Mumbai Indians on Friday threw a surprise when Ishan Kishan walked out to bat at No.3 against Punjab Kings during their Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL) clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The No.3 spot in MI's line-up in IPL 2021 has been occupied by Suryakumar Yadav but it wasn't the case against PBKS.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Suryakumar provided clarity on the subject, explaining that it was the management's call to promote Kishan up the order.
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"Ishan's promotion was completely management's call and we decided collectively that if a left-hander gets out then a left-hander walks in. He and I have been playing a similar role in the past few years. So, I was completely okay with it. We both decided we'll do the same way what everyone decides and we were clear in our plans very much," said Suryakumar Yadav.
The move, however, did not work out well for MI as the southpaw was dismissed for just 6 off 17 balls. Suryakumar, who walked in at No.4, continued his good run in the tournament by scoring a 27-ball 33 and putting up an impressive 79-run stand with skipper Rohit Sharma.
{{/usCountry}}The move, however, did not work out well for MI as the southpaw was dismissed for just 6 off 17 balls. Suryakumar, who walked in at No.4, continued his good run in the tournament by scoring a 27-ball 33 and putting up an impressive 79-run stand with skipper Rohit Sharma.
{{/usCountry}}Yet, the partnership could not prevent a nine-wicket defeat. Sent into bat, MI managed to post a meager 131/6 in 20 overs. Skipper Sharma's 63 and Suryakumar's innings were the only bright spots of the innings. The middle-order failed to click once again. For PBKS, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohammed Shami were the standout bowlers, both returning with figures of 4/21 in 4 overs.
In response, PBKS captain KL Rahul and fellow opener Mayank Agarwal stitched an opening stand of 53 runs. After a rollicking start, Agarwal was dismissed for 25 and PBKS were made to sweat as spinners Rahul Chahar and Jayant Yadav stemmed the run-flow considerably. Chris Gayle and Rahul played to the merit of the situation by patiently scoring runs. Eventually, Rahul got to fifty--remaining unbeaten on 60--and Gayle scored a 43 not-out as Punjab Kings got home with 14 balls to spare.
While MI continue to remain 4th in the points table, PBKS jumped to fifth in the points table.