Mumbai: Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave Mumbai Indians a superb start but the five-time champions lost their way a bit before recovering thanks to a brilliant cameo by Tim David to post 177/6 in 20 overs against Gujarat Titans in Match 51 of IPL 2022 here on Friday.
Sharma struck 43 off 28 deliveries and Kishan 45 off 29 as both of them failed to complete their half-centuries and got out to soft dismissals after raising 74 runs for the opening wicket in quick time after table-toppers Gujarat Titans won the toss and asked them to bat first.
But from 74 for no loss, they soon slumped to 119/4 and looked like they would struggle to cross 150 before Thilak Varma and Tim David came together for a 37-run partnership that helped them recover to the position from which Tim David could land a few lusty blows in the last three overs to take them to a total they could fancy defending.
David remained unbeaten on 44 off 21 deliveries, hitting four superb sixes — one off a free-hit following an above-the-waist no-ball by Lockie Ferguson that unfortunately resulted in the run out of Tilak Varma, Gujarat skipper Hardik Pandya getting him with a superb direct hit. David ended the innings by smacking two sixes off the 20th over bowled by Mohammed Shami.
Gujarat Titans, who are looking for a win to seal their place in the playoffs, won the toss and elected to bowl and would be happy that they managed a score they can get easily.
However, at the start, it looked like Mumbai Indians would get a bit more runs on the board as Sharma and Kishan gave them a brilliant start.
With skipper Rohit Sharma getting off to a brisk start Mumbai Indians raced to 63 for no loss in the power-play, one of their best starts in the tournament coming when they are already out of contention. While Rohit was all aggressive and superb timing, his partner Ishan Kishan started cautiously and unleashed some fine shots after settling in.
Rohit Sharma started with a superb boundary, lofting a length delivery by Alzarri Joseph that goes one-bounce into the advertisement boards. The Mumbai Indians and India captain edged the next delivery past the slip for another four and followed that up with the first six of the match on the last ball of the over, launching the English pacer over the mid-wicket boundary.
He struck Joseph for fours off successive deliveries in the fourth over again — the second one a superb punch through point for a cracking four.
But Sharma got out just when it looked like he was batting like his old self when he unnecessarily attempted a reverse sweep off Rashid Khan, misses it, and got hit on the pads. Rashid Khan seeks a review and gets the on-field umpire to change his decision after getting three reds in the referral.
Mumbai Indians sent Suryakumar Yadav (13, 10b, 6×1), their best batter so far this season, but Yadav did not last long, ballooning a simple catch to midwicket off Pradeep Sangwan.
Kishan, who had started cautiously before hammering Lockie Ferguson for two boundaries in a row in the fifth over and blasted Rahul Tewatia for a huge six, going down the wicket to smack him over midwicket, was the next to get out. It was another soft dismissal as he flicked Joseph uppishly into the hands of Rashid Khan at midwicket.
Kieron Pollard (4) did not trouble the scorer for long and just when it looked like Mumbai were losing their way, Tilak Varma and Tim David came together to help them to a score they would fancy defending.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians (Ishan Kishan 45, Rohit Sharma 43, Tim David 44 not out, Tilak Varma 21; Rashid Khan 2/24) against Gujarat Titans.
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