IPL 9, Match 41: RCB v MI - 5 Talking Points

Mumbai Indians continue to reign over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy, as they picked up two crucial points defeating RCB by 6 wickets. This takes MI to 12 points with three games left and they better the record against RCB at Chinnaswamy to 6-1. Being asked to bat first, RCB managed a below-par 151, majorly thanks to an unbeaten 68 from KL Rahul. The MI started off the chase steady; despite an increasing run rate, were never really in danger of losing the game. Eventually, Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler closed off the match with some lusty blows at the end of the innings.

1. Mumbai Indians start off brilliantly:

With Chinnaswamy being the center-stage, Virat Kohli brought back in the danger man Chris Gayle, as expected. Once RCB was put to bat in by the Mumbai Indians, the RCB batsmen had put themselves a mental target of 200+, which can be considered as a relatively safe in this ground and given the form of their bowling attack. However, the Mumbai were spot on with their strategy. With the intention of removing Virat and Gayle as soon as possible, Rohit set his field to trap them. And the strategic moves paid dividends. While Mitchell McCleanaghan managed to remove Kohli with an impeccable field placement of having a wide slip, Gayle fell trying out one shot too many. The early wickets had done the required damage, and Rohit did not allow the batsmen to settle with some well planned bowling changes.

2. Rahul plays on, wickets fall in regular intervals:

KL Rahul has been outstanding for RCB at the top of the order. However, with the return of Chris Gayle, and considering the quick fall of wickets, Rahul had a completely different role on his hands today. The batsman, however, did not disappoint his team. Starting off slowly, he picked his pace as the innings progressed. Though he couldn’t create a meaningful partnership with AB de Villers, Sachin Baby provided the required assistance during the middle overs, and all was set for a final flourish.

3. Pollard gamble misfire, RCB cross 150:

MI’s outstanding night on the field was hampered by one gamble by Rohit Sharma. Watching the way Rahul was batting, Sharma turned to his slower-ball specialist Keiron Pollard to bowl in the death. The gamble ultimately became too costly for the Mumbai, as it was exactly what RCB wanted. Baby and Rahul clobbered the big man for 3 sixes and a boundary in the 17th over, which ultimately cost Pollard 23 runs. The Rahul-Baby duo continued to hit some lusty blows, eventually helping RCB to reach a decent but below par total of 151.

4. Mumbai off to a steady start:

The pitch, despite loosening a bit in comparison to the first inning, still definitely had something for the bowlers, as evident from Aravind’s wicket of Parthiv Patel. However, despite the slowness of the wicket, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu kept things ticking. With nearly 90+ needed off 11 overs, Rohit fell to a slower delivery, trying to clear the fence.

5. Rayudu fails after slow knock, Pollard, Buttler guide MI through:

While newcomer Nitish Rana couldn’t make a really significant impact other than a beautiful upper cut over the third man fence, the arrival of Keiron Pollard was the key juncture of the game. Rayudu soon fell trying to accelerate things, thanks to an excellent catch from AB de Villers, but the required run rate was still within reach for the visitors. With a couple of huge overs, the equation was reduced from gettable to wait-for-it-to-happen. Buttler chipped in with a form-reviving knock, eventually hitting the match winning six off Varun Aaron.

How did the match pan out? – IPL 9, Match 41 Review: Mumbai Indians breeze past RCB at the Chinnaswamy