Follow UsJosh Inglis scored his maiden fifty in the Indian Premier League in the game against Mumbai Indians in Jaipur on May 26 and proved his worth in the batting order to the Punjab Kings management.
Inglis, who’s playing his first season of the most lucrative cricket league in the world, came out to bat in the fifth over at number three, after PBKS lost Prabhsimran Singh early on, chasing 185.
Since it was a really crucial encounter considering the winner would certainly end up in the top two and get two shots of making the final during the playoffs, Inglis’s role was double fold - He had to keep accelerating against MI’s competent bowling attack, and also ensure that the PBKS batting order doesn’t suffers a collapse.
The Aussie did both jobs to perfection, smashing nine fours and three sixes in his innings to score 73 off just 42 deliveries. He also had a splendid 109-run partnership in just 59 deliveries with young swashbuckling batter Priyansh Arya. Inglis batted like the senior batter he is and ensured that Arya doesn’t lose his cool.
Their century partnership was enough to bring PBKS close to chasing down the target and reaching the top two on the points table. He was eventually dismissed when the score was 171/3 in the 18th over, and winning was just a formality.
With the playoffs beginning soon, PBKS might have found a really solid number three batter who can allow the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis to bat with much lesser responsibility and a lot more freedom.