Another exciting week in the IPL.
With all eight teams playing almost half of their league matches, the T20 jamboree moves to its business end.
The third week of IPL 9 turned out to be fruitful for defending champions Mumbai Indians while the Rising Pune Supergiants and the mighty Royal Challengers Bangalore continued to slide further down.
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com lists seven memorable moments from IPL 9, Week 3.
1. Parthiv silences critics
With many questioning his place in the mighty Mumbai Indians line-up -- at the expense of the dashing Martin Guptill -- the Gujarat wicketkeeper-batsman silenced critics by smashing a match-winning 81 off 58 balls against the Kings XI Punjab on April 25.
He may have been lucky to get several lifelines, including his wicket off a no-ball, but the little opener made the Kings XI pay heavily for those mistakes, hammering 10 fours and 2 sixes.
Parthiv and Ambati Rayudu (65 off 37 balls) helped the Mumbai Indians to an imposing target, which they defended in style.
Chasing a stiff 190, the Kings XI were restricted to 164/7, giving Mumbai Indians their third victory in seven outings while the Punjab franchise suffered its fifth defeat in six appearances.
2. Lions survive Morris attack
Chris Morris's whirlwind 82 not out off only 32 balls got the Delhi Daredevils agonisingly close to the 173 runs target set by the Gujarat Lions.
Coming in to bat after a top order collapse, the South African changed the game with 8 towering sixes.
Despite the big-hitting all-rounder's belligerence, the hosts fell one run short.
3. Pollard blitz flattens KKR
Kieron Pollard celebrated his 100th game for the Mumbai Indians by scoring the fastest fifty in the franchise's history.
The West Indian's 17-ball 51 included 6 gigantic sixes as he and skipper Rohit Sharma mowed down the Kolkata Knight Riders' 175 runs target.
It was Pollard's special gift for Mumbai Indians fans in IPL 9's last game at the Wankhede Stadium this season.
4. Steven Smith's maiden T20 ton
With his side's battling injury woes, Steven Smith showed why he is considered one of the best batsmen in world cricket.
The stylish Aussie registered his maiden century in Twenty20 cricket, smashing 101 off just 54 deliveries, as the Rising Pune Supergiants posted a challenging 195/3 after being put in to bat.
The Australian captain smashed the Gujarat Lions bowlers for 8 boundaries and 5 sixes.
Just as they countered Morris' mauling in their previous game, the Gujarat Lions had an answer to Smith's special innings.
Riding on a good start from their openers Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum, the Lions scraped past Pune in a tense last over finish.
Sadly, Smith will not be seen in action again this season, having been forced to pull out of the rest of IPL 9 because of a bothersome wrist injury.
5. Warner sinks RCB
Warner is truly on a roll in IPL 9.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper scored an explosive 92 off just 50 balls against Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore.
He dominated RCB's weakened bowling line-up, hitting 9 fours and 5 huge sixes, helping his side record an imposing 194/5.
Sunrisers coasted to their fourth victory as RCB lost their fourth game in six outings.
6. Axar takes IPL 9's first hat-trick
Axar Patel became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in IPL 9.
Riding on his 4/21, which included a split hat-trick, and Mohit Sharma's three scalps, the Kings XI defended a modest 154 runs against table-toppers Gujarat Lions.
The left-arm spinner's hat-trick is the 14th in IPL history. Axar joins a legion of greats, including former Kings XI captain Yuvraj Singh who had taken the first IPL hat-trick for the Punjab franchise on the same day (May 1).
7. Captain Rohit stands tall
He rightly deserves the title of 'Player of the Week.'
The Mumbai Indians skipper hit back-to-back half centuries to lift the defending champions' fortunes in the tournament.
While his unbeaten 68 runs off 49 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders was overshadowed by Kieron Pollard's fiery knock, Rohit followed it up with an unbeaten 85 off only 60 balls to single-handedly guide his side home against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Pune Supergiants.
With five half-centuries, four of which have come in a winning cause, Rohit is the second highest run-getter in IPL 9, just three runs short of current Purple Cap holder David Warner.
