In the 5th match of the IPL 2023 series held in Bengaluru yesterday, the Rohit-led Mumbai Indians were blown away by the Du Plessis-led RCB team by 8 wickets. Mumbai ended the first innings for 171 runs, and in the continuous RCB team, the chaser Virat Kohli smashed Mumbai’s target in the 17th over as a not out batsman for 82 runs with 6 fours and 5 sixes in 49 balls.
Captain Fab Duplessis scored 73 runs off 43 balls, with 5 fours and 6 sixes, and the two combined to add 148 runs in the 15th over and the game ended there. Piyush Chawla, the leg-spinner in the Mumbai team, was frugal and scored 26 runs in 4 overs. Everyone else bought sema sathu.
Mohammed Siraj bowled brilliantly when the Mumbai team batted. Couldn’t play him. He gave only 5 runs in 3 overs. We call Hitman Rohit. But, he took only one run off 10 balls and edged Akash Deep. He also gave a catch before taking this 1 run. But it was let slip. Siraj dismissed Ishan Kishan under pressure. He gave only 21 runs in 4 overs and took 1 wicket. The tragedy of Mumbai Indians superstar Suryakumar Yadav continues. Bracewell flicked the ball and Shabazz was caught at point. The innings is also of the Sothappal variety. He scored only 15 runs in 16 balls.
But Tilak Verma, who is little known in Mumbai, really batted stunningly. Tilak Verma came down when the team had lost 3 wickets for 19 runs. He hit a six off the 2nd ball. A six, a boundary from Maxwell’s over. Then he hit Akash Deep for a scoop boundary and at the other end, debutant Nehal Vadera hit Karan Sharma for 2 sixes. The 2nd six hit the roof in the direction of Long On. The great player was Tim David Bould. Verma, not known as a wicket-taker, scored a half-century off 32 balls and scored 84 runs off 46 balls with 9 fours and 4 sixes as Mumbai Indians reached a decent score of 171 runs.
Kohli and Duplessis came down. There is nothing in Mumbai’s bowling. No impact. They scored 148 runs in 14.5 overs. Both hit 11 fours and 11 sixes. Goalie stepped in as Duplessis was dismissed. Earlier, Zobra Archer missed a return catch by Kohli. Zobra Archer failed to take a wicket after conceding 33 runs in 4 overs. He also hit 2 fours and 2 sixes. Although the man of the match award went to Du Plessis, it is true that Kohli’s game was polished.
Virat Kohli said after the match. “I want to mention this for a moment. Mumbai have won the IPL title 5 times while CSK has won the trophy 4 times. Next to these two teams is us. That means only RCB have qualified for the play off round 8 times. So this time also we will implement the plans keeping in mind that it is one competition at a time. As he did in this match.
It was a huge success. A lot of balls should be spared only then the net will be comfortable during the run rate issue. The way Du Plessy and I started drained Mumbai Indians of their motivation. We put a lot of pressure on the bowlers,” he said.
