At the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Wednesday, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma blasted brilliant innings while forming a crucial 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket to lead Punjab Kings to a huge 214/3 over Mumbai Indians. With this gigantic score, Punjab became the first team to score 200+ scores in 4 consecutive innings.
Punjab were 99/3 at the end of the 12th over, and a slowdown appeared certain. However, Livingstone used his high-risk shots to make 82 off 42 balls without being out while hitting seven fours and four sixes. While this was going on, Jitesh continued to play well, scoring five fours and two sixes en route to an unbeaten 49 off 27 balls.
With the exception of Piyush Chawla‘s 2/29, Mumbai’s bowlers all suffered at the hands of Livingstone and Jitesh, who accumulated 69 runs off the final five overs as the five-time winners once again battled with their death bowling.
When Prabhsimran Singh slashed away from his body off Arshad Khan, Punjab was dealt a blow right away. However, Ishan Kishan was able to catch the thick outside edge in the next over. After dragging and hitting him for four and six runs off of short deliveries from Arshad, Matthew Short smacked a fuller offering through fine leg for a boundary.
Shikhar Dhawan welcomed Chawla with a loft down the ground and a swipe through deep square leg to bring up back-to-back fours after getting things started with a beautiful cover drive off Cameron Green in the first over.
Dhawan hit another four down the ground off Chawla in the eighth over after being dropped by Jofra Archer at short third man in the seventh over. The leg-spinner, however, had the last laugh when he easily stumped a charging Dhawan with a googly after beating him with the very next delivery.
Jitesh-Liam Partnership
Meanwhile, Livingstone was back to savoring Arshad’s bowling, easily steering and cutting short balls, before slicing a yorker between point and short third man to hit three boundaries in the fifteenth over.
In the 17th over, it was Jitesh’s time to score runs against Arshad. He sent a full toss over the bowler’s head for a boundary before smashing a length ball down the ground for a stunning six.
Livingstone hit his fifty in 32 balls off Madhwal with a beautiful cover drive, and in the 19th over, as Punjab passed the 200-mark, he whacked Archer for a hat-trick of sixes, slamming twice over long-on and smacking one down the ground.
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