Ashwani Kumar turned his fortunes around on Monday (May 26) with a sharp catch to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh during the high-stakes clash between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Chasing a competitive 185, Punjab openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya began cautiously, ensuring no early damage in the powerplay.
By the end of the third over, they had moved to 18 without loss. Sensing the need to accelerate, Prabhsimran looked to take on Deepak Chahar in the fourth over.
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He started with a scoop for six over fine leg, then followed it up with a four after a dot ball, putting the pressure back on the bowler. On the fourth delivery, he mistimed a shot straight towards mid-wicket where Ashwani Kumar had a golden chance to provide MI with a breakthrough. However, he spilled a regulation catch, leaving the MI camp disappointed.
Change of fortunes for Ashwani Kumar👏
He makes amends for a dropped catch by taking a well-judged catch in the very next over 💪#PBKS 47/1 after 6 overs!
Updates ▶ https://t.co/Dsw52HOtga#TATAIPL | #PBKSvMI | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/dVIMIFwxol
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2025
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) May 26, 2025
Luckily for Ashwani and Mumbai, the reprieve didn’t hurt much. In the very next over, Jasprit Bumrah struck. Prabhsimran, trying to loft a full delivery outside off from Bumrah, misjudged the shot. Ashwani, positioned at third man, sprinted forward and made no mistake this time. With a clean take, he not only dismissed Prabhsimran for 13 but also redeemed himself with a moment of athletic brilliance.
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At the time of writing, Punjab Kings had reached 105/1 after 11 overs, with Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis holding fort for the Shreyas Iyer-led side.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai Indians posted a solid 184/7 in their 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav led the charge with a fluent 57 off 39 deliveries, studded with six boundaries and two sixes, giving MI a fighting total to defend in a must-win encounter.
