KL Rahul scored a well-timed half-century to lead Punjab Kings to a crushing 9-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in Chennai on Friday.

Chasing 132 for victory, Punjab openers Rahul and Mayank Agarwal gave them a brisk start getting to 45 off the Powerplay overs.

After Agarwal's dismissal in the 8th over, Gayle took time to get off and the required run rate crept a bit. But once Gayle got into his groove, he fired on all cylinders and stitched a 79-run partnership with  Rahul as they took Punjab to victory. 

Boult back in the attack and Gayle just picks the ball on length and pulls it over mid-wicket for a huge six!

Gayle then gets a single to backward square leg before Rahul gets hold of the full toss and smashes it over cow corner region for a six.

Attempted yorker next, Rahul digs it out and the ball goes to the third man for a boundary to bring up the winnning runs.

Bumrah back in the att1ack and after a dot, Gayle gets a single towards backward point.

Rahul then gets a single with a shot in the air to get to his half century.

Gayle then gets one ripper as the ball spits up off the pitch and hits his bottom hand. That was a slower one. 

Gayle then whips the next one off his pads to backward square leg for a four as Chahar makes a hash of it at the boundary.

A single to end the over as 7 come off it.

33 needed to win off the last 5 overs and Krunal back in the attack.

The ball spins viciously as it beats Rahul, de Kock takes out the stumps. Third umpire says not out.

Rahul getting tested by Krunal here before he gets to the pitch of the ball and punches the ball to covers for a single to bring up the 100. 

32 needed off 36 now.

Krunal comes over the wicket to Gayle and bowls a wide.

Krunal then bowls full and Gayle slog sweeps to square leg for a four as Bumrah parries the ball to the boundary as he misfields. 

After two wides, Gayle goes big but the ball falls short off Hardik coming in from the deep. 

9 come off the over as 24 needed off 24. 

Jayant continues and after a dot, the next ball is quicker through the air, in the slot and Gayle smashes it over the bowler for a six.

Jayant then tests Gayle with some turning deliveries and bounce with the drier ball. Gayle survives the over as 6 come off it. 

Medium pacer Pollard into the attack now and Gayle starts the over with a single before Rahul gets a single to sweeper cover.

Round the wicket next and Gayle tries to cut the short ball but misses out and gets a single to the off side. 

Slower ball, on to Rahul's pads and he moves across and clips it over backward square leg for a six.

Rahul then gets a quick couple to covers. 

Rahul then plays the ball back but it falls short of Pollard on his follow-through. 

11 come off the over.

Jayant continues and that's quick and flat and Rahul plays it to short third man for a couple. 

After a single, Gayle then gets into the groove as he hits back-to-back fours.

A dot later, Gayle gets a single to mid-wicket as 12 come off it. 

Punjab consolidate in this over.

Pressure mounting a bit for Punjab as runs dry up.

The required run rate now up to over 7.

chahar continues and Rahul starts the over with a single. Gayle then plays two dots before Gayle plays the ball to fine leg for a four.

The batsmen then take a single each as 7 come off it.

Jayant continues and just one comes in the over. 

After the timeout, Chahar continues and after a single to Rahul, Gayle plays a dot before he slog sweeps to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Rahul then gets a single past point before Gayle taps the ball to the on side and runs a single. 

Rahul then gets a single to long on as 5 come off it.  

Offie Jayant in the attack now and after a dot Rahul gets a single to square leg before Gayle plays out the over watchfully as just one comes in the over. 

Gayle is the new man in but Rahul has strike and he takes a single to long-off.

Gayle then gets off the mark with a punch to long-off. 

After a dot, Rahul gets a single as 4 runs and a wicket come in the over.

Chahar back in the attack and Rahul starts the over with a single.

Next ball, tossed up, Agarwal takes the long stride and goes for the big shot, can't get the distance and he is caught by Suryakumar at long-on. He goes for 25 off 20.

Krunal back in the attack and after a single to Rahul, Krunal bowls down the leg side and Agarwal does well sweep and play it down to square leg for a four.

Agarwal then gets a single to short fine.

A dot later, Rahul gets a single before Agarwal survives a beauty as he gets beaten on the turn.

7 come off the over. 

Punjab have done well to take to the attack against MI bowlers and get off to a flyer in the first 6 overs.

Bumrah back in the attack and after a dot, Rahul creams the ball to extra cover for a single. 

Agarwal then uses the pace of the ball and times it to perfection down to third man for a four.

Three dots to end the over as 5 come off it. 

Chahar into the attack and after two dots, the ball holds up and Rahul is cramped for room as he plays the ball straight towards the bowler who dives but the ball flies wide of him. After a single, Agarwal is beaten. 

Agarwal then gets a single to mid-wicket and another single to end the over as 3 come off it.

Boult back in the attack and Rahul plays the ball to third man and the there is only a single there.

Agarwal then gets a four to backward point.

No ball called next as the ball goes high and Agarwal plays the romp shot over the vacant slip area for a four. 

Free hit but Agarwal only gets a single to covers. 

Rahul then gets a single to sweeper cover.

Two dots to end the over as 12 come off it.

Bumrah in the attack now and Rahul starts the over with a couple to square leg. 

After two dots, the ball gets big on Rahul as he tries to play it down to third man. No run.

Slower, short ball, outside off stump and Rahul mistimes the pull but it flies over fine leg for a six!

Single to end the over as 9 come off it. 

Krunal in the attack now and Rahul starts the over with a dot before Rahul cuts the next one through the gap behind point for a four.

Short ball next and Rahul rocks back and pulls it over mid-wicket for a four.

Rahul then gets to the ball and taps it to cover and takes a single.

Agarwal plays a dot and he is yet to get off the mark before he goes inside out and smashes the ball over covers for a six as 15 come off it.

Four wickets have fallen in the last four overs and on a challenging wicket, MI can score just 131 for 6.

Batting was not easy, and MI got off the mark very slowly -- 21 in the powerplay -- and after the fall of two wickets, Surya and Rohit put on a fightback before, Punjab pulled it back in the death taking 4 wickets giving just 26 runs in the last 4 overs. 

Jayant is the new man in, Pollard has strike but all he can manage is a single to long-on as Shami has bowled a brilliant last over to give just 6 runs and a wicket in the over. MI finish at 131 for 6. 

Shami continues and Pollard starts the over with a single to extra cover as he digs out the yorker. 

Another yorker and Krunal plays it to long-on for a single.

Full toss, Pollard goes after it but the ball falls between two fielders on the onside and he takes a couple. 

Another yorker nicely picked up and played to long-on for a single.

Short ball that bounces on him, Krunal cuts it, the ball goes aerial and Pooran completes a good catch at deep backward point. He goes for 3. 

Krunal is the new man in but Pollard has the strike, Pollard gets a edge and Gayle does well to stop it at short third man. Just a single off it. 

Lovely yorker that Krunal digs out and plays to deep mid-wicket and he gets off the mark with a quick couple. 11 runs and a wicket come in the over.

Arshdeep back in the attack and he starts slow and short and Pollard creams it over long-off for a six.

Pollard then gets single to short third man.

Slow, wide full toss next and Hardik takes a swipe but misses it.

Wide ball next before Arshdeep bowls in the slot, Hardik tries to go after the slower ball but only manages to play it down the throat of Hooda at long-off. He goes for 1 and MI lose their 5th wicket.

Hardik is the new man in and after a dot, a full toss that Hardik plays down to long-on to get off the mark. 

Slower ball next that Pollard plays down to third man for a single. 3 runs and a wicket come off it.

Shami continues and Pollard picks out the yorker and plays it down the ground for a single. 

A dot later, Shami bowls a low full toss and Rohit flat bats it only to find the fielder at square leg. He is caught out by Allen for 63.

Arshdeep continues and after a dot, Surya goes down the track, inside out and smashes the ball over covers for a six!

Surya then gets to the pitch of the fullish ball, goes down on one knee and slogs it to square leg for a single.

Arshdeep then bowls to the pads and Rohit gets a single to long leg. 

A wide ball later, the ball bounces a little to take Surya by surprise. Dot ball.

Slower ball, holds on Surya and he takes a single to extra cover. 

Hooda back in the attack and Rohit starts the over with a couple. 

After a dot, Hooda bowls short and Rohit waits for it and smashes it over mid-wicket for a six!

Rohit then gets a single to third man.

Surya then clips the ball to backward square leg for a single. 

Rohit then tries to slog but misses, dot to end the over as 10 come off it. 

MI finally getting their footing into the match as Surya ups the ante.

Left-arm medium pacer Arshdeep comes into the attack and Rohit starts the over with a single.

After a dot, Surya opens the face of the bat and plays it down to third man for a boundary.

Surya then plays the ball to covers and scamper for a couple. 

Two dots to end the over as 7 come off it.

After the time-out, Allen continues, Surya goes inside out and gets a single to sweeper cover.

Full ball next and Rohit gets a single to extra cover.

After a single to Surya, Rohit plays a dot before Allen bowls a full toss and Rohit smashes the ball over the cow corner region for a six. That's the first of the night.  A single to end the over as 10 come off it. 

Bishnoi continues and Rohit starts the over with a check shot, his chip falls to no man's land. He gets a single towards point. 

After two dots, Surya gets a single as he sweeps the ball behind square leg. Two dots to end the over as just two come off it.

Left-arm bowler Allen comes into the attack as Suryakumar Yadav is the new man in. 

And Allen starts with a full ball that Rahul plays towards backward point, the fielder can't get to it and the ball races to the boundary.

Another wonderful boundary in the same region to lift MI's spirits. 

After a dot Rohit and Surya get three singles off each ball as 11 come off it.

Leggie Bishoi in the attack and after a dot, Rohit gets a single to the leg side. 

The batsmen then deal in singles and a couple before Kishan gets done in by a googly as he tries to cut, gets the edge and is well caught by Rahul behind the stumps.

Mumbai have struggled here in the Powerplay overs and this is lowest score by any team this season in the first six overs.

Shami replace Hooda Ishan gets a single to start the over.

After a dot, Rohit taps the ball down and scampers for a single.

A dot later, Shami bowls an inswinger that Kishan punches down to long-on for a single. 

Rohit then flicks the ball down to the leg side and hares down the pitch for a single. 

Henriques continues and after three dots, Kishan scampers for a single to mid-off. 

Rohit then plays a drive but cannot go past the in-field.

Full toss on the leg stump next, Rohit goes down on one knee and slog sweeps it to fine leg for a four. That is his first good shot of the evening. 

Hooda continues and Rohit takes a single to long-on to start the over. 

Kishan then gets a superb ball that turns sharply.

After two dots, Kishan gets a single off the last ball as just 2 come off it.

Ishan Kishan is the new man in.

Henriques continues and he forces Rohit to drive. Luckily Rohit gets no edge. He survives again.

Rohit then gets a single to long-on.

After two dots, Kishan gets off the mark with a single to point.

Rohit ends the over with a single to mid-on.

Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul has won the toss and elected to field against Mumbai Indians in their IPL match, in Chennai, on Friday.

MI play an unchanged squad while Punjab make one change -- Ravi Bishnoi comes in for Murugan Ashwin.

Mumbai Indians would be aiming to address their batting woes to achieve consistency while Punjab Kings would be desperate to arrest their overall slide. 

The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai crashed to defeat against Delhi Capitals following an inept batting performance and will look for redemption. The skipper shone with the bat, but others could not get going and the misfiring middle-order would be a major concern for the side.

The Mumbai Indians bowlers have more often than not risen to the occasion and won matches for the team.

However, they couldn't do so against Delhi and would like the batters to put up bigger scores for them to do the job.

Rohit looked in good touch against Delhi. However, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, stars of the team's victorious 2020 campaign, have not been able to make match-winning contributions and that has hurt Mumbai Indians along with middling performances from Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers -- Hardik and Krunal.

Punjab have flattered to deceive after a winning start. Being shot out for 120 by Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday hinted at bigger problems for the KL Rahul-led team, which has more than one issue to resolve, especially its composition.

The formidable batting unit hasn't hit the straps, save for Rahul and Mayank Agarwal and the bowling has been pedestrian.

'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle has not been able to boss over proceedings while his fellow West Indian Nicholas Pooran, expected to provide the big shots in the middle, has come a cropper so far.

Three straight losses would have definitely dented Punjab's morale and the team needs to recover quickly or else its play-off hopes would slip fast.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult.

Punjab Kings: KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Moises Henriques, Shahrukh Khan, Fabian Allen, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh.