IPL 2018: Match 31, RCB vs MI – Most Valuable and Liable player of the game

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally defended a total at home as they defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) for the first time since 2016 and the first time in Bangalore since 2014. The home team, batting first, finished with 167/7 on the board that included 66 runs coming off three big overs of 20+ runs. Mumbai lost three wickets in the powerplay and were four down for 47 by the 8th over. The Pandya brothers kept their side in the chase with a crucial 66-run stand for the 6th with but failed to get the 35 runs needed from the last three overs.

Despite ending on the losing side, Hardik Pandya turned out to be the Most Valuable Player of the Match. The all-rounder gained a value of 1.25 crores according to the CricTracker’s player value algorithm for his performance in the game. Pandya scored a fifty while coming into bat when Mumbai Indians lost four wickets for just 47 runs. Hardik took three wickets in an over included the wickets of Mandeep Singh and Virat Kohli on successive deliveries. He also dismissed Brendon McCullum with a direct hit.

Whereas MI wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan turned out to be the liable player of the match as he bagged his 2nd golden duck in as many games against RCB.

The player with second best value in the game behind Hardik was Manan Vohra. The uncapped batsman scored 45 off 31 balls with two fours and four sixes. He hit 20 runs in space of four balls off JP Duminy in the powerplay that got RCB’s innings going. The top scorer for the home side earned a value of 50 lakhs from this match. Washington Sundar, who came into the game in place of Murugan Ashwin, who couldn’t make a notable contribution. He scored one run and was taken for 15 runs in the only over he bowled.

Krunal, the elder Pandya, earned a value of 35.5 lakhs for his economical bowling and the important stand with his brother. Mayank Markande dismissed his Punjab team-mate Vohra who was looking a threating to take the game away from MI. His match performance earned him a value of 13.5 lakhs which is 9.45 times his average match salary. Vohra’s match value is equivalent to 6.36 times his average match salary as RCB bought him for only 1.1 crores.