All-round RCB down Mumbai Indians in Super over showdown

Cricket, bloody hell! If there is anything the last two days have taught us, it is to never take anything for granted, even more so in the IPL. Players of incredible ability, a couple of overs which can swing a game, and the unpredictability of the format make it a spectacle.

A Super over in every sense of the phrase from Navdeep Saini, bowling to two of the biggest hitters in Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, conceding only 7 runs from the over was a far cry from the carnage of the 79 from the last 4 overs of the Mumbai innings. Displaying incredible composure under pressure, Saini showed just why he has become Virat’s go-to bowler over the last two overs. There could not be any other better duo than AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli to chase down 8 from the Super over. Except for a faux scare which was reversed thanks to the DRS, the cool and composed RCB duo showed just why they are the best in the world.

It feels like ages ago that Aaron Finch was charging the MI bowlers, taking a contrasting aggressive route from his first two innings in the Red of RCB. Despite getting hit in the worst possible place, little did Finch let it affect his striking. His innings finds even more importance as it eased Devdutt into the innings against the fiery MI bowling trio of Trent Boult, James Pattinson, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Just when MI had started to pull things back with the wickets of Finch and a seemingly out-of-touch Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, who was holding the innings together, could not have asked for a better ally than AB de Villiers. Consecutive sixes off James Pattinson signaled the beginning of the RCB onslaught. Not even Jasprit Bumrah was spared the blushes as he got the full de Villiers treatment. Padikkal who was once going at almost a run-a-ball had now raced to his fifty off only 37 balls. If the innings was chugging along at a fine rate, it went into overdrive thanks to a cameo from Shivam Dube, an innings of a kind which had brought him into the limelight. AB de Villiers looks like a million bucks with his second fifty in three innings - this one coming off only 23 balls, helping Bangalore over the psychologically enhancing 200-mark.

If Shivam had finished the RCB batting innings to perfection, it was Sundar who started off the bowling innings in equally impressive fashion. A cleverly laid trap which Rohit fell into was the cherry on top of his 3 overs in the powerplay off which he conceded only 7 runs, bowling 12 dot balls in the process. 35/2 at the end of the powerplay would be more than what RCB would have dreamed of in defence of 201. When Chahal bamboozled Quinton de Kock in his first over, the result seemed a formality.

However, as the cliche goes, it ain’t over till the last ball is bowled, and it came true. An out-of-favor Ishan Kishan who only came in because of Saurabh Tiwary’s unavailability played an innings that even the most seasoned pros would be proud of. Kieron Pollard rode his luck with a dropped catch by substitute Pawan Negi who had pouched 3 catches till then, making six-hitting look like simple. Surely, 80 to win off last four overs was beyond even the biggest of hitters. Surely, lightning would not strike twice in as many days. 

Leg-spin was proving to be ineffective, thanks to dew, and Pollard and Kishan made the best use of it, bringing the target down to 31 off the last two. A six, 5 singles, and a wide from the 19th bowled by Saini left Udana with 19 to defend. The Sri Lankan on his RCB debut could have easily lost it when Ishan Kishan brought the equation down to 5 off 2. Going for a finish with a ball to spare, Kishan holed out to deep mid-wicket, before Pollard pulled the game into a Super over. Thankfully for RCB, the cool heads prevailed in the Super over showdown, giving the team the full 2 points against a resilient Mumbai side.