In a crucial must-win encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium, Cameron Green's spectacular unbeaten century and Rohit Sharma's explosive half-century powered the Mumbai Indians to a comprehensive victory. The win keeps the Mumbai Indians' hopes alive in their quest for a spot in the Playoffs, with their fate now depending on the result of the last preliminary league match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans. Mumbai Indians' emphatic performance took them to 16 points, and their progress will be determined by Royal Challengers Bangalore's net run rate.
Chasing a challenging target of 201, Mumbai Indians displayed an aggressive intent from the start as they aimed to improve their net run rate and make things difficult for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the playoff race. After a quiet opening over, Ishan Kishan provided an explosive start by hitting K. Nitish Kumar Reddy for a six and a four in successive deliveries. However, Kishan's innings was cut short at 14 as he mistimed a pull shot and was caught superbly by Harry Brook at midwicket off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling.
Skipper Rohit Sharma joined forces with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, and the duo unleashed a blistering onslaught. They stitched together a magnificent 128-run partnership for the second wicket off just 66 balls, with both batsmen reaching their respective half-centuries along the way.
Rohit Sharma's knock of 56 off 37 deliveries included eight fours and a six. He rode his luck as he was dropped twice by Sanvir Singh, once by Umran Malik in the sixth over and again by Sanvir in the 12th over. Rohit's trademark pulls and drives propelled Mumbai Indians forward, and he completed his half-century in just 31 balls.
Meanwhile, Cameron Green's innings was nothing short of sensational. He launched a brutal assault on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers from the outset, showcasing his power-hitting skills. Green's innings was filled with boundaries and towering sixes as he raced to his half-century in just 20 balls. He continued his onslaught and reached a remarkable century off 47 balls, smashing eight fours and an equal number of sixes. The crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was treated to a masterclass in power-hitting as Green's innings had them on their feet throughout.
Rohit Sharma was the only Mumbai Indians batsman to be dismissed, falling victim to a stunning catch by Nitish Reddy off Mayank Dagar's bowling. However, Green remained unbeaten and was ably supported by Suryakumar Yadav, who contributed a quickfire 25 off 16 deliveries. Their unbeaten 55-run partnership for the third wicket ensured Mumbai Indians achieved a resounding victory.
With this commanding performance, the Mumbai Indians have kept their playoff aspirations alive. They showcased their dominance with the bat, especially through the remarkable innings of Cameron Green, leaving fans eagerly anticipating their upcoming matches as they fight for a spot in the IPL Playoffs.
Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 200/5 in 20 overs (Vivrant Sharma 69, Mayank Agarwal 83; Akash Madhwal 4-37) lost to Mumbai Indians 201/2 in 18 overs (Cameron Green 100 not out, Rohit Sharma 56, Suryakuamr Yadav 25 not out; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1-26).