Put in to bat, the hosts made a mockery of MI’s bowling unit and ended up posting 214/3 in their allotted 20 overs. Though at one stage, Punjab were 95/3 in 11,2 overs but the likes of Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma turned the tables, taking MI bowlers to the cleaners to take Punjab to a formidable total.
Livingstone, in particular, was the chief destructor, smacking unbeaten 82 runs from just 42 deliveries, with the help of 7 fours and 4 humongous sixes. The English star spared no one, especially his national teammate Jofra Archer, hitting him three sixes in an over.
It happened during the penultimate over when Livingstone went for the full monty and smashed three back-to-back sixes in the first three deliveries. Archer first went for a slower bouncer but Livingstone seemed to be ready as he gave himself some room and smacked it over the long-on for a 91-metre six.
Archer then bowled a full delivery just outside off and Livingstone get in a perfect position to hit the white leather for another mighty maximum. The England batter wasn’t looking in a mood to settle down as he once again slammed Archer for a biggie to the widish long-on region to bag three consecutive sixes.
Here’s the video:
FIFTY & going strong ??
This has been an entertaining innings from the @PunjabKingsIPL batter ????
Can he finish on a high note?
Follow the matchhttps://t.co/QDEf6eqX22 #TATAIPL | #PBKSvMI pic.twitter.com/7taq5q5I67
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 3, 2023
Interestingly, in the mid-innings break, Livingstone revealed that he had lunch with Archer earlier in the day and the Bridgetown-born paceman had told him that he would come after Livingstone in the match.
“I had lunch with Archer today, and he said he was going to come after me. He (Archer) knows what I don’t like. Playing spin was a bit harder, but I picked up bowlers pretty well today,” Livingstone said in the mid-innings break.
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.