On This Day: Harbhajan Singh blasted maiden IPL half-century vs KXIP in IPL 2015

Harbhajan Singh blasted maiden IPL half-century: Mumbai Indians’ spinner went berserk against Punjab in an unsuccessful chase.

On this day, Mumbai Indians spinner Harbhajan Singh signed for a role-reversal as he blasted his maiden Indian Premier half-century during the seventh match of IPL 2015 against Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai.

Chasing a 178-run target, Harbhajan unexpectedly found himself in the middle as the hosts were reduced to 59/6 in the 14th over. Needing an improbable 119 runs to win from off 38 balls, Harbhajan gave MI a real chance at winning a match.

Playing only his second delivery, Harbhajan took on KXIP all-rounder Rishi Dhawan as he hit him down the ground for a boundary. Harbhajan, then 34, accumulated two more boundaries off Dhawan to bring down the equation to requiring 99 runs from five overs.

While Harbhajan hit a six off Punjab spearhead Mitchell Johnson in the following over, he ended up hitting Anureet Singh for three consecutive sixes in the 17th over.

On the last delivery of the 18th over, Harbhajan hit Dhawan for a four through point to register the then fastest IPL half-century by a Mumbai Indians’ player.

With 30 runs to win off the last over, Harbhajan eventually holed out to Sandeep Sharma at deep point off Anureet. That being said, him scoring 64 (24) with the help of five fours and six sixes earned him accolades from opposition players and home spectators.

A seventh-wicket 100-run partnership between Indians all-rounder Jagadeesha Suchith (34*) and Harbhajan is till date the highest seventh-wicket partnership in the IPL.

Earlier, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma had won the toss and invited the visitors in to bat. On the back of captain George Bailey scoring 61* (32) with the help of four fours and three sixes, Punjab has posted 177/5 in 20 overs. Among the Punjabi bowlers, Johnson was the pick of them with bowling figures of 4-1-23-2.

Harbhajan Singh blasted maiden IPL half-century

For more cricket-related news, click here.