard suffered a calamitous run-out for just 10 at the hands of Smith as Mumbai's hopes faded.

Yadav looked to lead once last attack for the batting side, but fell for 43 in a thrilling 19th over as the Kings held on for a third victory in five IPL outings, Smith posting three wickets in a comfortable final over.

Kings duo star with the bat

Half-centuries from the Kings' top-order batsmen set them on their way to victory, with Argarwal reaching 52 and Dhawan 70 in an outstanding display, setting a target which proved beyond Mumbai after their own top-order fell in quick fashion.

Stunning finish sees Smith rack up the wickets

Smith, meanwhile, finished with a brilliant four wickets from 30 balls for the victors after accounting for the last three dismissals of the match, as Mumbai collapsed after Yadav fell in the 19th.

Related items

  • Babar relieved after Fakhar and Rizwan guide Pakistan past Ireland Babar relieved after Fakhar and Rizwan guide Pakistan past Ireland

    Babar Azam was left relieved after Pakistan made light work of chasing 194 to keep their T20I series with Ireland alive and take it to a winner-takes-all-decider.

    Andy Balbirnie's 77 helped Ireland to their first victory over Pakistan in this format on Friday, but Babar's side responded in style on Sunday with their own seven-wicket triumph.

    Lorcan Tucker's 51 powered Ireland to an impressive 193-7 in Dublin as Shaheen Shah Afridi registered figures of 3-49 and Abbas Afridi managed 2-33.

    Yet that total was far from imposing as Pakistan chased the target down with 19 balls to spare thanks to a remarkable partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman.

    The pair combined for a 140-run stand off only 78 balls for the third wicket as Fakhar smashed 78 from 40, while Rizwan was unbeaten on 75 after facing just 46.

    "I'm relieved, credit to all batters," Babar said after the win. "We lost a few wickets early on but we kept the momentum going.

    "Fakhar is very experienced and played according to situation which demanded positive intent. It's a good side, we got positives in this match and will look to give 100 per cent in the next match."

    Rizwan added: "They played really well against us. It was not an easy chase because the Ireland bowlers knew their conditions better.

    "They gave us a difficult time early on, but we decided that chasing 194, we have to attack. You're always under pressure when you lose especially with World Cup around the corner."

    The two sides will meet again in Dublin on Tuesday to settle the three-match T20I series.

  • IPL: RCB keep playoff hopes alive after dominating Capitals IPL: RCB keep playoff hopes alive after dominating Capitals

    Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their unlikely Indian Premier League playoff hopes alive after a fifth straight win as they defeated Delhi Capitals by 47 runs on Sunday.

    Faf du Plessis' side leapfrogged the Capitals with this victory, moving into fifth in the standings and just two points behind fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of RCB's final game with Chennai Super Kings.

    Rajat Patidar set the tone with a 32-ball 52, alongside Will Jacks' rapid 41 runs from 29 deliveries, before Cameron Green added an unbeaten 32 to guide RCB to 187-9.

    Impact substitute David Warner mustered only one in response, with number three Abishek Porel also out for just two runs, as Delhi limped to 30-4 inside four overs of the second innings.

    Yash Dayal managed to run out opener Jake Fraser-McGurk on 21 before Axar Patel – in as captain for the suspended Rishabh Pant – offered resistance with 57 from 39 balls in the middle order.

    Yet Dayal dismissed the Capitals captain to claim an impressive 3-20, assisted by Lockie Ferguson's 2-23, as RCB wrapped up a convincing victory in bowling Delhi out for 140.

    Data debrief: Capitals contained

    Kuldeep's last over went for 22 as the Capitals leg-spinner finished with 1 for 52 off his four overs, the second time he has gone for over fifty runs after the four for 55 versus Sunrisers.

    That dismal showing with the ball was in stark contrast to the RCB bowlers, with Green also chipping in with an economical 1-19 and Mohammed Siraj's 1-33.

    Despite victory, Dinesh Karthik claimed an unwanted piece of history for the most ducks in IPL history, moving onto 18 and past Glenn Maxwell after falling to Khaleel Ahmed (2-31) in the first innings.

  • Broad fears for inexperienced England bowling attack after Anderson retirement Broad fears for inexperienced England bowling attack after Anderson retirement

    Stuart Broad fears an inexperienced England bowling attack could be exposed to problems after James Anderson announced his Test retirement decision on Saturday.

    England's all-time leading wicket-taker Anderson will end his remarkable red-ball career after the first Test against West Indies on July 10.

    Anderson has taken 700 wickets in 187 Tests, the most by any pace bowler in history, but the 41-year-old will play for a final time after Brendon McCullum signalled a change of plans for the future.

    Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson are all potential replacements, though Broad remains concerned for Ben Stokes' bowling options going forward.

    "England could easily go into a Test match this summer with a very, very inexperienced bowling group," Broad told Sky Sports Cricket podcast.

    "If you don't play a [Chris] Woakes, Mark Wood has a rest and there's no Jimmy Anderson, you could have three seamers and a spinner out there potentially with 20 caps between them.

    "That's quite scary as a Test captain I would have thought. We don't know how much [Ben] Stokesy's going to bowl – we hope he does.

    "But that could leave you a bit exposed. There's only one way to find out with bowlers, and that's to give them a go."

    Anderson's opening-bowler partner Broad retired after last year's Ashes, having finished his illustrious career with 604 Test wickets.

    Having neither of the pair available to lead the line with the red ball in future may pose problems and Broad reiterated his concern over the gaping gap Anderson's retirement will leave.

    "There's going to certainly be a huge hole left by Jimmy Anderson that someone is going to have to step into," he added.

    "And not just by swinging the new ball. But by communicating, by keeping calm if the boundaries are leaking, by tactically being aware of what field works at certain grounds, pitches and times of Test matches.

    "Ultimately, you don't learn that unless you're thrown in."

    Broad, however, remains hopeful that Stokes and McCullum will find the right combinations to take England into a new era of Test cricket.

    "I think exposure for some bowlers now is really important, because there's talent out there," Broad continued.

    "There's bowlers out there that need a bit of exposure to see what it's about in Test match cricket.

    "They may need time to adjust their training plan and how they operate before a tour in two years' time."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.