Royal Challengers Bengaluru Triumph Over Mumbai Indians in Thrilling IPL Clash

RCB Ends Winless Streak with Narrow Victory

In a nail-biting encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) managed to break their six-match winless run by defeating Mumbai Indians (MI) by 12 runs in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Chasing a formidable target of 222 runs, Mumbai Indians made a valiant effort to recover late in the game, but ultimately fell short, marking their first loss at home against RCB since 2015.

After a shaky start at 99/4, MI's hopes were reignited by captain Hardik Pandya, who scored 42 runs off just 15 balls, and Tilak Varma, who contributed 56 runs from 29 balls, but their efforts were not enough.

Hardik's explosive batting included three fours and four sixes, while Tilak, returning to form, also played a crucial role, although MI struggled for much of their innings.

Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 17 runs by Yash Dayal, while Suryakumar Yadav managed only 28 runs in a disappointing performance.

Tilak's first fifty of the season came off 26 balls, showcasing his resilience after being retired out in the previous match.

The momentum shifted dramatically when Hardik hit two sixes and two fours off Krunal Pandya in the 14th over, keeping MI's hopes alive despite the mounting required run rate.

However, Tilak's dismissal in the 18th over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik's exit in the penultimate over from Josh Hazlewood sealed MI's fate.

In the final over, MI needed 19 runs to clinch victory, but Krunal's impressive bowling performance, taking three wickets, dashed their hopes.

Earlier, RCB set a challenging total of 221/5, thanks to stellar performances from Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar. Kohli scored 67 runs off 42 balls, while Patidar added 64 runs off 32 balls, with Jitesh Sharma contributing a quick 40 runs.

Phil Salt's early dismissal for 4 runs did not deter RCB, who achieved their highest powerplay score against MI with 72 runs for the loss of one wicket, as Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 22 balls) attacked from the start.

Kohli's remarkable innings included two sixes and eight fours, bringing his total runs in the format to over 13,000, a milestone for any Indian player.

However, Kohli's innings ended unexpectedly in the 15th over when he attempted to hit Hardik over the leg side, only to be caught at deep midwicket.

Patidar, who was named Player of the Match, praised the bowlers for their courage, stating, 'It was a really amazing match. It was very hard. The way the bowlers have shown their courage, it was amazing to watch. This award goes to the bowling unit.'

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 221/5 in 20 overs (Kohli 67, Patidar 64, Jitesh 40*, Padikkal 37; Hardik 2/45); Mumbai Indians: 209/9 in 20 overs (Tilak 56, Hardik 42; Krunal 4/45).