Gulf News readers joined our experts to take you through this evening's IPL 2021 in UAE clash between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi - and they kept an eye on the match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.
Full scorecard here
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians bow out; KKR in top four
By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
There was no dramatic twist to the script on the last day of the league matches in the IPL 2021 as Mumbai Indians failed to pull off a miracle despite scoring a emphatic 42-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
The Mumbai batters gave their bowlers a chance – however improbable – to bowl Sunrisers Hyderabad out for below 65 when they piled up a mammoth 235 for nine wickets. As expected, it didn’t come off and Kolkata Knight Riders joined the trio of Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore as the top four for the play-offs.
In the other game of the double-header, Royal Challengers Bangalore overhauled Delhi Capitals’ total of 164 for five by seven wicket to finish in the third spot. Wicketkeeper-batsman Srikar Bharat (78 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (51 not out) calmly steered their their team towards a win that will certainly boost their confidence ahead of play-offs.
It will hence be Delhi Capitals versus Chennai Super kings in the Qualifier, followed by Bangalore taking on KKR in the Eliminator.
Four!
Pandey hits Boult for four and gets a cramp and it's all over! Mumbai beat Hyderabad by 42 runs.
OUT!
Saha is caught and bowled by Coulter-Nile for 2.
OUT!
Khan is caught and bowled by Bumrah for 9. 177/7.
Four!
Khan hits Coulter-Nile for four again! 174/6
Four!
Rashid Khan clips Coulter-Nile for four. 170/6.
OUT!
Holder goes for just 1.
Half Century!
Pandey gets his 50 - and then hits Bumrah for four!
OUT!
Bumrah strikes and Garg goes for 29.
SIX!
Pandey smashes Coulter-Nile for six and brings up the 50 run partnership with Garg. 156/4 after 15 overs.
Four!
Garg hits Chawla for four more and is now on 17 runs.
SIX!
Big one from Garg. 126/4.
Four!
Pandey and then Garg hit Neesham for four, happier now Shah?
OUT!
Samad goes for 2.
100 up for Hyderabad. 100/3 after 9 overs.
OUT!
Nabi goes for 3. Sunrisers are 97/3 after 8.3 overs.
SIX!
That's a big one from Pandey!
OUT!
Sharma goes for 33 from 16 balls. Hyderabad are 79/2 after 7 overs.
OUT!
But Boult strikes back and claims the wicket of Roy who hit a brisk 34 from 21 balls. Hyderabad are 64/1 after 5.2 overs.
Four!
Roy hits Boult for four.
Four!
Sharma gets another boundary and brings up the 50 run partnership.
SIX!
Roy smacks Chawla! Hyderabad are 31/0 after 3 overs.
Four!
Roy does it again!
Four!
Roy hits Bumrah for four. 11/0
https://twitter.com/InayathShah/status/1446511006692356097
Jason Roy and Abhishek Sharma walk out to bat for Hyderabad.
Mid-match summary: Ishan Kishan, Surya take Mumbai to 200-plus total
By Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
Mumbai Indians batters gave their bowlers a chance – however improbable – to bowl Sunrisers Hyderabad for a paltry score when they piled up a mammoth 235 for nine wickets in their last league game of IPL 2021 in Abu Dhabi.
Choosing to bat, the five-time champions threw the proverbial kitchen sink to the SRH bowlers who missed Bhubaneshwar Kumar in their line-up. Ishan Kishan (84 off 32 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (82 off 40) both played extraordinary innings on a wicket where strokeplay was easier.
While all the SRH bowlers took the stick, Jason Holder showed the best ploy was to take the pace off the ball to finish with a haul of four for 51.
Can the mighty Mumbai attack mow down their rivals below a total of 65 to win the match by 171 runs as needed? We will know soon…
That was a brilliant batting display by Mumbai Indians, they sure have given themselves a fighting chance of making the playoffs - but that is if their bowlers can do the unthinkable next...
OUT!
Yadav's superb innings is over after belting 82 runs from 40 balls. Mumbai are 230/9.
OUT!
Chawla skies one and is caught. 230/8, 19.1 overs.
Four!
And again!
Four!
And he does it again with the very next ball!
Four!
Yadav flicks Malik for four.
SIX!
Yadav hits Holder for a beauty and moves on to 69!
OUT!
Coulter-Nile is dropped but then caught from the very next ball for 3. 206/7 after 17.2 overs.
Four!
Yadav again and it brings up 200 for Mumbai.
Four!
Yadav gets his half century. 196/6. 16.3 overs gone.
OUT!
Nabi strikes! Pandya goes for 9 runs. Mumbai are 184/6 after 15.3 overs.
Four!
Yadav hits Nabi for four. 176/5.
Four!
Yadav gets another boundary. 166/5.
SIX!
Yadav belts Kaul for six. 162/5.
OUT!
Another wicket from the very next ball! Neesham goes for a golden duck and Sharma is on a hat-trick!
OUT!
Sharma takes the wicket of dangerman Pollard who is caught on the boundary for 13 runs from 12 balls.
Four!
Pollard survives an LBW appeal and then Yadav gets a cheeky boundary.
OUT!
Kishan's astonishing innings is ended by Malik. He's blasted 84 runs from 32 balls.
OUT!
Jason Holder takes the wicket of Hardik Pandya who goes for 10 runs from 8 balls. 113/2.
SIX!
Pandya's turn to smack Khan for six! 112/1 after 8 overs.
SIX!
Another massive hit from Kishan, he belted Khan there! 100 up for Mumbai!
SIX!
Kishan smacks a slower ball from Malik for a six! 96/1 after 7 overs.
Four!
Kishan blasts Malik for another four and races to 67.
OUT!
Sharma goes for 18. It was a brilliant catch by Nabi as Khan breaks the partnership.
Four!
Kishan hits Malik for four.
Four!
Sharma hits Malik for four.
Half Century!
Kishan Ishan means business as he gets his 50 from from just 16 balls.
Four!
Kishan picks his spot again with another lovely shot.
SIX!
Kishan hits Holder for six and the 50 run partnership is up. 55/0.
41/0 after 3 overs - Mumbai have come out with real intent here. Well, they need to...
Four!
Kishan has started well here as he hits Kaul for four!
SIX!
Kishan smashes Nabi for a beauty!
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan are in the middle, here we go!
Here are the two teams, the match will be underway in a few minutes. Mumbai will need to hit big right away, this should be very exciting...
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Trent Boult
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Jason Roy, Abhishek Sharma, Manish Pandey(c), Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Umran Malik, Siddarth Kaul
Mumbai Indians looking for a miracle tonight against Sunrisers Hyderabad
Gautam Bhattacharyya, Senior Associate Editor
The last day of league games in the IPL 2021 in UAE presents a ‘first’ of sorts – a double-header with both matches starting at the same time (6 pm UAE).
Mumbai Indians, who need nothing short of a miracle in order to force their way into the play-offs, take on bottom-of-the heap Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, table-toppers Delhi Capitals face Royal Challengers Bangalore with the latter eyeing to improve their position to second spot.
Rohit Sharma’s five-time champions, now in fifth position, have been in inconsistent form throughout the season – both in the India leg as well as in the UAE. Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a sucker punch to their hopes when they hammered Rajasthan Royals in their last league game on Thursday to move into No.4 position and improve their run-rate substantially.
The stakes are a lot different in the DC-RCB game, both of whom are in the last four. Capitals will not want to take their foot off the pedal while RCB will look to rattle the confidence of Rishabh Pant’s men ahead of the play-offs.
Over to Abu Dhabi…
