Suryakumar Yadav struck a 17-ball 50 while Ishan Kishan smashed a half-century in style as the Mumbai Indians made shortwork of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) target of 197, to win their IPL match by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Thursday.
SKY’s 52 off 18 balls at a strike rate of 288 and Kishan’s 69 off 34 balls struck at 202.94 were the highlights of the Mumbai Indians batting as they reached 199/3 in 15.3 overs.
Rohit Sharma’s 38 and skipper Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 21 off six balls also helped the home side get over the line after Jasprit Bumrah’s fifer helped them restrict RCB to 196/8 in 20 overs.
Bumrah 1st bowler in IPL to take five-for vs RCB
Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah’s fifer and Dinesh Karthik’s masterful half-century ensured Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru were even stevens at the halfway mark.
Bumrah’s exceptional spell of 5/21 in four overs at an economy of 5.25 made all the difference for the home side but that effort was neutralised towards the end by Karthik’s explosive innings at the back end as RCB accumulated 196.
DK heroics propel RCB score
The Bengaluru side’s total was owed largely due to the efforts of Dinesh Karthik, who played a supremely brilliant knock of 53 at a strike rate of 230. Quickfire knocks from Rajat Patidar (50) and Faf Du Plessis (61) also contributed to RCB’s eventual total.
Earlier, RCB were off to a fairly sedate start with Faf Du Plessis scoring a four and a six in the first and second overs off Mohammad Nabi and Gerald Coetzee.
Virat Kohli was the quieter of the two and when Jasprit Bumrah was introduced he was unable to get the scoreboard ticking along.
Virat Kohli suffers rare failure
After two dot balls off the first two balls, Bumrah got his man when Kohli’s big heave to the leg side was found the inside edge and Ishan Kishan made no mistake to take a good catch diving to his left.
New man Will Jacks had clearly come with intent in his mind as he squatted Bumrah’s full ball on his toes for a four between fine leg and deep square leg.
RCB were struggling at 18/1 after three overs and Bumrah had done the big damage that he was expected to do.
Mumbai Indians made things doubly harder for RCB as Akash Madhwal showed Jacks the way to the dressing room getting him to commit to a big shot that found Tim David at mid-on.
Faf leads from the front
Du Plessis was waging a lone battle for RCB as he was going at a strike rate of 157 after the end of the powerplay with his team at 44/2.
The South African had cracked two fours and as many sixes in his 22 off 14 balls at the end of six overs.
The 50-run partnership between Du Plessis and Rajat Patidar came up in the ninth over in just 30 balls at a run-rate of almost 10 as RCB got a grip on the game and upped the ante.
At 76/2 after nine overs, the team from India’s tech capital were definitely in the game thanks to the stand between Du Plessis and Patidar.
Patidar finally finds form
Patidar’s aggressive streak was what got the RCB run-rate really up and running into almost 9 an over as he moved to 36 off just 19 balls with three fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 189.
The visitors were 89/2 after 10 overs and well set for a thrust into the last ten.
Patidar was absolutely on fire in the 12th over as he blasted Gerald Coetzee for two consecutive sixes and bringing up his fifty in the process.
The 50 came off just 25 balls as it gave RCB the much needed momentum but his joy was shortlived as Coetzee got him out off the third ball when he had him caught behind by Kishan.
RCB were 105/3 in 11.3 overs and again looking to rebuild but with a run-rate of 9.13 with them as the visitors targeted a 200-plus total.
DK's finishing touch
Du Plessis brought up his 34th IPL fifty and 66th in all T20s in the 14th over as RCB laid the foundation to launch in the xlast five overs.
Dinesh Karthik showed why he is still relevant in T20 cricket with two scoops in the 16th over off Madhwal.
It took Tim David’s brilliant catch at long on off Bumrah to end Du Plessis’s fine innings of 61 in the 17th over as MI pulled things back.
Bumrah sent back Mahipal Lomror as well as RCB seemed to be losing their way after holding promise of touching 200.
Saurav Chauhan comes in as Impact Player for Patidar as RCB aimed to get the final flourish in the last three overs of the innings.
Bumrah completed his fifer in the 19th over picking the wickets of Chauhan and Vijaykumar Vyshak off consecutive deliveries to nearly wrap up the RCB innings.
