IPL: De Kock's century in vain as Punjab Kings cruise to 7-wicket victory

PBKS won the toss and elected to bowl first under the lights, a decision that paid rich dividends as they restricted MI to 195/6 before knocking off the target of 196 with ease.

Mumbai Indians got off to a nightmare start, slumping to 12/2 inside three overs. Arshdeep Singh struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Ryan Rickelton for 2 and then the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck.

But Quinton de Kock, the veteran South African, refused to buckle. Dropped down to open after the early blows, he produced a masterclass, smashing an unbeaten 112 off just 60 balls (8 fours, 7 sixes) to keep MI in the contest.

He found solid support from young Naman Dhir, who bludgeoned a rapid 50 off 31 balls, stitching together a 122-run third-wicket stand that rescued the innings. Hardik Pandya (14) and Tilak Varma (8) added late cameos, but the total always felt a touch light on the high-scoring venue.

Punjab Kings' chase was ruthless from the outset. Opener Prabhsimran Singh set the tone with an explosive 80 not out off 39 deliveries (11 fours, 2 sixes), while captain Shreyas Iyer played with trademark elegance, smashing 66 off 35 (5 fours, 4 sixes).

The pair added 139 runs for the third wicket in just 66 balls, turning the game into a procession. Priyansh Arya (15) and Cooper Connolly (17) provided the early fireworks, and Marcus Stoinis finished things off with a quick 10 not out. The Kings reached 198/3 in just 16.3 overs, their highest IPL chase at Wankhede.

For Mumbai, AM Ghazanfar was the pick of the bowlers with 2/31, but the rest of the attack was carted around at over 12 runs an over. Arshdeep Singh (3/22) and Marco Jansen (1/30) were the standout performers with the new ball for PBKS, setting up the victory.

It was a night that belonged to the batters, but Prabhsimran Singh's blistering knock and Arshdeep's early breakthroughs proved decisive. Punjab Kings move up the table with a statement win, while Mumbai Indians will need to regroup quickly after this high-scoring defeat.

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