Stokes stifles Mumbai to end winning streak at six

Steven Smith-led Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) stopped Mumbai Indians (MI) winning streak by beating them in match 28 by 3 runs at Wankhede Stadium.

Skipper Sharma (58) kept the scoreboard moving, but an excellent penultimate over from Stokes yielded just seven runs, with Mumbai requiring 17 from the last six balls. They will love to beat Pune and continue their winning run.

Karn Sharma, in for the injured Krunal Pandya, was sent up to pinch-hit for MI and to take on the leg-spinner Imran Tahir. The second ball was dispatched for a six by Rohit and with 11 to get from three, Unadkat’s third ball, a dot, raised a storm.

Rising Pune Supergiant batsman Ajinkya Rahane and Mumbai bowler Harbhajan Singh had differing views on the legality of the delivery after the match but agreed that Rohit’s reaction was not a serious transgression.

Stokes (2-21) bowled a brilliant fifth over where he removed his England team-mate Buttler and more importantly did not concede a run of it to dent Mumbai’s momentum.

When Kieron Pollard departed in the 17th over, 39 runs were needed for Mumbai off 23 balls and the required run rate escalated to as high as 12 an over with two overs remaining.

MS Dhoni (7) couldn’t repeat his big-hitting heroics from their last win over Sunrisers Hyderabad – dragging Jasprit Bumrah (2-29) onto his stumps – but Manoj Tiwary (22 off 13) did at least fire four late fours to lift the Supergiant score. “Yeah, at least that side’s going pretty well”, said Stokes, after Monday’s game. That was also Harbhajan’s 200 wicket in T20 cricket.

Thereafter, Rahane’s bat went silent but the right-hander said he satisfied with his personal form. His 31-ball knock was laced with three boundaries and two sixes.

Smith was dropped by Harbhajan Singh on eight but the offspinner returned in the next over to clean bowl the Australia captain. Despite posting 184 on board, the Indians were blown away by Steve Smith’s 54-ball 84.

The innings stalled when RPS lost three wickets in four overs, and that too of the top three. While on one hand, Mumbai has been able to put on a good show in the IPL 2017, Pune has not had the best start that the team would have wished to have in the IPL.