Gujarat Lions had the worst run-rate among the six contenders for the play-offs and, chasing a stiff target, their batsmen decided that attack w as the best policy.
The strategy paid off as they beat Mumbai Indians by six wickets at the Green Park stadium, Kanpur, and go top of the table. Needing 173 to win, Gujarat lost Aaron Finch on the second ball of the chase when Vinay Kumar had him trapped leg before for his 100th wicket in the IPL.
But the other explosive opener Brendon McCullum (48), captain Suresh Raina (58) and Dwayne “Doctor” Smith took the attack to the opposition camp. “My teammates played a beauty today,” Raina said in the post-match briefing on StarSports.
“We worked really hard as a unit,” the Gujarat captain said.
From a maiden first over, McCullum and Raina put up 70 runs in five overs to puncture any hopes Mumbai had.
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More impressive was the fact that the two attacked the best bowlers for Mumbai, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah, handing out the big hits.
By the time they were out to tame dismissals, the deflated Mumbai bowlers could only hope for a collapse.
That did not happen as Smith (37 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (21 not out) ensured that Gujarat also helped improve their run-rate for cosmetic effect.
Batting first, riding on Nitish Rana’s 36-ball 70, Mumbai posted 172 for eight.
Captain Rohit Sharma started well but his departure left Mumbai reeling at 45 for three.
Rana and Buttler played sensibly with the latter taking the backseat in a 75-run partnership before Mumbai lost their way again trying to go for a final assault.
Rohit commended Raina and McCullum and added: “It’s disappointing to lose. We tried our best, but couldn’t get the breakthrough in the middle.”
Rising Pune Supergiants beat Kings XI Punjab by four wickets to avoid the wooden spoon.
Punjab, incidentally, also put up 172 runs on the board, but at the cost of seven wickets.
Both captains led from the front. Half-centuries for Punjab captain Murali Vijay (59) and Gurkeerat Singh (51) went in vain, though, as Vijay’s counterpart MS Dhoni came up charging with a 32-ball cameo of 64 not out.
Pune were tottering at 86 for five when Dhoni hit out at criticism of having slowed down by scoring at two runs a ball to clinch victory on the final ball of the chase.
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