What an amazing match! I cannot remember ever enjoying a match so much before this. A faceoff between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, a team much higher in the league charts. But the stadium was reverberating with chants of Mumbai, Mumbai! And that clinched it for them. Or wait! Was it the last ball that clinched it? They needed two runs off the last one – and there were prayers and long faces, a loud hush before the last ball was bowled, and lo and behold! They got two runs off the last one – and the loud hush at the stadium turned into a loud roar!
One can’t really say when the match was actually won. Was it won when Hardik took an important wicket, followed by other wickets falling in quick succession? Or was it won when Pollard cracked a fabulously-played 83 off 31 balls? Or was it the last ball – an answer to everyone’s prayers – with Alzarri and Chahar clinching it with two runs off the last ball? Very few matches have this kind of an edge-of-the-seat excitement and with an element of unpredictability until the last minute of the match (or the last ball), building for feverish anticipation and delirium.
It was not just an exciting match because of the super play from Mumbai Indians. It was exciting also because Kings XI played a phenomenal inning as well (with Gayle getting 63 off 36 balls), eventually setting a tough target of 198 for MI.
Kings XI Punjab was on a rampage as well today with KL Rahul hitting his maiden century in the Indian Premier League (100 off 63 balls). Since it was against one of the top teams of the IPL this season, MI’s victory in today’s match is even more momentous. Both sides played great cricket, both were unstoppable, providing ample fun, cheer and excitement to a packed stadium.
