Blog - Kohli, Patidar star as RCB end ten-year Wankhede jinx against MI

In. Some. Style.

RCB's batting clicked, and how! Kohli started it, Patidar continued it and Jitesh added the finishing touches. Bumrah returned to action for the first time since January this year. It did have an impact; RCB wer pulled back from flying more. Bumrah went at 7.25 per over when RCB scored at 11.05. That left MI batters with a talk ask.

Rohit couldn't build on the early promise. Rickelton and Jacks only teased a bit. Suryakumar's silken touch deserted him. Tilak kept MI alive in company of some other-worldly hitting from Hardik. But the ask was just out of MI's reach; they crumbled to their fourth defeat in five outings. Krunal finished with four wickets.

RCB continued to feel at home away from home. It was their third win in away matches and they have lost the only one they played at home. They won at Chepauk for the first time since 2008. And tonight, they have won at the Wankhede against MI for the first time since 2015. Thanks to the 430-run game, safe to say that the crowd in Mumbai got their money's worth.

Hardik was set. MI had hopes. And Wankhede had found its voice. But Hazlewood did in Mumbai what Pat Cummins did in Ahmedabad. He dashed the hopes of the home team. Hardik seemed to connect a heave across the line well. Till he didn't. Livingstone at deep midwicket gobbled an easy chance that ended Hardik's blitz.

Three balls later, Santner hit Hazlewood inside out over cover for a maximum that still kept them alive. That chances only brightened when Krunal was given the last over. But Santner found long-off to perfection and a brother had all but ended another brother's hopes.

It almost seems prophetic from MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene now. A couple of thirties and a struggling 23-ball 25 was all Tilak had managed before tonight. He was retired out against LSG after failing to find the big hits. His best score at the Wankhede before tonight was 38. But with MI facing a tall ask, he chose to come to party with a 26-ball half-century that has kept MI firmly in the chase.

MI need 52 off the last four overs, the exact runs RCB managed at the death. ESPNcricinfo win predictor gives MI 41% chance hereon

But soon after, Tilak picks out deep cover off Bhuvneshwar to be dismissed for 56 off 29. His 34-ball 89 with Hardik has given MI more than just hope. But RCB 65% favourites as per ESPNcricinfo win predictor

The home fans had drowned in dejection. Suryakumar had just fallen after being dropped. Tilak found his mojo against Suyash in an over that went for 17. But Hardik's assault against Hazlewood brought cheers back at the Wankhede. He swatted one over long-on before picking the bones off a slower one through midwicket. He then got under a full ball to send it into the Garware Pavilion (covers) before adjusted beautifully to carve a length ball between short third and backward point.

And then the "Bhaivalry" took centrestage. Hardik hit his brother Krunal for two massive sixes - one over cover and the other over deep square leg to raise the decibel levels. After taking a single off the fourth ball, a bumper, the brothers exchanged smiles. All's well that ends well?

MI need 65 off 30, ESPNcricinfo win predictor giving them a 36% chance

Suryakumar should have been a goner. He went for an across-the-line hack and skied it straight up in the air. Dayal was the bowler and was circling under the ball. At no point did he settle himself under it, even though he did not have to move much, really. But as the saying goes, generally the man with the gloves goes for catches like this. And so Jitesh rushed for it at top speed and got to it, too. He may have called for it but Dayal might not have heard it. Both players dash into each other and drop the catch. What's more, Jitesh hurt his lips and got that sorted after a concussion check. The ball had gone higghhhhh up in the night sky but SKY survives.

That drop does not cost RCB much as Dayal gets his man just three balls later. He slips in a slower one at 107.7kph across the line, Suryakumar goes for the loft over extra cover. He miscues it and Livingstone rushes backward to his left and takes it with a tumble. Dayal is ecstatic and runs full speed towards deep cover boundary, where Livingstone actually took it. MI are 99 for 4 and need 123 off 48. ESPNcricinfo win predictor gives them only a shade more than 2% chance.

Those who followed the WPL earlier this year might have observed Hayley Matthews' surprise weapon with the ball - the bouncer. Krunal also has it and used it to good effort. Jacks was taken by surprise and pulled it straight to Kohli at deep backward square leg. MI losing the plot at 84 for 3 in ten overs.

Kohli was stationed at long-off for Suyash's over. He indulged in a conversation with Salam, one of the subs beyond the boundary. Those at the Dilip Vengsarkar stands brought in a variety of cheers to draw Kohli's attention. They went "Kohli, Kohli!" and then switched to "Cheeku, Cheeku!" but to no avail.

When RCB appealed for lbw against Suryakumar and were pondering a review, Kohli walked towards Patidar and Jitesh suggesting that the impact could be outside off. He gestured from outside the circle but RCB reviewed anyway and lost it. Kohli then walked back to his mark and continued to chat with Salam, even as the replays were shown.

In the next over, bowled by Krunal, Kohl stood at deep backward square leg and adjusted angles for some of the fielders in the ring before once againt moving to be in front of the Vengsarkar stand.

Suryakumar holds key for MI in the chase. He will need support from the other end. Signs are promising from Jacks, who has hit a four and a six as MI finish the first six overs at 54 for 2.

Not much dew in the outfield thus far. At the timeout, the ground-staff were walking with the rope to dry any little dew there might have been. While MI used one over of spin inside the powerplay, RCB have not done so and have brought Suyash Sharma right after the field restrictions have been lifted

Rohit was back in the XI after missing the previous match due to a knee injury. Even though he was pain-free, he did not look like the Rohit in his prime at the MI nets yesterday. Can't read a lot into training sessions though. It is about how a batter turns up for a game.

And Rohit kinda started coolly at the Wankhede. He picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar's length early in the opening over and thumped him over deep midwicket for half a dozen. He also hit back-to-back fours off Yash Dayal in the second over. The second of those was a beautifully timed back-foot punch through cover. But Dayal got one to swing in after pitching full at 137.9kph and Rohit missed his flick to be bowled, much like Salt in the first innings. Pin-drop silence at the W.

Rohit's powerplay numbers in the IPL don't make for a good reading, hence. Among those who faced at least 200 balls in the first six overs since the start of IPL 2023, only Wriddhiman Saha averages lower than Rohit's 24.59. And noone fares worse than his average of 27.90 in the phase since the start of IPL 2024 (minimum 180 balls faced).

An over later, Hazlewood traps Rickeltoon for a 10-ball 17. MI 38 for 2 inside four overs, chasing 222

RCB show off their batting mettle. Patidar and Kohli hit quick fifties. Padikkal and Jitesh chipped in with invaluable cameos.

MI conceded 52 off the last four overs, 38 of them came in two overs. The other two were bowled by Bumrah, who had a wicketless outing upon return to injury. But if not for Bumrah, this could have been worse. What MI require is already humongous: their highest successful chase at the Wankhede is 213 and overall in the IPL is 219.

When RCB last won a match against MI at Wankhede, they had scored 235 for 1; tonight's total of 221 for 5 is the third-highest by a team against MI at this venue.

Boult signs off with the ball with a wicket. But his last over went for 15, last two for 33. Jitesh played a part in spoiling those figures, bringing his wrists into play to hit two sixes over deep midwicket. This is the first time Boult has gone for over 50 runs in the IPL. His first wicket tonight was Salt, second was Patidar, who walked across to scoop but got a top edge. Rickelton covered good ground running behind him and dived to complete a magnificent catch.

Hardik's last over went for 23. Patidar got a good measure of him. He pumped a short ball into the sightscreen to bring up a 25-ball fifty. Hardik still went short and Patidar pulled him over deep midwicket for six more. Hardik's economy rate at the death (overs 17-20) this season is 15.66. Only Archer, Cummins and Rashid fare worse among those to have bowled at least ten balls in the last four overs in IPL 2025.

But at the other end comes Bumrah, who had to bowl two of the last three overs. Gave away just six singles.

Hardik now has the joint-most wickets in IPL 2025. He adds Kohli and Livingstone in his kitty in a single over. Because he had left square leg open, both batters looked to exploit that region. Kohli walked across to swipe one to the on side but ended up hitting it straight to deep midwicket. Livingstone went across to swat-pull a short ball over square leg and ended up top-edging it to short third.

Hardik now has nine wickets using the short and short-of-good length in this IPL (as per ESPNcricinfo logs).

Patidar is such an easy-to-the-eye batter. You bowl spin against him and he levels up. The proof was seen at the Wankhede in Santner's last over. Patidar saw a flighted ball, just launches it straight over the sight-screen for a massive hit. No exaggerated movement, pure bat swing. If that shot was good, the one he closed the over with was even better. He made room only slightly and powered another slot-ball over long-off. Patidar is indeed a menace for spinners. Only Heinrich Klaasen has hit more sixes against spin since the start of IPL 2024.

Hardik's first over - from the pavilion end - had three men deep on the leg side. In his second over, from the media end, he has three on the off side - deep backward point, deep cover and long-off - and his line has been outside off, than at the batter's body. Patidar anticipated it quite early in the over and moved across to lap it fine over the wicketkeeper. He went for a repeat and played it onto the helmet. And then when Hardik bowled shot, he managed to ramp one over the keeper again. On the last ball, Hardik's ploy almost worked. Patidar slapped one almost straight to sweeper cover.

RCB had hit 49 in the five overs when Hardik decided to bring Bumrah back on. He bowled the first over from the pavilion end and this one was from the media end. True to his style, he bowled a quiet, five-run over. It was an over replete with change-ups and yorkers.

Kohli's in the mood, folks. He is playing the slog sweep against spin. He first earned a four by doing that against Santner. And then against wristspinner Puthur, he went further to hit a six over midwicket. In the process, he brought up a 29-ball half-century, his fastest in the IPL since 2018. Overall, this is his fifth fastest fifty in the competition.

Puthur, though, manages to draw one back by having Padikkal mistime a slog to long-on. Jacks judged it quite well, steadying himself under it and pouching it safely at the edge of the boundary. That ended the 91-run second wicket partnership with RCB 95 for 2 after nine

Hardik Pandya has taken eight wickets in IPL 2025. All of those have come with short and short-of-good-length deliveries (as per ESPNcricinfo logs). That included his maiden T20 five-for against LSG in the last outing. No other bowler has more wickets this season by bowling those lengths; Josh Hazlewood comes close with six wickets.

Hardik wants to back that method and has fine leg, square leg, midwicket in the deep for both Kohli and Padikkal in his first over of the game. Concedes four runs of the over (one leg-bye) and bowls two dots.

Sampath Bandarupalli had crunched numbers to show how RCB became the fastest-scoring team in the IPL. Staying true to form, RCB have amassed 73 for 1 in six overs. This is the fourth-highest total in powerplay against MI in IPL and the second-highest against them at the Wankhede.

Patidar turned to spin quite early. He felt offspin was the way to go with Padikkal in the middle. He brought Will Jacks on. Jacks ended up bowling five balls of the over to Kohli, who hit him for two fours - one a loft down the ground and the other a pull through forward square leg. A solace? He found spin even with the new ball.

Few batters make placing the ball through gaps sexier than Kohli does. The shot he hit off Boult to end the third over was just sumptuous. It was a length ball that angled away from him. He stood tall and just push-drove it past mid-off. I thought no other shot could beat that for tonight. But nope. The first ball he faced from Bumrah was perhaps even better. Back of a length ball angled in to him, he perhaps got a telegraph with what to expect written on it two days ago. He was ready and slammed it over deep midwicket. Kohli flew to 25 off 10.

Bumrah's first over upon return went for 10. RCB 43 for 1 after four overs

He is at it again. After going missing for the last couple of matches.

Boult was greeted into the game with a crisp cover drive. He pitched one up to extract swing, but it was right in Salt's slot and sped away to the extra cover boundary. But Boult got his line right immediately. Pitched it up on middle, swung it in, a tad late, as a result, Salt was beaten on the inside in his attempted swish across the line. Just the start MI would have expected from Boult, even though Padikkal also timed his cover drive perfectly on his first ball.

RCB will be batting. MI will bowl. Here are some of the key battles we could see early:

The coin lands in Hardik Pandya's favour and MI opt to bowl vs RCB. Both Rohit and Bumrah are back for MI. Rohit does start on the bench, will be the Impact Player when MI bat.

RCB are unchanged. Suyash Sharma took a few boundary catches and had a longish bowl in the side strip. Chances are high he could be subbed in when RCB bowl later in the evening.

Mumbai Indians XI: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur
Bench: Rohit Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Bench: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam, Swastik Chikara, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh

The last time RCB met MI in Mumbai:

Huge cheers went around the half-full Wankhede when they spotted Virat Kohli enter the field. Krunal Pandya had an early jog, waving at the few spectators that cheered for him. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have started IPL 2025 on a positive note, winning two of their three games so far. Their batting unit has fired, with all of Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone scoring at least one fifty. Kohli did not train on match-eve but RCB have no concerns whatsoever. Josh Hazlewood was among those who marked their run-ups. Yash Dayal does so, too.

RCB have not won against MI at the Wankhede since 2015. This looks like their best chance to right that record, having ended their Chepauk drought last week. They have a 3-8 win-loss record against MI at this venue. One of their key batters could be Tim David, who has a stellar record in Mumbai. More of all that in the match preview.