Put in to bat on a good batting surface, Punjab Kings got off to a flyer thanks to quick runs by Captain K L Rahul and Mayank Agarwal at the top of the innings.
Once Agarwal perished in the third over, veteran Chris Gayle gave Rahul good company as he stepped on the gas after taking a few balls to take off.
Thanks to Gayle, Punjab raced to 50 in just 6 overs. Even after the Powerplay overs, Universe Boss didn't slow down. Along with Rahul, he ensured the scoreboard kept ticking with the singles and twos while punishing the gift balls.
After Gayle's innings was cut short with the score reading 89 for 2 in 10 overs, in strode Deepak Hooda.
After the mini Gayle storm, the time was right for a Hooda hurricane.
Hooda took very little time to settle down. He first went after leggie Shreyas Gopal and then clobbered left-arm medium pacer Shivam Dube for consecutive sixes.
Hooda started where Gayle left off as he creamed the bowling to all corners of the Wankhede.
Gopal was given the Hooda treatment in the 14th over with three sixes hammered to both sides of the wicket. Between the 12 and 14th overs, 48 runs were scored.
Hooda was in no mood to slow down as he got to his 50 in just 20 balls!
The 17th over cost Chetan Sakariya and Rajasthan 15 runs as a no-ball only added pressure on the young left-arm bowler who began the over well before Hooda clobbered three fours to tighten the noose around Rajasthan.
He was finally dismissed in the next over, but he had done the damage. Rahul finished the innings with a flourish as Punjab scored 221 for 5 in their 20 overs.
Hooda's brilliance allowed Punjab to post a big total and stay in the contest till the very end.
