Image: Royal Challengers Bengaluru break Wankhede curse with thrilling win over Mumbai Indians / © News18
The IPL season 18 looks to be a perfect match for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise, who are on a winning run in the Indian Premier League, as they have beaten the Mumbai Indians by 12 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, breaking a ten-year jinx at the venue. The high-scoring thriller saw RCB post a daunting 221/5 before holding off a valiant fightback from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma to secure two valuable points and climb to third on the points table.
Having lost the toss and asked to bat first on a batting-friendly surface, RCB suffered an early blow as Phil Salt was dismissed for 4 off just two balls by Trent Boult in the opening over. But that proved to be the only success MI had in the powerplay as Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal stitched together a solid second-wicket partnership worth 91 runs in just 52 balls. Kohli looked in vintage touch, playing with fluency and aggression, bringing up his half-century in just 29 balls, his fastest IPL fifty in seven years.
He smashed 8 fours and 2 sixes in his 67-run knock off 42 deliveries before falling to Hardik Pandya in the 15th over. Devdutt Padikkal played a handy role too, scoring 37 off 22 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes, before falling just before the halfway mark to Vignesh Puthur. The real boost to RCB’s innings came from skipper Rajat Patidar, who walked in at No.4 and tore into the MI bowling attack. Patidar’s explosive 64 off 32 balls featured 5 fours and 4 towering sixes, taking the game away from the hosts during the middle and death overs.
He struck at a strike rate of exactly 200 and was especially severe on Boult and Chahar. Despite a golden duck for Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma kept up the momentum with a blistering unbeaten 40 off 19 balls, striking 2 fours and 4 sixes. His late cameo powered RCB past the 220-run mark. Tim David chipped in with a run-a-ball single at the end. RCB finished with a strong 221/5 in their 20 overs, scoring at 11.05 runs per over.
In the bowling department for MI, Trent Boult was expensive but picked up two wickets, conceding 57 runs in his 4 overs. Hardik Pandya also picked two wickets but leaked 45 runs. Bumrah, returning after 93 days from injury, was the most economical with figures of 0/29 from 4 overs, delivering tight spells during the powerplay and at the death.
Chasing a steep 222, the Mumbai Indians needed a brisk start but lost both openers inside four overs. Rohit Sharma (17 off 9) was bowled by Yash Dayal, and Ryan Rickelton (17 off 10) was trapped lbw by Josh Hazlewood. Will Jacks tried to anchor the innings but fell to Krunal Pandya for 22 off 18 balls. Suryakumar Yadav struggled for timing and was eventually dismissed for 28 off 26 by Yash Dayal.
At 99/4 in the 12th over, MI were staring down the barrel, but the game suddenly came alive thanks to a sensational counterattack by Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya. The duo stitched together a rapid 89-run partnership in just 32 balls, targeting all the RCB bowlers. Tilak brought up his half-century in just 26 balls and eventually scored 56 off 29, with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Hardik was even more aggressive, hammering 42 off just 15 balls at a strike rate of 280, with 3 fours and 4 sixes.
Just as MI looked to have a real chance, Hazlewood returned to dismiss Hardik in the 19th over, and with that breakthrough, RCB regained control. Krunal Pandya then stepped up with the ball to clean up the tail, taking four wickets for 45 runs in his spell. He dismissed Naman Dhir (11), Santner (8), and Deepak Chahar (0) in quick succession. MI eventually finished on 209/9, falling short by 12 runs despite a late surge.
Among RCB’s bowlers, Hazlewood (4-0-37-2) and Yash Dayal (4-0-46-2) were the most effective pacers, while Krunal Pandya’s all-round performance, four wickets and key overs in the middle, earned him one of the most impactful performances of the match. Suyash Sharma, brought in as an impact player, bowled a tidy spell of 4-0-32-0. For his game-changing knock in the first innings, Rajat Patidar was awarded the Player of the Match. His 64-run blitz in the middle overs ensured RCB had a winning total on the board. Kohli’s knock and leadership at the top, Jitesh’s late fireworks, and Krunal’s all-round display made this a memorable win for Bengaluru.
This victory marks RCB’s third win in four games, placing them firmly among the top contenders for the playoffs. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians continue to struggle, with this being their fourth loss in five matches, despite having a strong batting lineup and home advantage.
Their bowling concerns, especially in the middle overs, continue to haunt them as they are now on the 8th position in the points table, and hence it’s a matter of concern for them now. RCB will now look to carry this momentum into their next fixtures, while MI will need to regroup quickly if they are to turn their season around.
Seeing the TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game, it has to be the one where Krunal Pandya bowled to his younger brother Hardik Pandya in a high-stakes face-off that had everyone on the edge of their seats. The 15th over of the innings turned into a dramatic family affair as Krunal tried to outwit his sibling, but Hardik had other plans. It began with Tilak Varma picking up a single before Hardik took charge. What followed was sheer carnage, two mammoth sixes off consecutive deliveries sent a strong message.
The first, a slot delivery outside off, was launched over wide long-off. The very next, angled into leg, was slog-swept into the deep square leg stands. Krunal looked rattled and ended up bowling two consecutive wides, trying to go wide outside off but missing his mark. He even pulled out of his run-up once, perhaps second-guessing himself or trying to throw Hardik off. The over ended with three singles and a brace for Tilak, but it was Hardik’s back-to-back sixes and the silent intensity between the brothers that made this over unforgettable.
The whole match between MI and RCB was filled with some of the best innings, but the man who changed the course of the game was Jitesh Sharma, who came up in the death overs and turned up the heat with an explosive knock. Walking in after the fall of Liam Livingstone, Jitesh wasted no time in settling down and took on the MI bowlers with fearless hitting. He smashed 40 runs off just 19 balls, which included two powerful fours and four big sixes, striking at an incredible rate of 210.52.
His innings came exactly when RCB needed a final push to reach a huge total, especially after Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli had already set the tone. Jitesh’s ability to find the boundary regularly and keep the scoreboard moving helped RCB cross the 220-run mark. His aggressive approach not only put pressure back on the MI bowlers but also gave RCB the upper hand heading into the second innings.