Bumrah, Coetzee guide Mumbai Indians to thrilling win over Punjab Kings

Stellar bowling by Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee propelled Mumbai Indians (MI) to a nail-biting 9-run victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.

MI set a challenging target of 193 runs, beginning with Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma at the crease. Despite an early loss of Kishan, dismissed for 8 runs, Suryakumar Yadav joined Sharma and together, they crafted an 81-run partnership, providing MI a solid foundation. Yadav’s outstanding 78 from 53 balls and Sharma’s quick 36 set the tone for MI’s innings. However, a late collapse triggered by Harshal Patel’s three-wicket haul restricted MI to 192/7.

In response, PBKS stumbled early in their chase, losing opener Prabhsimran Singh without scoring. The top order quickly disintegrated, with Sam Curran, Rilee Rossouw, and Liam Livingstone falling for single digits, leaving PBKS reeling at 14/4. A middle-order resistance led by Shashank Singh, who scored a brisk 41, and a fiery 61 off 28 balls by Ashutosh Sharma brought PBKS close, but they ultimately fell short, ending at 183 all out.

The MI bowling attack was spearheaded by Bumrah and Coetzee, who each took three wickets, decisively curbing the PBKS batting lineup. Their combined efforts were pivotal in clinching the win for MI as PBKS were bowled out in the final over of the match.

This intense match left PBKS to ponder what could have been, as their decision to field first did not pan out as planned, with early wickets falling and the subsequent collapse under MI’s bowling pressure. Despite a valiant lower-order push, the early losses were too detrimental for PBKS to overcome.