Mumbai: Jasprit Bumrah made a much-awaited return to the Mumbai Indians lineup and expectedly bowled well but Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode on quick-fire half-centuries by Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar to post a massive 221/5 in Match 21 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
Kohli hit some brilliant shots in his 67 off 42 balls, studded with eight fours and two sixes, while skipper Patidar blasted a 32-ball 64 as RCB made the most of some insipid bowling by Mumbai Indians.
Bumrah bowled well within himself and was his usual miserly self in the death overs for figures of 4-0-29-0 while Pandya returned with best figures for MI with 2/45.
RCB started well with 73/1 in the power-play, added 78/3 in the middle overs before ending it with 70/2 in the death overs.
Asked to bat first after Hardik Pandya won the toss, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a brisk start despite losing Phil Salt in the first over. Salt hit a boundary off the match’s first ball, bowled by Trent Boult, but had his off-stump uprooted on the second delivery as a well-pitched delivery sneaked past the bat to crash into the stumps.
Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli went after Boult and Deepak Chahar. Boult’s second over went for 16 runs with Padikkal smashing him for a six while Kohli enjoyed a boundary. Chahar’s second over was even better for RCB as Padikkal blasted back-to-back sixes through mid-on and mid-wicket, followed it up with a four. By the end of the power-play, RCH had reached 73.1 in six overs.
Padikkal departed soon for 37 off 22 balls, hitting eight boundaries and two sixes, caught by Will Jacks off young spinner Vignesh Puthur. He shared a 91-run stand for the second wicket with Virat Kohli. RCB were 95/2 with a lot to play for.
Kohli, who survived a massive lbw shot early in his knock, capitalised on the conditions as he struck a half-century off 29 balls, hitting Boult for two superb boundaries off successive balls in the third over after hitting Charar for his first four of the match.
He struck eight fours and two sixes — one off Bumrah and one off Puthur, this one hit on one knee, bringing in his 29-ball fifty. Pandya ended his India teammate’s hopes of reaching his first century of the season, Naman Dhir picking up an easy catch at deep mid-wicket as Kohli miscues a back-of-length ball wide outside off, trying to manufacture a boundary behind square on the leg side. He scored 67 off 42, his second half-century of the season. Pandya then sent back Liam Livingstone two balls later as Mumbai Indians fought back, reducing RCB to 144/4 in the 15th over.
Patidar took over from there, hitting some superb shots in a display of sheer power-hitting. He blazed to his fifty off 25 balls, and along with Jitesh Sharma added 69 runs for the fifth wicket.
Patidar and Jitesh Sharma hammered Pandya for 23 runs in the 17th over as the skipper blasted two sixes and a four off successive balls, while Sharma helped himself to a four — RCB racing towards 200 in the 18th over. They manhandled Boult for 15 runs in the 19th over before the New Zealand pacer got the RCB skipper off the last ball, having him caught by keeper Ryan Rickelton off an attempted scoop.
Jitesh Sharma struck a couple of hefty blows as he remained unbeaten on 40 off 19 balls, hitting Bumrah for a big six in the penultimate delivery.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 221/5 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 67, Rajat Patidar 64, Jitesh Sharma 40 not out; Hardik Pandya 2-45, Trent Boult 2-57) against Mumbai Indians.
(IANS)
