Kieron Pollard absolutely went nuts to smash the Sunrisers Hyderabad into orbit as the Mumbai Indians kept themselves on course for the playoffs in IPL 2013 with a thrilling seven-wicket win.
Chasing 179, after the Sunrisers got to 178 for three, thanks to an all-round batting effort, Mumbai were staring down the barrel needing 62 from the last four overs.
Pollard (66 in 27 balls) decided to take centre-stage at that point, and in the company of Rohit Sharma (20 in 15), smoked the Sunrisers for 50 runs - yes 50! - in just 12 balls, which included seven boundaries from eight balls off Pollard's blade -- six of thoses being maximums -- to take the home side to 184 for three with three balls to spare.
Mumbai jumped to the top of the points table with the win, joining second-placed CSK and Rajasthan Royals on 20 points. RCB are fourth on 16 points, the same as the Sunrisers, with the defeat for the Hyderabad side meaning Kings XI Punjab and KKR's hopes of making the playoffs remain alive.
Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith were again the openers for the Mumbai Indians, and after a decent first three overs, Smith (21, 17b, 4x4) was walking back to the pavilion, with Ishant Sharma cleaning up the West Indian with a straight delivery.
Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik, though, built a good partnership of 68 from just over eight overs.
Both players were looking good and comfortable at the crease, with Tendulkar, after initially taking his time, cutting loose in the 12th over off Karan Sharma.
A brilliant straight hit for four was followed by a massive 88-metre six from the Little Master, as the crowd went crazy watching their idol take the attack to the bowlers.
However, that huge maximum came at a price, with Tendulkar, unable to grip the bat due to cramps on his left wrist, forced to retire hurt while on 38 (31b, 3x4, 1x6).
The over went from great to bad to worse when Dinesh Karthik sent a leading edge to Cameron White at cover as Mumbai lost both their set batsmen in the space of a couple of deliveries.
Mumbai needed 84 from eight overs at that point, with Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu at the crease. Rayudu, however, did not last too long, befuddled by Karan Sharma (two for 22) with Parthiv Patel completing a nice stumping.
With four overs remaining, Mumbai needed 62 runs as the home side's hopes rested on Rohit and Pollard.
The game turned in the 17th over, when Thisara Perera was taken for 29 runs, with Pollard smashing the Sri Lankan for a four and three consecutive sixes, which was studded by another maximum from Sharma earlier in the over.
Suddenly the equation was a much more makeable 33 from three overs, as Mumbai looked to give the capacity crowd something to smile about.
Pollard continued the ridiculous assault in the next over, taking Amit Mishra for three sixes, which meant the West Indian had an unbelievable six maximums and one four from eight balls.
Mumbai now needed just 12 runs from the final two overs, which Pollard (66, 27, 2x4, 8x6) finished with a couple more huge sixes.
Earlier, it was a very well-paced T20 innings from Sunrisers, which took them to a formidable total.
Parthiv Patel (26, 14b, 5x4), who played such a nice little innings in the last game, set the tone perfectly in the first over, taking the in-form Mitchell Johnson for four boundaries, with the over yielding 19 runs.
The Sunrisers raced to 38 in 3.4 overs, before Lasith Malinga, having an underwhelming IPL 2013, accounted for the dangerous looking Patel.
The Hyderabad side's left-hander could not keep his pull shot down off a short ball from Malinga, with Ambati Rayudu completing a simple catch at deep square-leg.
Shikhar Dhawan took up the mantle after Patel's wicket, playing some delightful shots, particularly through the offside - although a slog sweep for a massive six off Pragyan Ojha also stood out.
The Sunrisers opener and youngster Hanuma Vihari allied for 73 runs from just nine overs, keeping the run rate at well over eight runs an over, and setting up the platform for a big score.
Dhawan got to his 50 in the 11th over, courtesy a delightful cover drive, but a couple of overs later Mitchell Johnson got the vital wicket. Dhawan (59, 41b, 6x4, 2x6) failed to read a slower delivery from Johnson, attempting a late waft, which only found an edge through to wicketkeeper Karthik.
However, Dhawan's wicket did not slow down the Sunrisers charge, with Vihari putting on a 55-run partnership with Cameron White off a mere 5.4 overs as the away side looked to edge themselves towards the 200-run mark.
Vihari fell for a well-played 41 (37b, 4x4) in the penultimate over from Malinga (two for 26), as a couple of fairly tidy final couple of overs kept the Sunrisers to 178 for three, despite a maximum off the last ball of the innings from White (43, 23, 3x4, 3x6).
