With 49 needed off the last three overs of the game, not many would have entertained thoughts of Mumbai Indians stealing with the game against a bowling attack of that off Kolkata Knight Riders.
Southpaw Nitish Rana and all-rounder Hardik Pandya though, had other ideas, as the duo stepped up to the task to conclude an absolute thriller of a game at the Wankhede Stadium.
Thanks to some dismal out fielding from the Knight Riders where even a catch was put down in the final over, the Mumbai Indians batsmen finished off the chase with just a ball to spare.
Youngster Nitish Rana emerged as a champion with a superb half century which came at a crucial juncture of the game.
Post Mumbai’s thrilling win, skipper Rohit Sharma hailed the spirit of the side and called it a fine win.
“Winning the game was important, I know it was a close finish. But that’s what Mumbai Indians are known for,” said Sharma. “Important win moving forward. Here at Wankhede, we back players to go for the runs. It’s such a good wicket to bat on. Both, Nitish and Hardik, have been batting very well. They held their nerve in the end and I’m glad to end on a winning note.”
“Very important moving forward for any team to have those young players batting well. Like I said, job not yet done. It’s just the second game. But it feels great to be on the winning side. There’s always room for improvement. You move forward as a group,” Rohit further added.
The Mumbai Indians captain, however, added that his team would have to chalk down on a few crucial aspects.
“We don’t want to take anything for granted. That’s what we’ll be doing in the next few games. We are aware of the things we didn’t do well and will go back to the drawing board,” he said.