Mumbai Indians claimed a vital Indian Premier League win at bottom side Kings XI Punjab, as they won by 23 runs in Mohali, restricting their hosts to 149-7 after setting a target of 173.
Mumbai openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel got the visiting Indians off to a flying start, reaching 111-0 before Parthiv was caught off Karanveer Singh for 59. Patel reached his total in 36 balls, and hit eight boundaries as he and Simmons punished the Kings XI bowlers, particularly Mitchell Johnson, who conceded thirty runs in just two overs as Mumbai threatened to set a forbidding total.
Parthiv’s dismissal disrupted the visitors’ rhythm, with Sandeep offering swing in both directions, conceding just 24 runs from his three overs. Johnson claimed a wicket after Rohit Sharma edged a leg-side delivery to Anureet for 26, before Simmons fell to Anureet in the final over, having made 71 from 56 balls, as Mumbai finished on 172-3.
Kings XI would have been satisfied with a target under 200, given Parthiv and Simmons’ exploits in the first half of the Mumbai innings, but were on the back foot immediately as Verinder Sehwag was caught off Malinga’s first delivery for just 2 runs, before Glenn Maxwell fell to a diving Vinay Kumar catch having made 12.
Murali Vijay, who made 39 off 34 balls, and David Miller kept Kings XI’s chances alive, leading the hosts to 74-2 at the halfway stage before Harbhajan claimed the wicket of Vijay. Miller struck a determined 43 off 37 before becoming Malinga’s second victim of the day to effectively end the contest. Three further wickets fell as Kings XI desperately chased the game in the closing overs.
Victory moves Indians into playoff contention despite starting the day second-bottom, with a clutch of five teams now separated by a point between third and seventh. The defeated Kings XI now find themselves four points adrift at the foot of the IPL table.
