IPL 10: KXIP prevail in nail-biting encounter

  Photo: iplt20 Mumbai: Kings XI Punjab registered stunning victory against Mumbai Indiansby 7 runs  in a do-or-die encounter at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Kieron Pollard stood tall at the crease but his efforts went in vain as Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma pulled a sensational victory in the final overs. Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel started the Mumbai innings on high and the duo stitched 99 runs for the first wicket. Simmons scoring 59 off just 39 deliveries with 5 fours and four sixes but it was Kieron Pollard who brought Mumbai closer to victory only to lose in the final over. The West Indian smashed 50 runs in 25 balls and his innings included massive 5 sixes and just 1 four. Earlier, Test specialist Wriddhiman Saha displayed a different facet of his batsmanship with a stroke- filled unbeaten 93 of 55 balls to power Kings XI Punjab to 230 for 3 against Mumbai Indians in a do-or-die Indian Premier League encounter, here tonight. Saha, who also has a century in the 2014 IPL final, struck 11 boundaries and three sixes to anchor the innings. Martin Guptill hit a flurry of boundaries (5x4, 1x6) during his 18-ball-36 and skipper Glenn Maxwell's 47 off 21 balls also propped up the total. Maxwell's innings had five sixes apart from two boundaries. It was an off day for MI bowlers with all of them taken to the cleaners by Saha and Co. Mitchell McClenaghan ( 1-54), Lasith Malinga (0-45), Harbhajan Singh (0-45), Jasprit Bumrah (1-24), Karn Sharma (1 -32 ) and Hardik Pandya (0-29) were hammered to all parts of the ground. Before this, the highest total this season was 214 for 3 against Gujarat Lions. Punjab were well-poised at 173/2 at the end of 15 overs and smashed 57 off last five overs to post the their overall highest score at the Wankhede. The side has posted a total of 230 or above for the third time in all the 10 season of IPL. Put into bat, Punjab had a flying start as their openers Saha and Guptill put on a 68-run stand in 5.3 overs. Hardik Pandya conceded three fours in the opening over, two stuck by Kiwi Guptill and the other hit by Saha, who opened the innings in place of Manan Vohra. In the second over, Saha stuck three boundaries off McClenaghan as the visitors raced to 29. Guptill was in his element hitting a towering six over long off Malinga. Saha struck two consecutive fours in the same over as Punjab reached 50 in only 3.4 just overs. As Guptill was looking in ominous touch, Hardik took a splendid running catch at long on, to send him back to the pavilion, giving Karn Sharma the first wicket. At the end of Powerplay, Punjab were 71 for 1. Guptill's departure did not bother Saha, as he continued to take on opposition bowlers, hitting two fours in the seventh over. Skipper Maxwell joined in as he struck two massive sixes, one over long on off and other over extra cover off Karn with Punjab completing 100 in just 8 overs. In the ninth over, off spinner Harbhajan was hit for three sixes by Maxwell as Punjab batsman continued to dominate the Mumbai bowlers. There was no looking back for Preity Zinta co-owned team from thereon.