Virat Kohli and other players celebrate the fall of a wicket during the match against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. (BCCI Image)
New Delhi: Hardik Pandya's stunning all-round show went in vain as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians by 14 runs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Chasing a fighting total of 168, Mumbai had the worst start possible as Tim Southee castled Ishan Kishan (0) in the first over of the innings itself. Surayakumar Yadav and JP Duminy tried to steady the innings and put on a 16-run stand for the second wicket.
But Umesh Yadav further pegged back the visiting team as he removed Suryakumar (9) and Rohit Sharma (0) off successive deliveries to dent the MI chase. Kieron Pollard then joined Duminy in the middle and the duo started to do the rebuilding job.
However, 26-run partnership was finally broken by youngster Mohammed Siraj who got the prized wicket of Pollard (13). Duminy and Hardik Pandya put together 37 runs for the fifth wicket but a catastrophic run-out meant the South African had to head back into the hut for 23.
That brought the two Pandya brothers in the middle and they issued a brilliant fightback to re-ignite the hopes of a Mumbai win. The duo kept rotating the strike well and hit occasional boundaries to keep the required rate in check.
But the pressure soon got onto Krunal and the 56-run partnership was ended by Siraj who scalped his second of the day. Soon after his brother's dismissal, Hardik crossed the 50-run mark, which was his second of his IPL career and first against RCB.
Needing 25 runs off the final over, Mumbai got off to a bad start as Southee scalped the wicket of Hardik on the first ball with skipper Virat Kohli takign a brilliant diving catch at long-on, which was eerily similar to the one he grasped in the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ben Cutting hit a four and six off the remaining five deliveries but Mumbai fell short by 14 runs and lost their sixth match of the campaign.
Earlier, hard-hitting up front from Manan Vohra, Brendon McCullum and Virat Kohli ensured Bangalore reached a fighting total of 166/7 in their designated 20 over. Not to forget the late cameo from Colin de Grandhomme that game RCB the required momentum in the last over of the innings.
RCB openers Vohra and Quinton de Kock got off to the perfect start possible as they put on a 38-run stand for the first wicket. After quiet three overs, Vohra ripped Duminy apart in the fourth over and he slammed two fours and sixes to increase the scoring rate in stunning style.
But De Kock couldn't muster much as he was dismissed for just 7 by Mitchell McClenaghan. Vohra then joined forces with Brendon McCullum and they hit a few boundaries en route their 23-run stand.
Mayank Markande finally ended Vohra's 45-run innings by trapping him LBW. Skipper Virat Kohli and McCullum issued a brilliant fightback and started to deal in boundaries in no time. The duo took the RCB score over the 100-run mark with relative ease and that this point, the home side were staring at a big total.
However, a brilliant piece of fielding from Hardik ensured McCullum headed back into the hut for 37. Hardik hit the stumps directly from long-off and McCullum was way out of his crease when the ball crashed into the wickets.
Pandya then inflicted further damage on RCB as he scalped the wickets of Mandeep Singh and Kohli off successive deliveries to peg back the home side. In the same over, Washington Sundar became Hardik's third scalp of the day and he finished with figures of 3/28 in three overs.
De Grandhomme then hit three sixes in the last over from McClenaghan to help RCB reach 166 and in the end, that proved to be the difference as the home side ended their two-match losing streak in supreme style.
IPL 2018, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Highlights: As It Happened
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