Mumbai Indians have notched up their eight win of the season, with a convincing show against the RCB. The Mumbai bowling fired at the home ground, with Mitchell McClenaghan and Hardik Pandya claiming 3 and 2 victims respectively. However, despite initial hiccups, RCB were able to post a competitive total of 162 in their allotted 20 overs. It promised to be an interesting fight, and so it was, with Mumbai’s middle order collapsing in a heap before skipper Rohit Sharma hit a half century to mount a formidable rescue. He was helped along by cameos from Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, and was awarded the Man of the Match for his 31st IPL half century and excellent leadership. With this win, Mumbai are now clear of KKR at the top of the table with 16 points in 10 matches, while RCB have just 5 in 11 matches, and are almost certainly out of contention for the playoffs.
MI : 165/5, 19.5 overs; MI win by 5 wickets
Watson to Rohit, FOUR, to long off, and MI have won their eight match this season. This was not an easy win, but they are home.
Four consecutive singles, and MI are only two runs away. Pandya and Rohit have shown some real gutso here, arresting the collapse and building a death overs partnership.
Wide! Poor delivery by Watson.
Shane Watson will bowl the last over. RCB need a miracle to win this match now.
Aravind to Rohit, 1 run, to backward point, brings up the captain’s well deserved half century. 11 runs off the over, Mumbai need 7 off the last over.
Aravind to Rohit, SIX, brilliant. Just brilliant. Rohit knows that it will be on a length and slower, knows that it will be majorly outside off as well, so what does he do?
Sreenath Aravind [1.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack
MI : 145/5, 18.0 overs
MI need 18 runs off 12 balls, the last over has very well cost them the match.
Aniket Choudhary to Hardik Pandya, SIX, and the last ball has cost 7. Could well cost RCB the match as well.
Aniket Choudhary [3.0-0-20-1] is back into the attack
Eight runs and a wicket off the over.
Watson to Karn Sharma, out Caught by Milne!! Watson has his right fist raised in triumph. After getting Karn Sharma. Short ball on the stumps, Karn Sharma didn’t do enough on the pull and Milne took it over his head at deep square. Just a bit more and that would be six. Kohli is happy as well. A much needed wicket for RCB. Karn Sharma c Milne b Watson 9(8). Hardik Pandya is back on the crease, will be interesting to see how he copes with the injury before.
Watson to Rohit, FOUR, Chahal at extra cover gave that up very easily. But that was timed so beautifully by Rohit. A back foot punch with a high backlift, hitting the ball on the top of its bounce, the weight going into the shot and powered away. Great start to the over
11 off the over, including a wide. RCB bowling need to do better if they are to win this one. Shane Watson will bowl the 17th one.
Chahal to Karn Sharma, FOUR, smashed straight down the ground, can Kohli get there? He can but in trying to pull it back, doesn’t deflect it back inside the playing area. It was too full and Karn Sharma knelt down to hit that back over the bowler
Chahal to bowl the 16th over.
MI : 114/4, 15.0 overs
10 runs off this over. 49 needed off just 30 balls.
Aniket Choudhary to Rohit, FOUR! Aniket over pitches this full delivery, Rohit leans forward and drives hard through cover, Chahal dives to his right and gets a hand on it, yet the ball comfortably reached the fence.
Aniket Choudhary to Rohit, FOUR, that’s nicely played. Full and well outside off stump, Rohit waits for the ball to come and square-drives it past backward point.
Aniket Choudhary [2.0-0-10-1] is back into the attack.
Six runs off the over. MI should look for a push in the coming overs.
Krunal Pandya is walking off the field. He’s retired hurt. But why did they send him? Maybe to counter Negi and Chahal? Karn Sharma walks ahead of the other Pandya. So a leftie replacing a leftie. So yes, that’s the logic behind sending Krunal in despite the injury
Negi to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, in the airrr, on the bounce to long-on and Pandya had to dive in the end. Normally an easy run, but he’s not alright after hurting his hip in the field and that dive would have made things worse. The helmet comes off and immediately calls for the physio. The dive looked a little comical, but Pandya is in pain.
Krunal Pandya into the attack.
Chahal to Pollard, out Caught by Head!! Chahal’s got his man. He almost had Pollard when he managed to hit that mistimed boundary, but this time the batsman has found the fielder. They check for the no-ball, but Chahal just escapes. By a centimetre or so. This is certainly not an easy wicket to bat on against the slower bowlers. It’s stopping on the batsman or gripping the surface when the length isn’t too full. Pollard stepped out and flicked, no timing and straight to deep mid-wicket. Pollard c Head b Chahal 17(13)
Chahal to Pollard, FOUR, Pollard gets a boundary but the bowler won the mini battle there, the batsman stepped out, was the googly, Pollard went through with the swing, mistimed it but managed to place it to the right of long-on
Just two singles and a double off the over, Negi is having a dream spell. He has 2 wickets for 11 runs in his 3 overs. Chahal to bowl his third over.
12 off the over. Rohit and Pollard will look to end this soon. Negi is the next bowler.
Milne to Pollard, FOUR, turns out to be a 12-run over, just what MI wanted to get that momentum back. On the leg stump was the slower delivery, no one at fine leg and a gentle glance was all that was required.
Milne to Rohit, FOUR, poor delivery! This is a pressure-releaser. Short and wide outside off stump, really poor delivery, Rohit cuts uppishly to the left of backward point and third man had no chance.
Adam Milne into the attack now.
MI : 74/3, 10.0 overs
4 runs and a wicket off the over. Mumbai are in a real soup.
Negi to Nitish Rana, out Caught by Head!! Negi continues to have a good match. 30 odd runs and now two wickets. With the left-arm spinner on, mid-wicket is an easy area to target for a left-hander as he can hit with the spin, Rana went for the big slog-sweep, seemed to have got it on the outside half of the bat. Head was close to the rope at deep mid-wicket. Took the catch, the momentum was taking him beyond the boundary. Released the ball before crossing over and recovered quickly to grab it again. Nitish Rana c Head b Negi 27(28). This is an important wicket. Pollard walks in to bat.
Negi is back into the attack.
Watson to Rohit, FOUR, Rohit has seen enough of this good length stuff from Watson. Decides to score a boundary, plays across the line and chips it over mid-wicket, splits deep mid-wicket and long-on to perfection.
Watson to carry on with his length balls.
Four runs and a wicket off a the over. This may be RCB’s comeback.
Negi to Buttler, out Caught by Head!! A really soft dismissal and you can tell that from Buttler’s reaction. Just wanted to throw that bat away. He was well set and looking good, the introduction of the left-arm spinner does the trick. Not a wicket taking delivery, but you do get wickets in this manner in T20 cricket. Flighted delivery outside off stump, Buttler steps out and drives inside-out, doesn’t control the shot, hits it straight to cover. Can RCB work on this opening? Buttler c Head b Negi 33(21). Rohit Sharma, right handed bat, is on the crease.
Pawan Negi, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
Three runs off the over, this was a good first over by Watson.
Shane Watson, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Chahal to Buttler, SIX, the idea was right from Chahal to flight the ball to the Englishman, but when it’s too full, the ball hardly has any distance to spin on the batsman. Buttler moves his left leg out of the way and smashes it high over the mid-wicket boundary. 8 runs off the over.
Yuzvendra Chahal [1.0-0-9-0] is back into the attack
Two fours, 11 runs off the over. The game is slipping away from Bangalore.
Four runs off the over, Aravind into the attack.
Aniket Choudhary [1.0-0-6-1] is back into the attack
MI : 32/1, 3.0 overs; Parthiv falls to first ball duck
Butler on strike, and three fours off him. Butler joins the party, with shots mid-wicket, and extra-cover. 17 off the over.
Chahal is into the attack, and two fours! Nine runs off this over, and Rana is looking in golden form. Adam Milne, right arm fast, is into the attack.
Six runs and a wicket off the over. Yuzvendra Chahal, right arm leg break, into the attack.
Aniket Choudhary to Nitish Rana, FOUR, freebie and Rana won’t miss out. He’s a man in form. Kohli would not want his bowlers to bowl such balls. On the pads, easy glance to the fine leg fence. First boundary for the hosts
Aniket Choudhary to Parthiv Patel, out Caught by Chahal!! This is just the start RCB wanted. It’s a golden duck for Parthiv. Chahal did well to dive forward from short mid-wicket. He slid on those practice pitches but held on to the ball. Parthiv Patel c Chahal b Aniket Choudhary 0(1). First ball duck, this is an important first ball wicket for RCB.
Parthiv Patel and Butler are at the crease. Parthiv Patel is on strike. Aniket Choudhary will open the attack
RCB : 162/7, 20.0 overs; Negi’s cameo helps RCB cross 160
This is an excellent last over, just 5 off it, and three wickets. McClenaghan finishes with figures of 3-34.
McClenaghan to Milne, out Aravind Run Out!! Aravind run out (Parthiv Patel) 0(0). This is a mini-batting collapse. RCB will miss the extra 10-15 runs of the last over.
McClenaghan to Kedar Jadhav, out Caught by Pollard!! This man makes it look so easy. Kedar Jadhav c Pollard b McClenaghan 28(22). Sreenath Aravind comes out to bat.
McClenaghan to Negi, out Caught by Pollard!! End of Negi. The back of the hand slower delivery, rolling the fingers across the ball, sits up to be smashed, but Negi can only find long-on with a pull. Negi c Pollard b McClenaghan 35(23). Excellent cameo by Negi. Adam Milne comes to bat.
McClenaghan to Negi, FOUR, can’t miss your length with this field. Since both long-off and long-on are wide. Full and outside off, blasted over the umpire’s head. Negi is playing a blinder here
10 off the over. McClenaghan to bowl the last over.
Bumrah to Negi, SIX, third six for Negi. Bumrah went for the slower delivery after two yorkers. Negi was sitting in his crease and waiting for that. A mighty swing over long-on and that’s the biggest of the lot for him.
Bumrah to bowl the penultimate over.
15 off the over. It is Negi all the way.
Malinga to Negi, SIX, second six of the over. Again it is Negi who is doing the damage. Rushed out and clouted the slower delivery high and long. Hardik at long-off tried his best, leaping with one hand to his right, but the ball was always winning that battle. Just over him and six. Negi might just do what Kohli and de Villiers could not.
Malinga to Negi, SIX, caught by the ballboy. Outside the boundary of course. RCB needed that. Negi backs away and picks the slower delivery, lofts well and off the middle of the bat. Just crossed the ropes at long-off and well taken low by the man who is the centre of attraction as the cameras pan to him
Lasith Malinga is in for the last over.
RCB : 132/5, 17.0 overs
Ten off the over. Bangalore are headed to a sub 160 score if, that is, they can push these last three overs.
Bumrah to Kedar Jadhav, FOUR, fabulous whip off the pads. Drifting into middle, a length delivery and Kedar Jadhav used his strong forearms to power it away, beats deep mid-wicket’s desperate dive.
McClenaghan mixes it up with the ball, only singles and doubles off it. Seven off the over, Bumrah to bowl the 17th over.
Just four runs off the over, including three dots. The Sri Lankan has come back in a big way in this IPL tournament. McClenaghan will bowl the next over.
Excellent over, five runs and a wicket off it. Lasith Malinga is the next bowler.
Bumrah to Watson, out Bowled!! Dreadful from Watson. Looks to swipe a top of middle ball to leg and misses. No conviction nor was it a high percentage shot.Watson b Bumrah 3(5). Pawan Negi walks in to bat. This collapse is what RCB has done all season.
RCB : 106/4, 13.0 overs; Krunal Pandya claims two
10 runs, a six and a wicket off the over. Pandya is finishing his spell with figures of 2-34. Jasprit Bumrah is back into the attack.
Krunal Pandya to de Villiers, out Caught by Bumrah!! After hitting the six, de Villiers tried to repeat the shot, a little shimmy outside leg to try and unsettle Krunal Pandya, who kept his cool and fired it on leg, then de Villiers came back into line, but since the ball came to him quickly, by the time he was down for the slog sweep, it was late, the top edge is found and Bumrah won’t drop that at short fine leg. Too easy that one. de Villiers c Bumrah b Krunal Pandya 43(27). Shane Watson, right handed bat, comes to the crease.
Krunal Pandya to de Villiers, SIX, great shot. Walks across his stumps, gets outside off and then sweeps it almost into the first tier. Sailed a long way into the deep backward square stands.
Nine off the over, Pandya to bowl his fourth over now.
Karn Sharma to Kedar Jadhav, FOUR, sees the tossed up delivery and is onto that in a flash. Skips down and blasts it straight down the ground. Clean strike and went the distance.
Seven runs and a wicket off the over. Pandya is having a dream season. Karn Sharma is back into the attack.
Krunal Pandya to Head, out Caught by Hardik Pandya!! Now finds deep mid-wicket. A drag down and somehow Head has contrived to find the man. Another soft, soft dismissal. Could’ve and should’ve hit it to the stands, but walks away gifting his wicket. Krunal Pandya gets a wicket off a delivery which wasn’t great by any means. But he won’t be complaining. Head c Hardik Pandya b Krunal Pandya 12(15). Kedhar Jadhav walks in.
Krunal Pandya is the next bowler.
Measured over from him, the brakes have been firmly placed on the flow of runs, just four runs off this over.
Karn Sharma back into the attack.
McClenaghan to Kohli, out Caught by Rohit!! And just like that he is gone. A harmless cutter down leg, Kohli has just chipped it head-high to mid-wicket to his opposite number. A dolly and Rohit can’t hide his smile. McClenaghan is busy fist pumping his way to glory Kohli c Rohit b McClenaghan 20(14). Huge blow for RCB, and it is all too familiar for them, the clump of wickets in the powerplay overs. AB de Villiers, right handed bat, is on the crease.
Nine runs off the over, Mitchell McClenaghan is back into the attack.
Bumrah to Kohli, and SIX! A little shimmy and picks the slower delivery, then the wrists take over. Like a flick of a switch, he uncorks those wrists and the ball sails a long way over long-on.
RCB : 31-1, 4.0 overs; Mandeep falls early
10 runs and a wicket off the over. Jasprit Bumrah is the next bowler.
Karn Sharma to Mandeep, out Caught by Hardik Pandya!! Mandeep holes out. To deep mid-wicket. Went down on one knee and tried to slog-sweep that but no connection whatsoever on that hit, easy catch for the fielder. He was going hard on everything and his misery ends. Mandeep c Hardik Pandya b Karn Sharma 17(13). Travis Head, left handed bat, is on the crease.
Karn Sharma to Kohli, SIX, a step forward and then thump over long-on. All bottom hand in that. Trademark Kohli. Saw the flight on that leggie and then thumped it with lots of wrist and the bottom hand took over
Tight bowling by the local bowler, just 5 off the over. Karn Sharma, right arm leg break, is into the attack.
Just 6 off the over. Hardik Pandya, right arm medium, is into the attack.
Malinga to Mandeep, FOUR, a slower ball yorker from Malinga that dips on the batsman, Malinga’s trademark weapon. But Mandeep picked that and got it wide of short fine inside the ring
Single to end the first over, 10 runs off it. Lasith Malinga comes into the attack.
McClenaghan to Mandeep, FOUR, a mistimed pull, but four. Over square leg. The length wasn’t there for the shot, but Mandeep muscled that.
McClenaghan to Mandeep, FOUR, Mandeep is off the mark first ball with a boundary. Width outside off, crashed wide of cover-point and on this outfield, no-one is stopping that.
Kohli and Mandeep are at the crease. Kohli is on strike. McClenaghan will open the attack
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Parthiv Patel(w), Jos Buttler, Nitish Rana, Rohit Sharma(c), Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Karn Sharma, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Travis Head, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav(w), Pawan Negi, Adam Milne, Sreenath Aravind, Aniket Choudhary, Yuzvendra Chahal
Rohit: “We were going to bat as well. We wanted to change things a bit, but now we got to execute well. Harbhajan is out with injury, Karn Sharma is playing.”
Kohli: “We are going to bat first. It is difficult to bowl during the day. It’s all about finding the right combinations, unfortunately we haven’t been able to do that this season, but it’s a learning curve. Three changes for us. Shane Watson in for Samuel Badree, Mandeep is back in place of Sachin Baby and Aniket replaces Binny.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to bat!
The Royal Challengers Bangalore clash with the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium today. RCB have had one of the worst runs of any team in the IPL this year, managing to win only two of their ten games played, and languishing at the bottom of the table, only above Delhi Daredevils, who have played three less games than the RCB. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have been the toast of this tournament, notching up seven wins in two matches, with players like Nitish Rana and Jos Butler proving their mettle from time to time. Mumbai did lose their last home match at the Wankhede against the Rising Pune Supergiants, and they will be keen to get back to winning ways at home today. RCB will also have some motivation to give it their all today, owing to some unlikely scenarios where they make it to the playoffs by winning all of their remaining matches and results of other matches going suitably.
