Daijiworld Media Network – Jaipur
Jaipur, May 27: Punjab Kings continued their dominant run in the IPL, defeating Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, securing a near-certain first-place finish in the league.
Chasing a target of 185, Punjab finished at 187 for 3 in just 18.3 overs, thanks to a commanding 109-run partnership between Priyansh Arya (62) and Josh Inglis (73). Arya showed maturity and composure while Inglis led the charge with aggressive strokeplay, including a string of boundaries and a memorable 76-meter six off Deepak Chahar.
Mumbai Indians’ innings was anchored by Suryakumar Yadav’s gritty 57 off 39 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled against disciplined Punjab bowling. Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Arshdeep Singh each picked up two wickets to restrict Mumbai to 184 for 7.
Early breakthroughs by Arshdeep Singh dented Mumbai’s momentum, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Santner tried to contain the chase but were unable to halt the strong Punjab partnership.
With this win, Punjab Kings have virtually confirmed the top spot on the points table, thanks to their superior net run rate over Royal Challengers Bangalore, who face a crucial match against Lucknow Super Giants next.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians 184/7 (Suryakumar Yadav 57, Ryan Rickelton 27; Marco Jansen 2-34, Arshdeep Singh 2-28)
Punjab Kings 187/3 (Josh Inglis 73, Priyansh Arya 62; Mitchell Santner 2-41, Jasprit Bumrah 1-23)
The Punjab Kings now look poised to carry their strong momentum into the playoffs.