Player of the match: Rana rises to the occasion, again
The batsman has already top-scored twice in Mumbai Indians’ successful chases this season.
Published : Apr 16, 2017 20:59 IST
Nitish Rana’s fifty celebration had a touch of extravagance. It wasn’t a usual half-raise of the bat to the stands. He removed his helmet, raised his willow and thumped his chest.
He was dropped from Delhi’s Ranji team recently. He was “very disturbed, mentally”. But this IPL, so far, has provided him the surge of confidence. He has already top-scored twice in Mumbai Indians’ successful chases this season. Tonight, coming in at the third ball, after Parthiv Patel’s fall, he steered the chase again.
The Wankhede wicket was slow and he got a life at nine when Jason Roy, at mid-wicket, put him down off Basil Thampi. Thereafter, he hardly tried lofting the ball until the fifth over off Thampi, when he hoisted him over extra cover. Rana looked set to score more after his fifty. But a deceptive slow, wide ball from Andrew Tye got rid of him when he edged to the 'keeper.