Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Inspired knocks from Anuj Rawat and Virat Kohli helped Royal Challengers Bangalore thrash five-time champions Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune. While batting first, Mumbai Indians started well as Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma played some cracking shots at the top-order and added 50 runs for the first wicket. But, as Rohit got dismissed, Mumbai faced yet another mini-collapse till Suryakumar Yadav's 68-run knock rescued MI.
Ishan Kishan (26 off 28), Rohit Sharma (26 off 15), and Surya Kumar Yadav (68 off 37) were some notable contributions to MI's innings, but Anuj Rawat (66 off 47) and Virat Kohli (48 off 36) ensured that RCB didn't face any trouble and chased down the target in 18.3 overs.
In the bowling department, W Hasaranga's picked two wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore, but none of the Mumbai Indians bowlers could impress with their spells. The clash between two quality teams was undoubtedly a thrilling encounter.
Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the match.
1. A 50-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma was struggling to score runs in the first couple of matches, but his innings against RCB have indicated that he is back in his form. He was middling the bowl and hit three beautiful boundaries in the powerplay to accelerate MI's innings. Ishan Kishan (26 off 28) and Sharma (26 off 15) added 50 runs on board for their side before Rohit Sharma was the first one to depart.
2. Mumbai Indians' mini-collapse
Five-time champions started well as their openers added 50 runs on board for the first wicket, but as Rohit got dismissed team lost five wickets in a span of 12 runs. When Rohit returned to the pavilion, the team's score read 50-1; Dewal Brevis, who came with a heavy reputation in the tournament, failed to impress as he departed just after 10-runs were added on board. MI was tottering at 60-1, but what came next was a troublesome sign for the side. Ishan Kishan (26 off 28), Tilak Verma (o off 3), and Kieron Pollard (0 off 1) got dismissed at the score of 62 as the spectators saw MI losing their prime batters quite early.
3. Suryakumar Yadav's 68 off 37 balls
SKY had made a stunning entry to the ongoing season as he has scored two successive fifties since his arrival. Yadav's 68 against RCB came at the moment when Men in Blue were struggling to add runs on board. But Yadav held the fort from one end while better kept changing on the other end. His innings had six 6s and five 4s, which is the testimony of his lethal batting on the day.
4. Anuj Rawat and Virat Kohli partnership
The duo added 80 runs on board with the help of several cracking shots all-around. Both the batters were struggling to score runs in the tournament, but the match against Mumbai saw them showing their true potential. While Kohli's strength is not a hidden secret anymore, young RCB opener Anuj Rawat finally lived up to the expectations of his team management, who have always heaped praise on him since the start of the season. Rawat failed to convert good starts into big scores in the first three matches of the season, but he didn't waste the opportunity on the fourth occasion. He scored a sensible 66-run off 47 balls where he showed positive intent while taking on the MI bowlers to slam six sixes.