An eighth IPL century for South African Quinton de Kock came as a consolation when Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Shreyas Iyer powered Punjab Kings back to the top of the table with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians on Thursday.
De Kock celebrated his return to the Mumbai team which he last represented in 2021 by becoming the first overseas batter to score hundreds for three different teams in the IPL as the home side reached 195-6 at Eden. De Kock got a chance to play because Rohit Sharma was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The left-handed opener added 122 for the third wicket with Naman Dhir, who was also dropped by Yuzvendra Chahal on 10 and went on to score 50.
The left-handed opener smote his first ball from compatriot Marco Jansen over cover for six and carried his bat to finish 112 not out off 60 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes.
But Punjab clawed their way back at the death courtesy wicket of Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya and a couple of key sooner wickets of pacers Arshdeep Singh who had three scalps and Jansen, also the brilliant catch made possible by an applauded effort from Shreyas before being completed two meters up in mid-air by Xavier Bartlett when he was trapped against fences.
Prabhsimran Singh and fellow opener Priyansh Arya began the chase for India by making 21 from the first over, bowled by Deepak Chahar before another Afghan, Allah Ghazanfar took two wickets in successive balls.
However, those plans were thwarted by a typically counter-punching Prabhsimran, who was dropped at short third-man off Jasprit Bumrah when he was 11 and went on to register his second straight half-century. Prabhsimran’s explosive knock of unbeaten 39-ball 80 included 11 fours and two sixes.
Joining him was Shreyas who also extended his great start in the tournament with a third straight fifty.
Mumbai, who lost for the fourth time in a row, will be troubled by Bumrah’s return to wicketless form with 41 runs coming from his four overs which saw him go without taking at least one of two wickets that had helped shackle the opposition batting.
Prabhsimran and Shreyas laid waste to Mumbai’s bowling, industriously putting on 139 for the second wicket in 67 balls before against the run of play falling victim — Naman running in from deep mid-wicket who took a smart catch diving forward.
Marcus Stoinis then stepped in and his 10-run knock off five balls saw Punjab cross over the line as they continued to be the only undefeated team in the IPL.