The game was a pendulum, constantly swinging, constantly switching sides, ball after ball. In the end, it was down to the Desert Vipers needing three runs to win off the final ball, and it was Shaheen Afridi’s night, getting a big edge of luck, and some more luck with the throw coming in at the wrong end. Here’s how it went – 

The last ball: 3 runs needed off 1 ball 

Trent Boult went full, Shaheen Afridi made room, slashed, got a big outside-edge that ran very fine. The man from sweeper ran there, saved the four, and then threw the ball to the keeper’s end. Alas, three runs were taken, but subsequent replays showed that had the throw gone to the non-striker’s end, Afridi would have been well short of his ground. Our four-match winning streak, sadly, won’t see a fifth. 

Rayudu and Akeal rebuild after initial wobble

MI Emirates had a rare bad start in this game, with Kusal Perera fell to Mohammad Amir off the second ball, Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher attacked in the powerplay, but in 7.3 overs, the score was down to 58/4. Ambati Rayudu (23) and Akeal Hosein (24) took their time, saw off the threat and rebuilt the innings, laying the platform for Tim David and his final assault. 

Tim explodes like only he can  

14 balls, 28 runs, with two fours and two sixes. When the innings was stagnating just that tad bit, Tim David came in, provided the impetus, and lifted MI Emirates to a fighting 149. And boy, what a fight it was! 

The Vipers rocked in the powerplay

21/1, 25/2, 26/3, 28/4. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rohid Khan were breathing fire in the powerplay, rocking the Desert Vipers’ chase. However, Wanindu Hasaranga, Azam Khan and Ali Neser chipped in with useful partnerships to keep them in the hunt and never let the game get too far away. 

Sherfane’s cameo turns the table again, and then the drama! 

With 21 runs needed off 17 balls, and with Sherfane Rutherford batting on a 21-ball 35, it looked like he’d take the Vipers home. But good ol’ DJ Bravo had other ideas, foxing with a slower one. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir kept chipping in with singles though, took the game deep, and with 10 runs needed off the final over, brought the equation down to three runs being needed off the final delivery, before that outside-edge broke our hearts.