Under the scanner due to his fitness issues, Hardik Pandya produced a timely knock (40 not out off 30 balls) that earned Mumbai Indians a vital six-wicket win over Punjab Kings at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Stroke-making didn’t appear to be too easy on the Abu Dhabi surface, especially against spinners and when pace was taken off the ball. Sent in to bat, Punjab laboured to 135/6, thanks to Aiden Markram (42) and his 61-run stand with Deepak Hooda for the fifth wicket.

Mumbai found the run chase to be tough right from the onset and it looked harder for them when a well-set Saurabh Tiwary (45) departed with still 44 needed off 29 balls. Hardik wasn’t looking very settled and was also given a reprieve on 7 when a relatively easy chance was put down off the bowling of Arshdeep Singh, who was economical till his final over that went for 13.

Pollard (15 not out off 7 balls), who earlier took two wickets, hit Arshdeep for a four and a maximum in the 18th over. Thereafter, in the penultimate over, the experienced Mohammed Shami erred in his line and length and that gave Hardik adequate room to chance his arms. Mumbai clinched the game in that over itself. Hardik hit a four and a six off the last two balls of the 19th over.

Courtesy this win, Mumbai moved up to No. 5 in the standings with 10 points from 11 games. While for Punjab, at sixth, the scenario gets harder.

Despite a below-par total, Punjab were still in the game when young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi struck twice in two balls, removing Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, the second one with a perfect googly.

But their perennial problem of failing to seize the key moments hurt Punjab once again.