MARTIN GUPTILLl TOOK one of the all-time great Indian Premier League catches before Kings XI Punjab fought off a potential record chase to keep their play-off hopes alive with a stunning seven-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.
Kings XI needed to win at the iconic venue to stay in the play-off hunt and Wriddhiman Saha’s magnificent 93 not out, after being promoted to opener, set the tone.
New Zealander Guptill (36 off 18 balls) and captain Glenn Maxwell (47 off 21) provided explosive assistance to the wicketkeeper as Kings XI thundered their way to a massive 230-3.
Lendl Simmons looked like mounting a response in kind by smashing five fours and four sixes for 59 runs before he was caught on the long-on boundary one-handed by a flying Guptill to wrest momentum back Kings XI’s way.
And though Kieron Pollard (50 not out off 24) and Hardik Pandya (30 off 12) threatened something truly great late on, the visitors clung on to move within a point of fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad with one round of group games to go.
Guptill has form for this kind of behaviour, here are some of his best:
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