The genius of De Villiers and death overs magic - Best of MI vs RCB
The Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians are two of the more flamboyant franchises to have graced the Indian premier league. Both the teams have always had star-studded line-ups since inception. The two teams have managed to put up some of the best cricketing spectacles the league has ever seen. In this article, we take a look at three of the most memorable matches between the two giants of the league.
It was the first game of the season for both the teams. RCB, having been put in to bat, could not manage to put up consistent partnerships. The game also marked the arrival of Jasprit Bumrah, who trapped Virat Kohli in front of the stumps. RCB’s innings never really gathered much momentum. But, riding on the back of a typical Chris Gayle innings, characterise by a slow start which later went into turbo mode, RCB ended up with a challenging score of 157. Chris Gayle had contributed 92 of those
Mumbai Indians looked comfortable in the run-chase. Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar set the base, with a steady opening partnership, with big-hitters in Pollard and Rohit Sharma waiting to capitalise. Dinesh Karthik gave the innings the impetus through the middle overs with a whirlwind 60 off 37 balls. Mumbai needed a manageable 10 runs in the last over. with Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik in the middle. That’s when the local lad Vinay Kumar put his hand up and rose to the occasion. He got both the set batsmen out in consecutive balls. With 8 runs needed of the last two balls, the Caribbean mercenary Pollard nearly cleared the ropes, but it fell just short of the boundary. With 4 needed off the last ball, bowling to one of the most feared six-hitters, Vinay Kumar produced the perfect yorker which Pollard could only snuff out for a single, giving Bangalore a famous win by 2 runs.
MI vs RCB, May 10 2015
The shell-shocked Mumbai crowd could not help but appreciate the genius of AB De Villiers as the chants of ABD rang around the Wankhede
The stage was set for a titanic clash on a scorching Sunday afternoon at the Wankhede. Mumbai Indians, having put the Royal challengers in to bat first had a plan to restrict the dangerous Chris Gayle. A bunch of cutters and slower deliveries had shackled the West Indian and he was eventually dismissed after an uncharacteristic 13 off 12 balls. Joining Virat Kohli in the middle after 19 balls of the innings was the South African AB De Villiers.
What followed was a batting masterclass by two of the modern greats of the game. The Wankhede was first stunned into silence, which later turned into applause as AB De Villiers and Virat Kohli put on a show for the Mumbai crowd which braved the summer heat. The crowd chanted “ABD” as the maestro displayed an otherworldly sorcery. As it would happen, Chris Gayle wicket would be the only success Mumbai bowlers would taste on the day. RCB ended up with 235/1; AB De Villiers scoring 133 in 59 balls and Virat Kohli unbeaten at 82 off 50. The Mumbai bowlers were pulverised into submission.
Despite a late-inning charge by Kieron Pollard, Mumbai never looked as though they would chase down the monstrous total, as RCB registered a massive 39-run win at the home of the Mumbai Indians.
RCB vs MI, May 1 2018
Put in to bat on a ground considered a nightmare for bowlers, where no total is considered safe, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s innings never got under way. There were meaningful contributions across the twenty overs, but nothing substantial. Manan Vohra’s 45, Virat Kohli’s 32 and Brendon McCullum’s 37. The innings was meandering along looking as if it would finish with a below-par score. Kiwi marauder Colin De Grandhomme though, provided the innings with an ending which propelled the score to 167.
RCB’s bowling was marked by two key events. First, it was Umesh Yadav’s fiery pace which reduced Mumbai to 21/3. Umesh had first trapped Suryakumar Yadav leg-before, and had bowled an unplayable in-swinger off the very next, which Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma knicker to the keeper. Mumbai, however, stayed in the hunt. On the back of the Pandya brothers’ 56-run partnership, Mumbai stayed well in the hunt, needing 45 off the last 4 overs. With RCB’s death overs vows in the tournament, Mumbai looked the more probable team to snatch the win. But, a terrific death overs display by Tim Southee and Siraj, consisting of a mixture of length and pace, had managed to stifle the power-hitting of the Mumbai powerhouses and gave RCB a much-needed 14-run win. Tim Southee was adjudged the Man of the Match for his returns of 2-25.
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