Krunal, Kohli, Patidar star on dramatic evening as RCB win in Wankhede after 10 years

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won a thriller against Mumbai Indians to win their first game against them at the Wankhede Stadium since 2015. MI had defeated RCB in 6 previous matches at the Wankhede Stadium over the last decade. On Monday, they tried fiercely to protect that record but it wasn’t to be.

A Virat Kohli special was almost eclipsed by Tilak Varma’s half-century and another gutsy performance by MI skipper Hardik Pandya before his brother Krunal played a crucial role to help RCB to a rare win in Mumbai. MI, chasing 222, got off to a poor start with another failure for Rohit Sharma. Ryan Rickleton, Will Jacks and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed within 12 overs with MI still needing 123 off 8 overs. That they got so close and lost only by 12 runs was only due to the efforts of two men – Tilak and Hardik.

When MI collapsed to 99 for 4 with the exit of a struggling Suryakumar Yadav in a HUGE chase, you would not have given MI any chance even with Hardik Pandya walking in to join Tilak Varma. A few days back, Tilak was retired out after failing to up the tempo in a stiff chase against Gujarat Titans while Hardik failed to make the connections he needed to in the final over.

Monday night against RCB was different. Hardik smashed Josh Hazlewood for a six off the first ball he faced and then cut loose like even he rarely has. That wasn’t it. Moments later, Hardik turned his attention in his brother Krunal, hitting him for two sixes and then sharing a smile but the tension in the middle was palpable.

Tilak was relentless and he did not even spare Bhuvneshwar Kumar who became the third highest wicket-taker in the IPL on the same night as the carnage from the MI batters. Tilak and Hardik Pandya added 88 runs in a little over 5 overs in an astonishing display of brute hitting which left RCB’s bowlers gasping for breath. The Wankhede Stadium was abuzz as they witnessed one of the greatest T20 games of all time.

MI had had needed 29 off the last 2 overs vs GT a few nights back and on Monday they needed 28 off the last 2 overs. Hardik had done all the hard work until then and he had done all the hard work tonight but it was not to be. MI lost Tilak and Hardik in quick succession and the task was just a little too much for the lower-order. With 19 needed off the final over, Krunal dismissed Deepak Chahar and Naman Dhir to seal victory for RCB.

RCB started off with bang. Phil Salt smashed Trent Boult for a boundary first ball and was dismissed second ball. It was then all about Virat Kohli who hit his second fifty of the season and the 57th overall. Kohli was in terrific touch and even hit Jasprit Bumrah for a six off his first over. The whole game was built on the Kohli vs Bumrah battle and despite that shot, the rest of the face-off was a bit of an anti-climax.

Kohli was the top-scorer for RCB and Bumrah the most economical bowler for MI and the two showed their class in a high-quality contest. The whole show wasn’t all about Kohli of course. He did become the first Indian to score 13000 T20 runs and he is now the most successful batter against MI but Devdutt Padikkal smashed 37 off 22 while captain Rajat Patidar clobbered 64 off 32 in a superb display of power-hitting.

RCB were already on course for 200 but Jitesh Sharma’s 19-ball 40 propelled them to 221 for 5 off their 20 overs. Hardik Pandya was once again the pick of the bowlers for MI and finished with 2 for 45 – his figures ruined only by an expensive final over but he is now well in contention for the Purple Cap with 10 wickets alongside Noor Ahmad of CSK who has a better economy rate.

This was MI’s second successive 12-run defeat in a big chase and even though these are early days in the season, they are getting into a situation where every game could soon become must-wins. RCB, meanwhile, continue to get better with every match and are playing like a well-oiled machine.