Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians
AB de Villiers smoked a match-winning 48 [Image-IPLT20]

Mumbai Indians unwanted record of not winning their first game of IPL continued as Royal Challengers Bangalore held their nerves in the end to clinch a two-wicket win.

Chasing 160 to win, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli came out all guns blazing as he raced his way to 18 off just 10 balls with four sumptuous boundaries.

Kohli greeted Trent Boult with a straight drive in the first over and then backed it up with an imperious cover-drive in the next.

Debutant Marco Jansen got a harsh welcome to the IPL by Kohli as he pulled him in front of the square for a boundary. Jansen erred and overstepped and Kohli took full toll of the free hit as he walked inside the line of the ball and smoked it over short-fine.

IPL 2021: Twitter Reacts As Royal Challengers Bangalore Defeat Mumbai Indians In A Cliffhanger
Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell. (Credits: Twitter)

Washington Sundar (10 off 16), on the other hand, struggled to get going and he was eventually dismissed by Krunal Pandya after he mistimed an attempter hoike across the line to give an easy catch to Chris Lynn at short third-man.

Rajat Patidar announced himself with a deft touch past third-man off Trent Boult but the fast bowler eventually had the last laugh as the former chopped it back on his stumps on what was a knuckleball on the penultimate ball of the last over of the powerplay.

Kohli nearly got run-out on the first ball of the next over after he tapped it to point and immediately ran for a single. Maxwell denied the call, leaving Kohli stranded midway. He eventually got back safely thanks to a poor throw.

Glenn Maxwell for RCB (Photo- Twitter)
Glenn Maxwell for RCB (Photo- Twitter)

Glenn Maxwell set the ball rolling with a reverse-flick and a lofted cover drive off Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya in the 8th and 9th over as RCB moved to 2/69.

Maxwell smoked his maiden IPL six since 2018 and he did that in style as he hit Krunal Pandya for a maximum that sailed out of the ground. And, he backed it up another six- this time a switch-hit- off Rahul Chahar on the first ball of the next over.

Virat Kohli survived a serious miscue in the same over as the ball landed between three fielders at wide long-off.

Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah dismisses Virat Kohli [Image-IPLT20]
Jasprit Bumrah returned to the attack and provided Mumbai Indians with a crucial breakthrough as he trapped Virat Kohli- who shuffled way too across his stumps- plumb in front.

Kohli’s wicket triggered a collapse as Marco Jansen knocked over Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed while Bumrah claimed Dan Christian as the equation boiled down to 34 off the last three overs.

Royal Challengers  Bangalore, Mumbai Indians
AB de Villiers [Image-Twitter]
But as long as AB de Villiers was at the crease, Royal Challengers Bangalore still had more than a chance. AB, who had previously smoked a six and a four off Rahul Chahar, did the same against Trent Boult in the 18th over to bring the equation down to 19 off the last two overs.

AB [48 off 27] was in peerless touch. He sliced Jasprit Bumrah’s low full-toss for a boundary on the first ball of the penultimate over and then rocked back to uppercut it past short third man for another boundary. Kyle Jamieson got run out in an attempt to take a non-existent run but AB was still there.

Four runs came off the first three balls of the last over bowled by Marco Jansen and then tragedy struck as AB de Villiers, in an attempt to get the 2nd run, got run-out to give another twist to the game. It eventually boiled down to 1 off the last delivery with Harshal Patel on strike and the fast bowler duly achieved that to give RCB a winning start to their IPL 2021 campaign.

 

Harshal Patel’s 5/27 ensured that Royal Challengers Bangalore restricted Mumbai Indians to 9/159

Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli fired in the throw to dismiss Rohit Sharma [Image-IPLT20]
Batting first, Mumbai Indians got off to a slow start as the duo of Mohammed Siraj and Kyle Jamieson bowled wicket-to-wicket against both Rohit Sharma and Chris Lynn.

The duo finally flexed their arms against Yuzvendra Chahal before a horrible mix-up led to the run-out of Sharma. It all happened on the sixth ball of the 4th over bowled by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal when Chris Lynn rocked on the backfoot and stroked the leggie towards the cover region.

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Rohit was keen to run for a single and Lynn’s initial couple of steps ensured that the Mumbai Indians skipper set off. But Lynn backed off and sold Rohit down the river as after having reached halfway through the pitch, the ‘Hitman’ had no chance of returning back to the crease.

Rohit Sharma’s dismissal came at the crucial time for the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore as the Hitman, having stroked Chahal for a six earlier in the over, was finally looking to get stuck in. Suryakumar Yadav announced his arrival with a couple of boundaries as Mumbai Indians finished the powerplay at 1/41.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians
Chris Lynn [Image-Twitter]
It was after the powerplay that Chriss Lynn finally opened his arms. The Australian swashbuckler welcomed Shahbaz Ahmed with a four and a six in the 7th over before he smashed another one-off Harshal Patel in the next over.

Yadav and Lynn pressed on the accelerator as Mumbai Indians smashed 42 runs in the next three overs. Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 23) continued to enthrall with his imperious timing.

The right-hander smoked an effortless six over deep square-leg off Kyle Jamieson but the fast bowler had the last laugh as he induced an outside edge off his bat.

Washington Sundar for RCB (Photo-IPL)
Washington Sundar for RCB (Photo-IPL)

Siraj backed it up with another good over in which he gave away just 4 runs and nearly got Chris Lynn when the right-hander mistimed an attempted slap to mid-off. Washington Sundar, who was introduced in the attack in the 13th over, eventually got rid of Chris Lynn (49 off 35) courtesy of an outstanding running catch after the Australian mistimed a slog.

Sundar ran back and completed an outstanding catch to give his team an important scalp. Ishan Kishan, however, continued with the momentum as he smashed a six and a four off Chahal (0/41 in 4 overs) in the 14th over to take the total to 3/120.

IPL 2021: Twitter Reacts As Royal Challengers Bangalore Defeat Mumbai Indians In A Cliffhanger
Harshal Patel [Image-Twitter]
Harshal Patel, who was taken for 15 in his first over, came back brilliantly in his second spell as he gave away just 11 runs in his two overs besides claiming the all-important scalps of Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan.

Siraj completed his quota with another brilliant over as he gave away just seven runs in the 17th over and very nearly got the wicket of Kishan but for Washington Sundar, who backed up too far at deep backward square-leg.RCB’s catching was appalling, to say the least.

After Siraj dropped a sitter in the 18th over, Virat Kohli did the same off the bowling of Jamieson when he shelled a catch of Krunal Pandya at mid-off. The ball dribbled from his hand and smashed him just below his eye. Pandya made use of the opportunity to smash a boundary while Pollard edged one to get another four as Jamieson finished with figures of 2-27 in four overs.

Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel [Image-Twitter]
Harshal Patel (5/27), however, continued to go from strength to strength as he dismissed both Pollard and Pandya on successive deliveries. Patel backed it up with an inswinging yorker to knock over Marco and claim his maiden five-wicket haul. Patel gave away just one run and claimed three wickets in the last over while Jasprit Bumrah got run-out on the final delivery as Mumbai Indians finished at 9/158 in 20 overs.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/isaguha/status/1380564967070519301?s=19

https://twitter.com/Shebas_10dulkar/status/1380548302173659136?s=19

https://twitter.com/FarziCricketer/status/1380545882425159683?s=19

https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1380545540086067206?s=19

https://twitter.com/benjonescricket/status/1380531382884122630?s=19

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