MUMBAI: In a thrilling encounter that swung like a pendulum, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched a narrow 12-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium.
Chasing a daunting target of 222, MI were given hope by a blistering 89-run partnership off just 34 balls between Tilak Varma (56 off 29; 4×4, 4×6) and Hardik Pandya (42 off 15; 3×4, 4×6) for the fifth wicket after being reduced to 99/4 by the 12th over. With 41 needed off the last three overs, both batters fell within four deliveries, allowing RCB to breathe a sigh of relief and close out the game.
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This marked RCB’s third win of the season in four matches and their first win at Wankhede since 2015. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/48) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) played pivotal roles by dismissing Varma and Pandya in successive overs, while Krunal Pandya (4/45) held his nerve in the final over—removing Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, and Naman Dhir, conceding just six runs.
It was another heartbreak for MI, who lost their previous match to Lucknow Super Giants by the same margin—12 runs. Jasprit Bumrah was a rare bright spot, finishing with a tidy 0/29 in his four-over spell, giving away just 14 runs in his final two overs.
Earlier, RCB powered to 221/5 on the back of strong contributions from Virat Kohli (67 off 42; 8×4, 2×6), skipper Rajat Patidar (64 off 32; 5×4, 4×6), Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 22; 2×4, 3×6), and a late flourish from Jitesh Sharma (40* off 19; 2×4, 4×6).
Kohli, coming off two quiet games, returned to form in style with his 57th IPL half-century, laying the foundation for RCB’s mammoth total. The innings had a shaky start as Phil Salt was bowled by Trent Boult (2/57) in the opening over—his 31st first-over IPL wicket. However, Kohli and Padikkal’s 91-run stand off 52 balls turned the tide in RCB’s favor.
RCB reached 73/1 at the end of the Powerplay, with Kohli showcasing vintage flair. He opened his account with a boundary off Deepak Chahar and followed up with two more off Boult. But the standout moment came in the fourth over, Bumrah’s first—Kohli, facing him for the first time in the match, backed away and launched a six over mid-wicket, setting the tone for a dominant innings.
