Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli hit half-centuries to lay the foundations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 18-run win over Mumbai Indians in a high-profile IPL clash on Sunday.
Salt clobbered 78 off 36 balls with Kohli playing the anchor role in his 50 as defending champions Bengaluru put on 120 runs for the first wicket and posted 240-4 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Skipper Rajat Patidar’s 53 off 20 balls and a late blitz by Tim David, who hit an unbeaten 34, lifted Bengaluru to an imposing total.
The presence of Kohli and Mumbai veteran Rohit Sharma — two stalwarts who now feature only in ODIs for India and the IPL — added extra star power to the contest.
Bengaluru restricted their opponents to 222-5 as five-time winners Mumbai suffered their third straight defeat in the tournament.
England opener Salt was the aggressor at the start for Bengaluru, smacking six fours and six sixes. Kohli let his partner do much of the damage while also bringing up his second half-century of the season in relatively sedate fashion.
Salt hit three sixes in a row off New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner en route to his 25-ball fifty but a brief lull in scoring forced him to hit out, and he lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur.
Patidar then tore into the Mumbai attack with a string of sixes and after Kohli departed, reached his fifty off 17 balls. David finished the innings with a flourish in his 16-ball knock.
Mumbai started briskly courtesy of Ryan Rickelton’s 37 but soon lost steam after Rohit retired hurt due to a hamstring problem.
Kohli did take to the field for Bengaluru after his innings due to an ankle injury.
Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma struck twice in one over to dismiss Rickelton and Tilak Varma.
Suryakumar Yadav (33) and skipper Hardik Pandya (40) attempted to drag the chase back on track in a brisk partnership of 47, but after the duo’s departure Mumbai fell behind the asking rate.
Impact substitute Sherfane Rutherford made a valiant unbeaten 71, blasting four sixes in the last over, but the knock came too late for Mumbai.
Source: Khaleej Times