CRICKET – A CENTURY partnership between Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis helped Punjab Kings ease to a seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Jaipur yesterday and seal their place in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025, reports The Hindu newspaper.
The duo combined for a 109-run association off 59 balls, putting Kings in control of the 185-run target, which they managed with nine balls to spare. The loss also pushed five-time champion MI into May 30 eliminator.
MI’s new-ball efficacy ensured that the openers Priyansh (62, 35b, 9x4, 2x6) and Prabhsimran Singh did not get off to a flier.
The latter, in particular, failed to connect his attempted lofted shots, eventually falling to Jasprit Bumrah for less than a run-a-ball. Priyansh peppered the cover boundary early on before taking on MI’s back-of-a-length approach to provide impetus.
Inglis (73, 42b, 9x4, 3x6), at the other end, ensured the side didn’t get bogged down by the accuracy of Mitchell Santner, collecting 19 runs off 11 balls against the left-arm spinner on the way to his maiden IPL fifty.
Santner managed to scalp both the half-centurions in his second spell, but the damage was done by then.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, opener Ryan Rickelton gave MI a brisk start. The southpaw lofted over-pitched balls down the ground, and adjusted well to pull Arshdeep Singh’s attempted bouncers to the boundary. But MI’s attempts to maximise the PowerPlay was cut short when Marco Jansen used the extra bounce he extracts to remove his compatriot.
The returning V Vyshak then delivered a frugal opening spell, conceding just eight in his first two, before prising out both Tilak Varma and Will Jacks to help his side take control.
A 44-run stand between Suryakumar, who eclipsed Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 618 runs in a season for MI with another half-century, and skipper Hardik Pandya set up what Mumbai hoped would be a grandstand finish.
However, despite a few hits across the fence, Arshdeep’s double strike at the death restricted it to 184. Priyansh and Inglis then took over.
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