Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their protracted winless streak at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium with a narrow 12-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-octane Indian Premier League encounter on Monday.
RCB, who had not won at the venue since 2015, survived a late onslaught by MI to claim their first win in six outings at the iconic ground. Chasing a mammoth 222 for victory, MI came agonisingly close thanks to a blistering partnership between Tilak Varma and skipper Hardik Pandya, but eventually fell short.
Mumbai appeared to be faltering at 99 for four following the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav (28), but Tilak Varma (56 off 29 balls) and Hardik Pandya (42 off 15 balls) launched a stunning counterattack to breathe life into the chase.
Hardik's assault included three boundaries and four sixes, while Tilak brought up his first fifty of the season in just 26 balls.
However, their departure in the death overs — Tilak in the 18th and Hardik in the 19th — dashed Mumbai's hopes. In the final over, the hosts required 19 runs, but Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket burst (4/45 overall) sealed the game for RCB.
Earlier, RCB posted an imposing total of 221 for five, riding on classy half-centuries from Virat Kohli (67 off 42 balls) and skipper Rajat Patidar (64 off 32 balls). Jitesh Sharma’s late cameo (40 off 19) ensured the innings ended with a flourish.
Kohli, who has a history of success at the Wankhede, once again stamped his authority.
Although he began with a few streaky strokes, a masterful cover drive off Trent Boult in the third over underlined his touch. He reached 13,000 runs in the format, a milestone unmatched by any other Indian.
His 91-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 22 balls) gave RCB a strong foundation. Padikkal’s knock featured three sixes and two boundaries before he was dismissed by Vignesh Puthur.
Kohli’s innings came to an end in the 15th over when he attempted to go over the leg-side but found Naman Dhir at deep midwicket.
Patidar picked up the mantle, reaching his fifty in only 25 balls. He took 23 runs off Hardik Pandya in the 17th over alone, and just when he looked set for a bigger score, Ryan Rickelton pulled off a sensational diving catch at the ropes to end his innings.
Despite the late heroics from MI, the mountain proved too steep to climb, and RCB emerged victorious to keep their campaign alive.
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