The Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clash is underway at the Wankhede Stadium¡ªwhere no score is ever truly safe! RCB have posted a formidable 222, hoping it'll be enough to secure another crucial away win and break another long-standing curse.
RCB haven't beaten MI at the Wankhede since 2015, a streak they're desperate to end¡ªjust like they did earlier this season with Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
After being asked to bat first, RCB lost Philip Salt on just the second ball of the innings. However, Virat Kohli steadied the ship with a stellar knock, building a 91-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal for the second wicket. The pair powered RCB to 73 in the powerplay, but MI wrestled back some control in the middle overs, giving away just 39 runs and picking up a wicket across the next six.?
At the 13-over mark, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar was 19 off 16¡ªbut a timeout pep talk seemed to flip the switch. He and Kohli exploded post-break, smashing 20 off Mitchell Santner's final over. While Jasprit Bumrah stayed disciplined, MI's other bowlers bled runs as Patidar stormed to a 25-ball half-century.?
Jitesh Sharma provided a classy finish to the innings, but Jasprit Bumrah's two tight overs at the death¡ªgiving away just 14 runs¡ªcould be crucial, especially as RCB look to end their six-match losing streak at the Wankhede.
One positive for RCB was the all-round effort with the bat¡ªevery player chipped in to post a strong 200+ total. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) praised the team¡¯s batting depth, though many remained cautious, knowing how unpredictable Wankhede can be when it comes to defending scores.
One wrote, "RCB's score before Rohit Sharma came on the field: 151/4 (15). RCB's score after Rohit Sharma came on the field: 221/5 (20)."?
Another wrote, "RCB has posted a total of 221, but defending it at Wankhede won¡¯t be easy. Mumbai Indians¡¯ batting depth + dew factor = a big challenge ahead for this RCB bowling lineup."?
One added, "RCB¡¯s batting lineup is scary¡ªthey scored 220 against Bumrah, Boult, Santner, and Pandya, with almost zero contribution from Salt, Livingstone, or Tim David."?
Another stated, "Wow, RCB¡ªI never knew your game like this, bro. What a team. The youngsters, the strategy, the coaches¡ just a beauty to watch. And Rajat, don¡¯t lose your fearless batting. You seriously impressed, man. I¡¯m rooting for you."?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Subs: Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Swastik Chikara, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur
Impact Subs: Rohit Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa
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