So RCB jump from 7th to 4th after this comprehensive win. It was a great toss to win in the end. The Bangalore bowlers silenced the Mumbai batsmen on a pitch which offered the seamers some bite. A target of 142 wasn’t going to test a rampaging Gayle. De Villiers wasn’t even required.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vanquish Mumbai Indians to come up in playoff race
The early damage was done by the returning Vinay Kumar, while Muttiah Muralitharan justified his inclusion ahead of regular captain Daniel Vettori with two important strikes in the 16th over, but some late hitting from the fit-again Kieron Pollard and Harbhajan Singh lifted Mumbai. Both Zaheer and Vinay Kumar were impressive and the latter struck two big blows to send back left-handed opener James Franklin and in form Rohit Sharma off the second and fifth balls of his first over and second.
Mumbai Indians were restricted to 141 for six in 20 overs by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League at Mumbai on Wednesday. Dinesh Karthik was the top scorer with 44 while Sachin Tendulkar (24), Ambati Rayudu (22) and Kieron Pollard (21*) came up with useful knocks. Karthik’s 39-ball knock that included three fours and a six and his two significant partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayydu propped up the MI innings after they made a shocking start after being put to bat on a seam-friendly track.
Chasing 142-run target,Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan refrained from taking chances initially against Lasith Malinga, but the left-hander punished some loose stuff from left-arm seamer Rudra Pratap Singh and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Chris Gayle raced to his fifty off 36 balls, which included four maximums and three boundaries, soon after Dilshan’s wicket fall.Bangalore lost Tillakaratne Dilshan (19) after they started their run chase cautiously against Mumbai. Dilshan hit three boundaries in his slow 25 balls innings as he added 48 runs for the opening wicket with Gayle. Off-spinner Pragyan Ojha trapped Dilshan leg before in the ninth over to give Mumbai a crucial breakthrough.
Gayle scored 82 off 59 balls and along with Virat Kohli (36 off 25) and the second-wicket pair of Gayle and Virat Kohli put on 94 runs off 58 balls to mark RCB’s emphatic win, with the captain hitting off-spinner Rohit Sharma for a straight six. The emphatic win takes RCB to fourth position in the points table with 13 points; while Mumbai Indians occupy the third spot with 14 points.Gayle also became the owner of the Orange Cap.
Tags: Indian Premier League, IPL, MI, Mumbai Indians, RCB, Royal Challengers Bangalore
