In a dramatic Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match, Mumbai Indians’ Arjun Tendulkar faced a challenging moment, conceding 31 runs in a single over against Punjab Kings. This joint-most expensive over in IPL 2023 proved crucial in Mumbai Indians’ narrow 13-run defeat.
Despite a promising start in the match, Tendulkar Jr. struggled to maintain his momentum. After bowling an impressive first over and taking Prabhsimran Singh’s wicket in the early stages, his third over turned disastrous. Punjab Kings’ Sam Curran and Harpreet Singh Bhatia seized the opportunity to change the game’s dynamic, targeting Arjun Tendulkar’s 16th over.
The over started with a six from Curran, followed by a four, a single, and then an onslaught from Harpreet Singh Bhatia with 4, 6, 4 (no ball for height), and 4. This onslaught resulted in 31 runs being scored, making it the second-most expensive over in Mumbai Indians’ history. Daniel Sams holds the record for the most expensive over, conceding 35 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous edition.
The 23-year-old Arjun, son of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, made his IPL debut last week during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders. He took his first wicket in the league earlier this week against Sunrisers Hyderabad when he bowled a stellar final over.
Punjab Kings capitalized on Tendulkar’s expensive over and shifted the momentum in their favor. PBKS started the innings strong, even after losing Matthew Short’s wicket early on. Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide played impressively, pushing the score past the 50-run mark in just 5.3 overs.
However, Mumbai Indians managed to regain control in the middle overs, with Arjun Tendulkar taking Prabhsimran Singh’s wicket and Piyush Chawla dismissing Atharva Taide. PBKS were at 83/4 in 10 overs before Sam Curran and Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s counterattack pushed the score past the 100-run mark.
The 31-run over from Arjun Tendulkar became the turning point of the match, allowing PBKS to set their sights on a 200-plus total. The confident batting display from Curran and Harpreet left Mumbai Indians’ bowlers struggling, ultimately leading to their 13-run loss against Punjab Kings.