It was Rohit Sharma’s fifty that gave the Mumbai Indians a defining win over the Bangalore franchise and has virtually sealed Mumbai’s spot in the playoffs.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Royal Challengers put on 162 for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. The RCB batsmen have failed to make the most of their star-studded batting this season and as a result, have found themselves at the bottom of the points table. AB de Villiers who top scored for his side, made 43 off 27 balls with 3 sixes and 3 fours but didn’t get much help from the top order.
Most of the RCB batsmen weren’t able to convert their starts and it was a timely 23 ball 35 from Pawan Negi that took them to 162, a score which was 20 runs short of an ideal target. Kedar Jadhav too chipped in with 28(22) while Mitchell McClenaghan picked up 3 wickets for 34 in his 4 overs. Krunal Pandya returned with 2 wickets for his 34 runs and made sure no big partnerships were built.
After Parthiv Patel’s first ball dismissal, Jos Buttler gave a good start to the Mumbai Indians with his 21 ball 33. Along with Nitish Rana(27) he made sure they steady the ship and set up the game for skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit who has been struggling to get consistent scores this IPL, stepped up and took Mumbai Indians to a 5 wicket win with his knock of 56 in 37 balls. Rohit kept the runs going from one end although there wasn’t much support from the other batsmen. MI finished the match with one ball to spare and have re-positioned themselves at the top of the table with 14 points.
Mumbai’s next fixture is on the 6th of May against the Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi. MI will fancy their chances against the home side who have struggled to get going this season.
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