Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 12 runs in a last-over thriller on Monday, clinching their second win of the season in a high-octane Indian Premier League (IPL) clash.
Batting first, RCB posted a commanding 221 for 5, driven by half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. Kohli scored a fluent 67 off 42 balls, while Patidar’s explosive 64 off 32 balls gave the visitors momentum during the death overs. Jitesh Sharma added a late blitz, smashing 40 off 19 balls.
MI, chasing a daunting total, struggled early. Rohit Sharma fell for 17 to a sharp inswinger from Yash Dayal, while Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav also departed cheaply.
Captain Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma revived the innings with a rapid partnership. Hardik scored 42 off just 15 balls, while Varma top-scored with 56 off 29. The duo took on RCB’s pacers, narrowing the required run rate and swinging the momentum in MI’s favour.
However, RCB regained control in the final overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Varma, and Josh Hazlewood bounced back to remove Hardik, shifting the pressure back on MI.
With 19 runs needed in the final over, captain Patidar handed the ball to spinner Krunal Pandya. The decision paid off as Krunal dismissed Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, and Deepak Chahar, sealing a 12-run victory for Bengaluru.
Earlier, Trent Boult gave MI an early breakthrough, clean bowling Phil Salt on just the second delivery of the match. Kohli, undeterred, took on Jasprit Bumrah with an early six and dominated the powerplay.
RCB’s win hands MI their fourth defeat of the season, raising questions over their top-order consistency.
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