Mumbai qualify

A power-packed 66 from 27 balls that was laced with eight towering sixes by Kieron Pollard changed the complexion of the game to such levels that Mumbai Indians pulled off a sensational seven wickets win over Sunrisers Hyderabad after some hiccups at Wankhede Stadium here on Monday. In effect, Mumbai Indians made it to the play-off and jumped to the top of the charts with 20 points from 14 matches.

Pollard was destructive in his batting. The bowler to pay a heavy price was Thisara Perera who was smashed for 29 runs, including four sixes, in one over that virtually took the match away from Sunrisers. Skipper Rohit Sharma also pitched in with a breezy 20 to give the host a clean sweep on home ground. Earlier, the visiting team posted a healthy 178 runs for the loss of three wickets. Karan Sharma brought the game alive when he dismissed Dinesh Karthik (30) and Ambati Rayudu (2) in quick succession after Sachin Tendulkar retired hurt to make Mumbai 99 for three. At the score of 94, Tendulkar was seen walking back to pavilion massaging his left palm. After addition of a run on board, Karthik gave gave an easy catch to Cameron White off Sharma. Ishant Sharma fired the first salvo when he accounted for Dwayne Smith (21) in the fourth over. Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan led the way with a stroke-filled half-century as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a challenging 178 for three. Electing to bat, Dhawan made a fluent 41-ball 59 laced with six fours and two sixes and later captain Cameron White played a breezy knock of 43 off 23 balls to enthrall a near sell-out crowd at the Wankhede Stadium. Incidentally, this was the highest team total posted by the Hyderabad franchise in this edition. Sunrisers started off well with wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel scoring a 19-ball 26 and sharing a 38-run partnership with Dhawan for the opening wicket before being caught by Ambati Rayudu off Lasith Malinga at deep square leg. Dhawan, who had earlier smashed an unbeaten 55-ball 73 against the same opposition on May 1, then found an ably ally in next man-in Hanuma Vihari and both mixed caution with aggression to take the team's toal past 100-run mark. Dhawan, in the process, brought up his fifty with a drive through covers off Malinga. Both added 73 runs for the second-wicket stand before Dhawan was caught by Dinesh Kathik behind the stumps off Mitchell Johnson. White joined hands with Vihari in the middle and continued the onslaught. White survived a chance on 27 when Rayudu spilled his catch off Johnson. The duo put on a 55-run stand off just 34 balls for the third wicket as Hydearabd looked set for an imposing total. However, Mumbai kept things tight in the final overs of the Hyderabad innings as Malinga came up with an economical spell, conceding just 12 runs off his two overs and picking up the wicket of Vihari, who scored a 37-ball 41. The Sri Lankan pacer was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai Indians with two for 26 while Johnson grabbed a wicket while giving away 43 runs. Brief scores: SRH 178 for 3 (Shikhar Dhawan 59, Cameron White 43no, Lasith Malinga 2/26) lost to MI 184 for 3 (Kieron Pollard 66 no, Sachin Tendulkar 38 retired hurt; Karan Sharma 2/22).