Why is Tilak Varma beleaguered Mumbai Indians’ future?

Already out of the tournament, Mumbai had a chance to be party poopers. Set 201 to win, in favourable conditions, Tilak Varma’s sparkling innings (75 n.o off 33) made life difficult for Punjab. From 6 wins from 7 matches, Punjab have suffered five defeats in a row. The sensational collapse has jeopardised their play-off prospects.

For a team that looked unstoppable a fortnight ago and even chose to bat first just to challenge themselves, their fortunes have changed spectacularly in the last five outings. In conditions where dew was a factor, they remained in the game largely due to Mumbai’s batting lacking the cutting edge. But with 15 needed off the final over, Tilak hit two sixes and Will Jacks one to seal the win and compound Punjab’s misery.

Unbelievable chase, unbelievable player 🫡

Tilak Varma pulling off the greatest heist of the season 👏

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Not quite enough

On Thursday, when Punjab came out to bat, the team that breathed intent all the way down the order, appeared a bit strangulated. Two of their top three – Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly – are fourth and sixth in the most sixes hit in the season with 32 and 29. The third, Prabhsimran Singh is 15th with 21 sixes. Before their slide began, they were the most feared batting outfit, with Shreyas Iyer at No 4 and Marcus Stoinis to follow. But pressure can do strange things.

With their remaining fixtures turning must-win, Punjab’s top-order shrunk into a shell, the free-flowing intent missing even when they went at 10 runs an over. It was more calculated assaults than the high-risk approach they had embraced. That let in tentativeness among their openers. At one point, Prabhsimran was 29 off 23 before he hit three sixes in the space of four deliveries and raced to his fifty in 29 balls. He hit six fours and four sixes in his 32-ball 57. Take those 10 boundary deliveries away, he made only 9 off 22. Ditto with Arya, whose 22 off 17 had four boundaries. Connolly’s struggle lasted 22 balls for 21, which had two fours and a six. The first six didn’t arrive till the fourth ball of the seventh over, a clearcut proof of their tentativeness.

#MI bowlers on the mark 🎯

🎥 Shardul Thakur and Raj Bawa hitting the top of off 😮🔥

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With fluency missing, Punjab were one moment in the game and next moment paving a comeback for Mumbai. The cat and mouse game continued for the first-half of their innings, but thanks to the trio, Punjab had 100/1 at the end of 11 overs. With enough depth in their ranks, they should have exploded from there, taking advantage of an opponent that is short on confidence.

Instead, Mumbai broke Punjab’s back with Shardul Thakur taking four wickets. On a pitch where with little aid, Mumbai’s attack relied on cutters and cross-seam deliveries. Thakur, a good exponent of the latter, let the ball land on the seam to cause slight deviation. When it didn’t, it kept a bit low. Since Mumbai attacked the line of stumps consistently, Punjab’s batsmen were all sitting ducks. That phase where Punjab were pegged back meant, they were 140/7 in 16.2 overs with Vishnu Vinod coming in as Impact Player.

Shardul’s golden arm + Bawa’s gravity-defying stunner = Magic for #MI! ✨💙

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Just as their innings and campaign seemed to be running out of steam in the cold climes of Dharamshala, Azmattullah Omarzai, replacing Stoinis, played the perfect cameo. With Vinod providing steady support, the Afghan’s 38 off 17, which contained four sixes and two boundaries, brought Punjab back on track for a strong finish. Vinod and Xavier Bartlett provided one as Punjab, despite not being their absolute best, ended up with 200/8.

Having put 210 on board and lost with an over to spare against Delhi only three nights ago, Punjab should have aimed for more. In the end, it cost them. The total meant, Mumbai were always in the game. Despite some stuttering in the middle when Rohit Sharma and Sherfane Rutherford perished, Tilak hung around and powered them home.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 200 for 8 (Prabhsimran 57, Shardul 4-39, Chahar 2-36) lost to Mumbai Indians 205 for 4 (Tilak 75*, Rickelton 48, Omarzai 2-36) by six wickets