Pune crush Mumbai by nine wickets in IPL opener

MUMBAI: Rising Pune Supergiants started their IPL journey with a victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians.Pune chased down the 122-run target with nine wickets and 32 balls to spare after their bowlers restricted defending champions Mumbai Indians to 121 for eight in 20 overs.Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten fifty to take Rising Pune Supergiants home with ease as the MS Dhoni-led new entrants began their Indian Premier League journey in an emphatic way.Rahane and Faf du Plessis put on 78 for the opening wicket to lead Pune to a commanding nine-wicket win over the hosts in the opening match of the ninth edition of IPL at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Rahane was in supreme touch as he remained unbeaten on 66 off 42 balls, after racing to fifty off 32, which included three sixes and seven fours. Kevin Pietersen, who joined Rahane after the fall of du Plessis, too was in his elements as he scored 21 not out off 14 balls with the help of two maximums. Pune then raced to the target of 122, with nine wickets and 32 balls to spare, in just 14.4 overs. Similar to Mumbai innings earlier, Harbhajan Singh was the only one with a wicket as he dismissed du Plessis, 34 off 33 balls, as Pune raced to 78/1 in 9.4 overs. After that, the arrival of Pietersen quickened the Pune run chase as they scored the remaining 44 runs in the next 30 balls.