MI vs RCB: MI records 2nd win in IPL 2024 with 7-wicket Triumph over Royal Challengers Bangalore

Mumbai Indians (MI) recorded their second win in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with a seven-wicket triumph over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium. Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s second IPL fifer, MI restricted RCB to 196 on a good batting wicket. In response, their batters dominated from the outset to cap a convincing victory. Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl. RCB were banking on the current Orange Cap holder, Virat Kohli, to guide the innings. However, Bumrah dashed those hopes when he dismissed Kohli, caught behind in the third over, with a ball that took the inside edge. An over later, Will Jacks, playing his first game this season, tried to hit over mid-on but found the fielder off Akash Madhwal. At 27 for two, RCB were in a precarious spot.

Then came the partnership that uplifted RCB from that tough spot and an innings of enterprise from Rajat Patidar. The right-hander played some eye-catching shots and injected life into the RCB innings. The right-hander was ready to play through the line in batting friendly conditions and take the attack to the bowlers. At the other end, Faf du Plessis also contributed and drove the RCB innings. Early in the innings, he got going with a scoop shot off Gerald Coetzee to get going. The RCB captain recorded his first half-century of the season. Patidar, too, got to his fifty by hitting two consecutive sixes off Coetzee in the 12th over. However, the bowler dismissed him while trying to pull a short one off the next ball.RCB’s innings then wobbled after that partnership as Glenn Maxwell failed to open his account. Dinesh Karthik and du Plessis held things together until the former holed out to long-on off Bumrah. Mahipal Lomror was dismissed off the first ball via a searing yorker from Bumrah. At 153 for six in the 17th, RCB were forced to bring in the Impact Player, with Saurav Chauhan replacing Patidar. While Bumrah returned to complete his fifer in the slog overs, Karthik lit up the Wankhede Stadium with inventive shots. Some creative reverse scoops had the crowd in a frenzy, coupled with some powerful conventional hits. He raced to 53 off only 23 balls and pushed RCB to 196.

Having hit over 230 the other day at the same venue, MI walked in with great confidence. That was personified by their openers – Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan – in the powerplay. Kishan, in particular, was attacking. A shot that stood out was when he backed away and cut one over point for six with minimal fuss. The fifth over, bowled by Mohammad Siraj, was picked for 23 runs. MI moved to 72 in six overs, with Kishan completing his fifty off only 23 balls.

Having mostly watched the action from the other end, Rohit too picked up after powerplay – hitting a six and four off Akash Deep. MI motored along to 100 in the ninth over as they maintained a stranglehold over the match. There was relief for RCB then as Kishan hit one to Kohli at long-on to be dismissed for 69 off 34 balls. However, that brought Suryakumar Yadav to the middle – walking in as the Impact Player. The inventive right-hander truly lived up to that term – making a true impact on the game. If one thought that MI were dominating after Kishan’s contribution, they had to wait to see Suryakumar’s domination that completely took the match away from the visitors. Although Rohit fell for 38 off Jacks, the aggressive intent for MI never stopped. It was signified by captain Pandya smashing the first ball he faced for six, immediately after Rohit’s dismissal.u

Sryakumar unleashed a characteristic array of shots all around the ground. He cut, pulled, scooped – used his wrists – to smash his way to a 17-ball fifty – his fastest in the TATA IPL. By the time, he was dismissed, MI had sped away to 176 in the 14th over. The result by then was a foregone conclusion. MI sealed victory in style with 27 balls to spare. Pandya smashing a six over cover with flamboyance took MI home and bagged another two points. It was a performance MI will remember for a long time.