IPL 9: Rising Pune Supergiants thrash Mumbai Indians by 9 wickets

Debutants Rising Pune Supergiants today made a splendid debut in the Indian Premier League by thrashing defending champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in the opening game of the season at the Wankhede Stadiumin Mumbai todayRising Pune Supergiants batsman Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the 2016 Indian Premier League IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai on April 9 2016 PicsAFPThe visiting team took early control of the Maharashtra state Derby by reducing MI to 30 for four during power play and then 68 for seven before Harbhajan Singh led the fightback with a breezy innings of 45 not out in 30 balls to help the hosts reach 121 for eightThe Supergiants made a fantastic start in the runchase with openers Ajinkya Rahane 66 not out and Faf du Plessis 34 pushing the score to 78 in 10 oversRising Pune Supergiants Ishant Sharma 2nd L celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Mumbai Indians captain and batsman Rohit Sharma during the 2016 Indian Premier League IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai on April 9 2016There was no stopping the visitors charge after this splendid start and the Supergiants surged to victory in 144 overs with Rahane remaining unconquered on a wellmade unbeaten half ton off 42 balls embellished with three sixes and seven fours along with Kevin Pietersen 21 not outRahane finished off the game in style by striking two sixes in 15th over from Hardik PandyaMI thus made another unpromising start to their campaign after having lost five and four games initially in the last two seasons respectivelyThe hosts struggled to get going after opting to bat first and were left struggling at 61 for six at one stage before recovering somewhatIndian Test pace spearhead Ishant Sharma and Australias Mitchell Marsh struck twice each to reduce MI to 30 for four inside the sixover power playMI could not recover from these early shocks and stuttered along and somehow avoided being shot out below their lowest score at this venue 92 against Delhi Daredevils in 2012Rising Pune Supergiants Ishant Sharma celebrates after taking the wicket of Mumbai Indians batsman Lendl Simmons during the 2016 Indian Premier League IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai on April 9 2016Among the frontline batsmen only Ambati Rayudu 22 in 27 balls reached double figuresLater Harbhajan Singh used the long handle to make an inningshigh 45 not out in 30 balls inclusive of one six and seven fours He also added 28 runs the highest of the innings with R Vinay Kumar 12 for the eighth wicket and 25 for the unfinished ninth with Mitchell McclenaghanMumbai Indians batsman Harbhajan Singh L plays a shot during the 2016 Indian Premier League IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai on April 9 2016For the league debutants Ishant 236 and Marsh 221 did the early damageRajat Bhatia 110 and leggie Murugan Ashwin 116 also got among the wickets along with Ravichandran Ashwin 17 who came in to bowl his first and only over after 15 overs and RP Singh 130Rising Pune Supergiants Ishant Sharma R celebrates after taking the wicket of Mumbai Indians batsman Hardik Pandya during the 2016 Indian Premier League IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants at The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai on April 9 2016MI got off to a lousy start by losing their top four batsmen including last seasons top two rungetters Lendl Simmons and captain Rohit Sharma inside the first five overs with 30 on board