Mumbai Indians defeated Punjab Kings by nine runs in their IPL 2024 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh. What should have been an easy win for Mumbai turned into a nail-biting finish thanks to sensational power hitting from PBKS batter Ashutosh Sharma, who almost pulled off an incredible comeback.
Chasing imposing total of 193, the Kings were struggling at 77-6 when Ashutosh arrived at the crease. Along with Shashank Singh, he steadied the innings and got Punjab past 100 before Shashank fell for 41 with the score at 111. With defeat looking inevitable, Ashutosh switched to beast mode, blasting a swashbuckling 61 in just 28 balls to get Punjab within striking distance.
He fell in the 18th over to Gerald Coetzee with the home team still needing 25. Hardik Pandya dismissed Harpreet Brar but conceded a six to Kagiso Rabada in the penultimate over, leaving Punjab 12 to get from the final over. Rabada was run out on the first ball and Mumbai scraped home in a thriller.
Mumbai Indians’ camp celebrated their victory. Ishan Kishan exuberantly celebrated Rabada’s dismissal, while Jasprit Bumrah also looked delighted. However, what captivated fans was a heartwarming moment between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. Rumors of friction between the two since Rohit’s removal as captain had circulated, but they joyfully shared a warm embrace after the tense win. A video of Hardik hugging Rohit went viral on social media.
Earlier, MI posted 192-7, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav‘s magnificent 78 and contributions of 36 from Rohit and 34 from Tilak Varma. This above-par total helped secure MI’s third win this season and took them to seventh place.
Hardik Pandya admitted that the final overs were tense, but was thrilled that Mumbai Indians were able to stay composed and clinch the victory.
“It was one of those games that tested everyone’s nerves. Before the game, we had discussed that our character would be challenged in this match. Naturally, you think you are ahead in the game. However, we knew the IPL has a tendency to produce these types of close games. Ashutosh’s knock was unbelievable – coming in and playing like that, with almost every ball hitting the middle of the bat. I’m happy for him and excited about his future. During the timeout, we reiterated that no matter how good we looked, we would keep fighting hard in this game. We were a bit soft during certain overs. Nonetheless, a win is a win,” said Pandya.