MI vs RCB Highlights: Kohli scales new milestone, Krunal loses battle against Hardik but wins war for Royal Challengers

Virat Kohli has looked like a man on a mission in this edition of the IPL. He is no longer the RCB captain, but still the batting mainstay of the team. Opening the innings, Kohli top scored for his team with a 42-ball 67 that was studded with 2 sixes and 8 fours. One of those sixes came off the first delivery that he faced from Jasprit Bumrah.

Not only Kohli smashed a 29-ball fifty, but it was the first time that Kohli scored a fifty under 30 balls while batting first in a full-20 over contest in IPL. Add to that, Kohli also became the second-fastest to reach 13,000 T20 runs, only after Chris Gayle.

Rajat Patidar leads from the front:

Rajat Patidar slams 25-ball 50 (BCCI Photo)

RCB captain Rajat Patidar not only played a magnificent 64-run knock off 32 balls with the help of 4 sixes and 5 fours, he was also brilliant in marshalling his troops and making effective bowling changes despite the onslaught by Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya.

Patidar hit a 25-ball 50 and his quickfire 69-run stand for the fifth wicket with Jitesh Sharma took the RCB score over the 200-run mark.

Pandya brothers face-off:

Hardik Pandya's rampage gave Mumbai hope in 222-chase (BCCI Photo)

There was no love lost between the Pandya brothers when Krunal came on to bowl to his younger brother Hardik who was already on a rampage having scored 20 runs off just 5 balls against Aussie quick Josh Hazlewood, which featured two 6s and the same number of 4s. Tilak Varma took a single on the first ball of the over to bring his captain Hardik on strike. Krunal pitched it up and Hardik smashed it over long-off into the second tier of the Wankhede.

Krunal bowled an arm ball next, but it was full on middle and leg and Hardik cleared his front leg and pulled it over the mid-wicket fence again into the second tier of the stadium. That six brought up the 50-run stand between Tilak and Hardik off just 16 balls.

Visibly shaken, Krunal bowled two consecutive wides before conceding 4 more runs off the next 3 balls to complete a 19-run over.

The Tilak Varma show:

Tilak Varma, who had to retire himself out in MI’s previous match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for not getting going with his shots, had no problem whatsoever in finding the middle of the bat. Tilak smashed 56 off just 29 balls – a knock studded with 4 sixes and 4 fours to put MI within sights of victory. Tilak put up a rollicking 89-run stand for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya before falling to a slower ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Krunal Pandya’s comeback:

Pandya brothers - Krunal and Hardik - steal show at Wankhede (BCCI Photo)

Despite being taken to the cleaners by his brother, Krunal Pandya was given the ball to bowl the last over with MI needing 19 runs to win. Krunal dismissed Mitchell Santner on the first ball and on the next ball, Phil Salt and Tim David combined at the mid-wicket fence to get rid of Deepak Chahar, who miscued a big hit. Salt ran to his left and leaped to take it near the fence, but as the momentum was taking him beyond the ropes, he flicked the ball back in and David took it safely. After bowling a wide and conceding another single, Krunal was hit for a four by Naman Dhir, to bring it down to 13 needed off the last 2 legitimate deliveries – that meant 2 sixes for a Super Over.

But on the penultimate delivery, Krunal had Naman caught by Yash Dayal at the fine leg fence to complete a four-wicket haul. Krunal may have lost the battle against his brother but he won the war for his team, helping RCB conquer Wankhede after 10 years.