Mumbai. Opener Quinton de Kock’s blazing century and his century partnership with Naman Dheer helped Mumbai Indians score 195 runs for six wickets against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday. De Kock, playing his first match in the current season, apart from playing an unbeaten inning of 112 runs in 60 balls with seven sixes and eight fours, made a partnership of 122 runs for the third wicket with Naman Dhir (50 runs, 31 balls, three fours, three sixes) at a time when the team was in trouble after losing two wickets for 12 runs in the third over.
Arshdeep Singh was the most successful bowler from Punjab, taking three wickets for 22 runs. Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and decided to bowl first. Arshdeep proved his decision right and sent Ryan Rickelton (02) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (00) to the pavilion on consecutive balls in the third over. Rickelton played Arshdeep’s ball into the hands of Shashank Singh on the boundary and became the fast bowler’s 100th IPL victim. On the next ball, Suryakumar was also caught by Yuzvendra Chahal at short third man.
De Kock hit a six on Marco Yansen (one wicket for 30 runs) on his first ball of the current tournament while Naman hit a four on Xavier Bartlett. Naman, however, was lucky to score 10 runs when Yuzvendra Chahal took a simple catch at short fine leg off Yansen’s bowling. Naman welcomed Vijaykumar Vaishak with two fours and a six and took Mumbai’s score to 48 runs for two wickets in the power play.
Naman and De Kock hit sixes on Chahal in the next over. De Kock completed his half-century in 28 balls with a six and one run on Chahal. De Kock completed the team’s century in the 11th over with fours and sixes on consecutive balls from Bartlett. Naman also completed his half-century in 29 balls with one run off Shashank (one wicket for 19 runs) but the fast bowler’s next ball was played into the hands of Bartlett at long off.
De Kock completed his third IPL century in 53 balls with a four off Bartlett. Captain Hardik Pandya (14) hit a six on Yansen but became the victim of a brilliant catch on the next ball. He also played the next ball straight which was going for six runs but Iyer caught the ball and before it went out of the boundary, it bounced towards Bartlett who took the catch.
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