Mumbai Indians snapped their winning run against the Royal Challengers Bangalore after suffering a 39- run defeat at Wankhede Stadium. A record breaking partnership between AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli saw Bangalore post a mammoth 235/1 after they opted to bat first.Ab de Villiers remained unbeaten on 133 and Kohli stayed not out on 82.
Chasing the mammoth total, Mumbai didn’t give up and kept fighting. Lendl Simmons remained unbeaten on 68 while Kieron Pollard played a whirlwind innings to revive Mumbai’s chances. In the end, the Mumbai Indians fell short by 39-runs. With this win, Bangalore jumps into the top-four while Mumbai slipped down to the sixth place.
Super Sunday in IPL – two blockbuster matches on show today. First Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at Mumbai and then, in the second encounter, Chennai takes on Rajasthan Royals. This is the business end and with the May weather, things are heating up in the tournament as well.
Mumbai has perfected the art of turnarounds. Last season. they lost five up top but made a rousing comeback to make it to the top-four. This season, they lost four on the bounce to start their campaign and now has won five successive games. (Upbeat Mumbai Face Bangalore Test)
From nothing going their way to every move clicking into gear – Mumbai has traversed the entire spectrum this season. Their opening batsmen look in good touch, Ambati Rayudu has provided immense stability in the middle-order and now, they are snatching wins even when the opposition is dominating. (Pollard Set to Floor Them With Dance Moves)
The bowling look healthy as well. Mitch McClenaghan has been a rockstar this campaign and Lasith Malinga, who missed the Chennai game due to political reasons, returns tonight to pack some more punch. Harbhajan Singh has rediscovered his ‘Turbanator’ mode and Jagadeesh Suchith has been a surprise weapon. (Virat Kohli is Class Act: Sourav Ganguly)
For Bangalore, everything seems hail and hearty. Chris Gayle is firing in all cylinders, Virat Kohli looks in prime touch, AB de Villiers is getting into his own and Sarfaraz Khan, the 17-year-old prodigy, is making the correct noises.
Their bowling looks sharp and incisive. Mitchell Starc has picked up from where he left off in the World Cup and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal has been their prime wicket-taker. Sreenath Aravind, another left-armer, also surprised the Punjab side with his pace and accuracy.
Mumbai, May 10: Mumbai Indians (MI) went down fighting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 39 runs in a crucial match of the Indian Premier League 2015 (IPL 8) at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday. Chasing a mammoth 236 in 20 overs, the home team rode the back of Lendl Simmons (68 not out off 53 balls) and Kieron Pollard (49 off 24 balls) to finish at 196/7 in 20 overs. Scorecard, IPL Special; Points Table; Photos Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal were the most successful of the RCB bowlers with 2 wickets each. AB de Villiers was adjudged the man of the match for his 133 not out off 59 balls. This win took the RCB to the fourth position in the table with 13 points. They still have three matches to go in the league stage. The MI, on the other hand, tasted defeat after five consecutive wins and will have to win both their remaining matches to remain in the contention for the play-offs.
