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After lower-order dasher Ashutosh Sharma played a stellar hand of 61 off just 28 balls, raising visions of an unlikely win for the Punjab Kings when all seemed lost in the stiff chase against the Mumbai Indians (MI), 360-degree batter Suryakumar Yadav praised the 25-year-old but said he wasn't "mini-Surya".
Earlier, in the Mumbai innings, Surya, nicknamed 'SKY' for his 360-degree shotmaking ability, produced a typically belligerent and breathtaking 78 off just 53 balls, helping his team set a stiff target for the Punjab-based franchise. After Punjab were rocked early in the chase of 193, Ashutosh scored 61 runs off just 28 balls at a strike rate of 217.86, keeping his team in the hunt. His knock was studded with 2 boundaries and 7 towering sixes. However, his brilliant innings, while reviving the Punjab chase, failed to get them over the line as they eventually fell short of just 9 runs. Speaking to JioCinema after the end of the game, Suryakumar said Ashutosh brought out his full range of strokes and has the mindset of being a game-changer with the bat. "He's not mini-Surya, I think he made a fantastic display of his skill and in that moment. I think if you bat like this...he almost won his team the match. I also have the mindset to come and bat and be a game-changer for the team...that's what he tried today. I had a lot of fun watching him bat," Suryakumar told JioCinema. "I can't say I wanted him to win the game for them, but the way he was batting, I really enjoyed watching it. I was relieved when Punjab's score was 14/4. I started to relax. As the game went forward, their lower order batted really well," SKY added. Star speedster Jasprit Bumrah (3/21) and Coetzee's (3/32) incisive spells, along with a scintillating 78 from Surya, proved to be the difference between the two teams in the end, as the Punjab Kings lost by 9 runs. (ANI)
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