MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies batsmen Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard both failed as reigning champions Mumbai Indians slumped to a heavy nine-wicket defeat to new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants, in the opening game of the new Indian Premier League season here yesterday.
Opting to bat first, Mumbai showed plenty rust in stumbling to 121 for eight off their 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium but Supergiants experienced no such glitches, racing to their target in the 15th over.
Opener Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with an unbeaten 66 off 42 deliveries and put on 78 for the first wicket with South African Faf du Plessis who made 34 from 33 balls.
Englishman Kevin Pietersen chipped in with an unbeaten 21 off 14 balls.
Earlier, Simmons managed just eight at the top of the order while Pollard scored just one at number six, as Mumbai’s batting collapsed.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh top-scored with an unbeaten 45 off 30 balls batting at number eight while middle order batsman Ambati Rayudu chipped in with 22.
Simmons, a member of the West Indies T20 World Cup winning squad last week, looked to be finding his touch when he clobbered pacer RP Singh for a straight six in the third over.
However, he perished in the next over, playing across a full length inswinger from seamer Ishant Sharma at 29 for two.
Pollard was fifth out in the eighth over with the score on 40, lbw to medium pacer Rajat Bhatia, playing back to one that came in.
