Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar’s strong performances, along with a late surge from Jitesh Sharma, propelled Royal Challenger Bengaluru (RCB) to a total of 221 as they aimed for their first victory at Wankhede Stadium in a decade. Despite this impressive showing, Mumbai Indians could still be hopeful as the pitch was incredibly conducive to batting and the boundaries at Wankhede were relatively short. However, according to Kohli, the pitch was not quite as simple as they may have made it seem.
Kohli, who had not achieved a sub-30-ball fifty in the IPL since 2018, recorded his fastest T20 fifty since 2019 after only 29 balls. His aggressive approach also provided Patidar with the opportunity to face his first 10 deliveries. From scoring only 8 runs off 10 balls, Kohli quickly accelerated to reach 64 off just 32 balls. Jitesh contributed an unbeaten knock of 40 runs off 19 balls to ensure RCB maintained their momentum until the end.
Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback to competitive cricket proved triumphant with figures of 4-0-29-0, while his teammates struggled and conceded many runs. Trent Boult, in particular, had his most expensive performance in the IPL, recording 4-0-57-2. Although he did manage to take an early wicket for the 31st time, it was not enough to disrupt RCB’s determined approach.
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Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal started strong in the powerplay, scoring 73 runs. However, Padikkal’s impressive performance was cut short by left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur who dismissed him for 37 off 22. Another notable moment was Hardik Pandya’s skillful bowling, which not only protected the leg-side boundary but also resulted in the downfall of Kohli and Liam Livingstone. Patidar, on the other hand, outshined his opponent with a range of shots including ramps, crosses over the line and straight hits. He managed to score 33 runs off 12 deliveries from Hardik; while his remaining 12 balls yielded only 12 runs but also brought two important wickets.
