Rana, Pandya pull off sensational chase against Kolkata

A 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Nitish Rana and Hardik Pandya seized an unlikely four-wicket victory for Mumbai as they trumped Kolkata with one ball to spare in the Indian Twenty20 tournament at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

At the 15th over stage, Mumbai - chasing 179 - had pegged their hopes on Kieron Pollard to close the 64-run gap with 30 balls remaining. But with a mounting required rate, Pollard stumbled in the 17th over to Chris Woakes. His departure brought Hardik and Rana together, and the duo was left with no choice but to attack from the onset with 60 required off 23 balls.

Rana began the onslaught by flat-batting Woakes over cover in the same over, before Hardik recorded his first boundary. Still 49-runs adrift with 18 balls remaining, the Pandya-Rana combine needed to find another gear, and they did so by tearing into Trent Boult with two sixes and a four in the 18th over to reduce the deficit to 30. Rana went from 29 off 23 to 50 off 28, and fell after clubbing Ankit Rajpoot for a six and four in the 19th over. Hardik hit the winning runs in his 11-ball 29. The duo had scored at an impressive 17.57 runs an over and their stand took Mumbai from 119 for 5 in 16.1 overs to 160 for 6 by 18.3 overs.