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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Awesome men, be unreal if they can defend their crown, national treasures.
An Irish athlete has won a gold medal in rowing, and yesterday 2 of them in swimming thats 3 gold medals for Irish athletes so far. Though 2 of them were representing GB they are still Irish, and it should be noted, not many gold medals come to these shores.
@Kingshu: awh now, We give out shit when the Brits claim ours we can’t be doing the same!
@Mike O’Loughlin: in NI the Irish and British identities are not mutually exclusive, a large number of people are both, that doesn’t make them less Irish.
@Kingshu: no gold yet in rowing
@Kingshu: but you are right all for ni are irish but we perfer when the tri colour and anthem is played
@Mike O’Loughlin: just to add Jack McMillan represented Ireland in the last Olympics.
@Square: Gold in rowing was Hannah Scott from Colraine.
@Kingshu: ya but no tri colour are anthem so she british gold
@Square: Irish athlete won a gold medal. The tri colour isnt the flag of every Irish person in Ireland. Like Jack McMillan we should be proud of another Irish person winning gold.
@Kingshu: na he is GB
@Square: did you say that when he was swimming for Ireland in last Olympics? Representing Ireland or GB he’s still Irish, and I’m proud when any Irish athlete gets a gold medal, are you not?
@Kingshu: when running for GB its different as i said we dont support GB is all im saying i know he is irish but dont support GB
@Square: So you’re letting your hate of GB trump your love for the Irish?
@Kingshu: i hate nobody are any country lets leave it now