Kohli’s Class, Patidar’s Punch, Krunal’s Control Seal RCB Historic Win

RCB Historic Win After defeating the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the corresponding match against the Chennai Super Kings for the first time in 17 years at the Chepauk stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the MI at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time in ten years in what is turning out to be a year of breaking jinxes.

Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma gave RCB a serious fright, adding 89 in 34 balls from 99 for 4 in 12 overs, despite the team’s 221-run victory. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Krunal Pandya put on a defensive masterclass to deny MI after MI was reduced from 123 off eight overs to 41 off the final three.

Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar both reached rapid fifties before Jitesh Sharma’s final kick put them at 221 despite three superb overs from Hardik and the return of Jasprit Bumrah. It was Kohli’s first IPL under-30-ball score since 2018 and his fastest T20 fifty since 2019. Patidar was able to start cautiously because of his intention before dismantling Hardik, who had repressed the other batters.

The mark was by no means out of MI’s grasp, but at the end of the 12th over, MI had only a 2.25% chance of victory after Hazlewood and Suyash Sharma bowled their first five overs for just 21 runs. Tilak’s 29-ball 56 and Hardik’s incredible 42 off 15 made it an even match, but in the 18th and 19th overs, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood hit enough yorkers to give Krunal 18 to defend in the last over. He consigned his brother’s team to a second straight defeat by 12 runs.

Padikkal and Kohli make easy work after taking an early wicket.

Devdutt Padikkal blasted his first ball for a four, but Trent Boult struck in the opening over of an innings for the 31st time in the IPL. After the powerplay, RCB reached 73, but the intent continued. Padikkal took 32 off 15 and Kohli took 36 off 19. To reach fifty in 29 balls, Kohli, who typically lowers anchor, used slog sweeps to take on the spinners in the seventh and ninth overs.

Hardik engages in a game of cat and mouse

Padikkal was removed for 37 off 22 by Vignesh Puthur’s left-arm wristspin, but Hardik’s wide lines were what choked the RCB in the middle. As Kohli continued to try huge shots, Patidar was able to keep an eye out for an 8 off 10 start.

Then, with 20 off his final over, Patidar was able to move across, take Hardik for runs, and rearrange Mitchell Santner’s numbers. With 33 balls remaining, Hardik reached 144 for 5 after taking the wickets of Liam Livingstone and Virat Kohli in the same over thanks to his wide lines.

Jitesh and Patidar end in style

Bumrah, who has been sidelined since the first week of January due to a back issue, was set to bowl two of the final five overs. Therefore, RCB needed to score a lot of runs at the opposite end. In order to destroy Hardik’s numbers to 4-0-45-2, Patidar took 33 off of 12. Boult was condemned to his most costly T20 analysis of 4-0-57-2 after Jitesh took 24 off eight of him. In the 18th and 20th overs, Bumrah was dismissed for just 14, but RCB felt they had caused enough damage.

Suyash and Hazlewood gave RCB a significant lead

That conviction was only strengthened when the MI upper hierarchy was worried by Suyash’s odd behaviour and Hazlewood’s flawless lengths. With a brilliant DRS review from Jitesh, Hazlewood removed Ryan Rickleton before giving up just two runs in the powerplay’s last over. It was Suryakumar Yadav who was in the news. After this over and one from Suyash, he was eight off thirteen. In addition to adding just 41 runs in six overs with Will Jacks, Suryakumar was dropped twice, which made things worse for MI. MI needed to reach what would have been the second-highest successful target in the final eight overs of an IPL match when they eventually caught Suryakumar at the end of the 12th over.

Dramatic end

Similar to how Patidar took the final overs of Santner and Hardik for a plenty, Tilak, who was retired out in MI’s most recent game, kept Hardik off strike for seven balls but took 17 off Suyash’s final over in those seven balls. In just seven balls, Hardik turned the tide of the match with the coolest and sweetest of boundaries when he was finally hit. Hazlewood hit two sixes and two fours off these seven balls, while brother Krunal hit two sixes.

The ask was now 71 off 33 with Hardik 32 off 7. In an attempt to disrupt Hardik’s rhythm, there was some gamesmanship, but MI persisted. The following over got off to a strong start from Bhuvneshwar, but Tilak took 13 off it with a six and a four. It was still just a bit more than two a ball. With some slower balls, Yash Dayal was able to get away, but MI was still in it thanks to a late six.

Now, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar dealt nearly exclusively in yorkers. Santner hit a six off a low full toss from Hazlewood, Hardik hit a four, and Naman Dhir hit a six off the first ball when they missed even a little.

Krunal gave Santner and Deepak Chahar just enough power to be caught on the boundary, but MI still needed 19 runs from the final over. Krunal’s best IPL stats were 4-0-45-4.