Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday (September 26) registered their first victory in the second phase of IPL 2021 as they thrashed Mumbai India (MI) by 54 runs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Invited to bat first, RCB posted 165/6 in 20 overs on the back of half-centuries from Glenn Maxwell (56 off 37 balls) and skipper Virat Kohli (51 off 42 balls). Wicketkeeper batter Srikar Bharat also played a handy knock of 24-ball 32 at No. 3.
Jasprit Bumrah was the stand-out bowler for MI, claiming three wickets by conceding 36 runs in his four overs. He took the prized scalps of Devdutt Padikkal (0), Maxwell and AB de Villiers (11).
In reply, the defending champions got off to a flying start as the duo of captain Rohit Sharma (43) and Quinton de Kock (24) added 57 runs for the opening wicket.
However, once they got out, MI’s batting line-up fell like a pack of cards. None of them managed to touch the double-digit mark and the innings eventually folded for 111 in 18.1 overs.
For RCB, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal wreaked havoc with the ball. While Harshal returned with the figures of 4/17 in his 3.1 overs and picked up a hat-trick in the 17th over by dismissing Hardik Pandya (3), Kieron Pollard (7) and Rahul Chahar (0), Chahal removed De Kock, Ishan Kishan (9) and Bumrah (5).
Maxwell also got the wickets of Rohit and Krunal Pandya (5) with his part-time off-spin and powered RCB to their sixth win of this year’s IPL.
Cricket experts on Twitter lauded Harshal Patel and other RCB bowlers for their stellar showing.
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