Ambati Rayudu (34) and Robin Peterson (16) creamed leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for 27 runs in the penultimate over to enable Mumbai Indians snatch a stunning four-wicket over Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match, in Mohali, on Wednesday.
Mumbai were in a precarious position after 18 overs, needing 32 from the last 12 balls, but some incredible hitting by Peterson and Rayudu helped the visitors chase down the 169-run target with one ball to spare.
Earlier, riding on the heroics of David Hussey's 40-ball 68 and his undefeated 89-run partnership with David Miller (34 off just 17 balls) for the third wicket, Kings XI put up a competitive 168 for 3 after electing to bat.
Peterson smacked a hapless Chawla for two fours and a six off first three balls of the 19th over and then Rayudu hoisted the leg-spinner for two sixes off the next two balls to change the complexion of the game.
The platform for the victory, though, was set by Rohit Sharma, who hit a blistering 50 off just 30 balls.
Rohit provided Mumbai's chase the much-needed impetus. His inspiring knock was studded with three sixes and as many fours. His dismissal off Parvinder Awana tilted the game in the favour of the hosts.
Mumbai needed 36 off 17 balls when Rohit was caught at backward point by Azhar Mahmood. Awana removed rival skipper Harbhajan Singh two balls later, loading the dice heavily in favour of his side.
However, Rayudu and Peterson took it upon themselves and stole an unlikely victory with tremendous hitting.
Electing to bat, Kings XI had slumped to 46 for 2 in the eighth over before Hussey steadied the ship. He found an able ally in Miller, who played a 17-ball 34 not out cameo.
Hussey hit four fours and an equal number of sixes in his knock while Miller smashed three sixes and a four. The duo, who came together in the 13th over, put on 89 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket stand from 7.1 overs.
For Mumbai, James Franklin, R P Singh and Clint McKay grabbed a wicket each. McKay, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Kieron Pollard came in for some stick from KXIP batsmen.
Munaf, who had bowled a disciplined line in his first two overs, found himself at the receiving end in the later part of KXIP innings as Hussey and Miller were in full flow.
Miller hit two sixes in the 18th over bowled by Munaf. He repeated it by hitting two sixes of the final two deliveries of the innings bowled by the same bowler.
Kings XI openers Nitin Saini (17) and Mandeep Singh (22) gave their side to a good start. Mandeep, in particular, was looking in good knick, scoring at a brisk pace. However, both got out while trying to accelerate the scoring rate.
R P Singh dealt KXIP the first blow when he had Mandeep, who made 22 of 16 balls including four hits to the fence, caught behind stumps when the batsman tried to give a charge to the bowler.
After Mandeep's exit in the sixth over at 35 for one, Saini (17) too, did not last long falling to Australian pacer McKay with Munaf in the deep barely holding on to the catch.
Mandeep also hit three boundaries off McKay in the third over.
Australian Shaun Marsh, who played a brilliant innings in the last match against Mumbai, and Hussey steadied the Kings XI innings after the two openers were back in the pavilion.
Marsh, however, did not look in his prime touch with Mumbai bowlers bothering him on a few occasions.
In contrast to his batting in the previous match, he consumed 26 balls for his 17 runs that included one four.
Trying to break the shackles, the left-hander handed out an easy catch to Harbhajan Singh giving Franklin his first scalp.
Mumbai included Petersen and McKay in their playing eleven, leaving out Pragyan Ojha. Punjab came into the match having beaten Mumbai by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
