Outstanding performance of bowlers led RCB to clinch comprehensive victory over Mumbai Indians

Bengaluru, May 2: Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday halted their two-match losing streak with the 14-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 31 of VIVO IPL 2018 that was played in M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With this result, RCB stands on the fifth position in the eight-team standings.

 

Given the task of batting first on a difficult track at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB posted 167-7, after which their bowlers restricted the visitors to 153-7. Notably, the bowlers were close to their best as Umesh Yadav once again shone with the new ball dismissing the in-form Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma off consecutive deliveries.

Yuzvendra Chahal was stingy in the middle overs, and most importantly Mohammed Siraj and Tim Southee were exceptional in the death overs. RCB had 62 to defend in the final five overs, which was reduced to 34 off the final three overs, but Siraj, Colin de Grandhomme and Southee bowled three outstanding overs conceding only 20 runs that denied the visitors to achieve the target.

For MI, Hardik Pandya’s 50 made from 42 balls was the top-score, and his 56-run partnership with his elder brother Krunal was the biggest partnership of the innings. MI scored 40-3 in the first six overs, added 66 runs in the middle overs, and a further 47 runs in the final five to finish at 153-7.

Earlier in the evening, the RCB innings was essentially a tale of three big overs. After the first three overs had only produced 11 runs, Manan Vohra got stuck into of JP Duminy and took 22 runs off the off-spinner. 20 runs were added to the RCB total in the tenth over bowled by Hardik Pandya and this time the damage caused by McCullum and Kohli.

The hosts finished their innings with a flourish after Colin de Grandhomme ruined Mitchell McClenaghan’s figures by hitting him for three sixes in the last four balls of the innings. 24 runs were added to the RCB total in that final over. Where 66 runs were scored in those three big overs, RCB only managed 101 runs in the remaining seventeen overs, to eventually finish at 167-7.