IPL 2018: Krunal Pandya Delighted With His Show Against Kings XI Punjab

Krunal Pandya expressed his delight after guiding Mumbai Indians to a win in the do-or-die clash against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP on Friday night (May 4).

The defending champions Mumbai entered the game as the bottom-placed team in the points table. With just two wins in eight games, a defeat would have brought a premature end to their season.

And when Andrew Tye castled Hardik Pandya in the 16th over, it looked the reigning champions are set for a disappointing season.

The scoreboard was reading 120 for four which meant Mumbai needed 55 off just 27 balls to stay alive in the tournament. The visitors had their back against the wall before Krunal came out all guns blazing.

The senior of the two Pandya brother took the Kings XI attack to the cleaners right from the word go, thus easing the pressure off skipper Rohit Sharma.

The left-handed batsman Krunal ended with a 12-ball 31 to take Mumbai home with an over remaining. Rohit, on the other hand, remained unbeaten on 24 off 15 as Mumbai registered just their third win in the ninth games. The win catapulted them to the fifth spot in the points table.

Speaking after the win, Krunal said he was disappointed that he couldn’t take Indians past the finishing line against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He went on to express his delight over making amends against Kings XI.

“It was a do-or-die situation for us. I couldn’t deliver in the last game (against RCB). I’m happy with my performance. I wanted to stay till the end,” Krunal said at the post-match conference.

Quick Read: IPL 2018: Match 34, Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians – Statistical Highlights

Krunal Pandya further praises team’s bowling effort for restricting Kings XI to 174 on a small ground. He singled out Jasprit Bumrah (1/19) and Mitchell McClenaghan (1/31) for a special performance.

“We did really well in restricting them to 174. The ground is a bit small and the wicket was nice to bat on, a bit on the slower side. So we were confident of chasing it.”

“I thought they were exceptional in powerplay overs. Both used the variations to good effect. That proved vital for us,” he said.

Mumbai will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May 6).

Also, Read: IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – Match Prediction