Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers(w), Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Adam Zampa, Sachin Baby, Srikar Bharat, Pavan Deshpande, Rajat Patidar, Finn Allen, Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed
Mumbai Indians Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Saurabh Tiwary, Aditya Tare, Adam Milne, Chris Lynn, Jayant Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Quinton de Kock, Anukul Roy, Mohsin Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh
What a mad finish to the game! Siraj walks in as fresh as the opening scene of the play, but this is the final act, the final scene. Marco Jansen bowls to Sirajm, with 2 runs needed. Siraj manages to fend away the ball with his waist somehow, Harshal sprints through to the other end. Scores have been tied. 1 run to win off the last ball. Harshal on strike. The single is taken. RCB win off the last ball.
Harshal manages to push through a single to mid off. AB back on strike with 3 needed off 3 balls. A push to the leg side. 2 is the call. They try to run 2. Ishan Kishan breaks the bails! Was ABD quick enough? No! It is a Run Out! Unbelievable! ABD has been run out for 48.
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RCB need 2 to win in 2 balls.
De Villiers gets a single off the last ball of the 19th. He will take strike for the last over. Just 7 to win. All the hard work has been done. Surely, the South African will finish off the job now. At the other end, for Mumbai Indians, it will be 20-year-old Marco Jansen. There is a single off the first ball. It's Harshal Patel on strike with 5 balls remaining. RCB fans are out of their seats. Harshal Patel swings for the hills. Gets 2. ABD is trusting his partner.
RCB need 4 off 4 balls, Harshal Patel on strike
Bumrah bowls the 19th. You get the feeling this over will decide it. ABD goes big over extra cover off the first ball. One bounce, four. A four lofted over short third man two balls later. 'You say it year after year, this guy can play,' chuckles Dan Morrison as the required run rate comes down to 6 an over. Jamieson sacrifices his wicket as he goes for a run that is not there. ABD has strike for one ball in the 19th.
RCB 152/7 after 18.5, need 8 to win off 7 balls
Boult comes back into the attack. De Villiers pumps a six down the ground. Every ball is an event now and ABD is making sure he is the star act as the spotlight turns strong. De Villiers drills another four down the ground. Jamieson is giving him able company, turning over the strike when facing and pushing his long legs for a couple of runs whenever the call comes from ABD. Again, ABD keeps strike with a single off the last ball.
RCB 141/6 after 18, 19 to win in 2 overs
Jasprit Bumrah comes back to take the helm for Mumbai in the death overs. Christian swings but finds Chahar in the inner circle. He is out for 1. Jamieson joins ABD with a stream of wickets having put the chasing side in a spot of bother.
RCB 126/6 after 17, need 34 in 3 overs
Marco Jansen picks up another wicket in the over. Shahbaz Ahmed finds the fielder in the deep too. Old warhorse Dan Christian enters at 7. AB de Villiers makes a mark in Rahul Chahar's 16th. Mr.360 is in the house! A four through the covers and a six smashed over long on. Will ABD's brilliance seal the deal in this topsy turvy encounter? He keeps strike with a single off the last ball.
RCB 121/5 after 16.
Last 4 overs left. 39 to get at a run rate of just about 10. It's ABD vs MI for these points.
Marco Jansen is brought back in the 15th and the change works. Maxwell tries a cheeky shot but Lynn at short fine leg grabs on to a great catch. Maxwell goes for 39. RCB, who were on the ascendancy just a while ago, are now under pressure. Shahbaz Ahmed joins ABD.
RCB 103/4 after 14.1
AB de Villiers comes in at 5 to join Maxwell, whose 38* is already higher than any score he managed last season for KXIP. Rahul Chahar bowls a tight over - just 4 runs off it - as RCB take a moment to recover from the wicket of their skipper.
RCB 103/3 after 14
Maxwell nails another reverse smash for six as Chahar continues. The spinners have not had a great day in office at the Chepauk tonight. Mumbai go to Bumrah, they need to break this partnership before it takes the game away from them. And Bumrah does get the breakthrough! Kohli shuffles forward and is struck on the pads. Bumrah wins the battle of the bosses! Kohli is gone for 33.
RCB 98/3 after 12.3
Marco Jansen bowls a relatively tight over in the 9th as play restarts after a break. Maxwell smashes a huge six - his first six in two seasons - as Krunal Pandya bowls out his quota. Maxwell has almost reached up to Kohli's score - making amends for his poor last season.
RCB 84/2 after 11
Krunal Pandya hurries through his third over on the trot. Maxwell, already looking to inspire more confidence than he did in a whole season for KXIP last year, ends the Krunal over with a four. Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, is underarming throws from the outfield - suggesting he might not bowl too much today.
RCB 69/2 after 9
Glenn Maxwell comes in at 4 and not AB de Villiers. Kohli survives a run out attempt! Was sent back by Maxwell. Hardik Pandya could have got the big wicket with a direct hit - Kohli had given up - but he misses. Rahul Chahar is introduced into the attack in the 8th over. Maxwell crashes two fours against him - one with a switch hit and another with a conventional drive over the covers.
RCB 63/2 after 8
Patidar times a late cut delicately for four to third man as Boult continues at Krunal's other end. But Boult swings one back in and Patidar plays it down onto his stumps. Leaves the field biting his lip, dismissed for 8.
RCB 46/2 after 5.5
Krunal Pandya is introduced into the attack and he gets the long-coming wicket of Sundar. His 16-ball 10 - a struggle to watch - is brought to an end by a Lynn catch. Rajat Patidar comes in at 3.
RCB 36/1 after 4.2
Marco Jansen - the young 6'8'' 'Joel Garner' of the South Africa - enters the attack. Had troubled Kohli as a net bowler on a tour of SA in 2019. Kohli welcomes him to the IPL with a powerful pull and a drop of the wrists - four. The siren rings out as Jansen bowls a no ball. Early pressure of the IPL for the youngster. Kohli swipes away the Free Hit for another four to fine leg.
RCB 35/0 after 4
Kohli is offered some width by Boult and he crashes a four through the covers. The skipper is off! Sundar continues having a difficult time at the other end, his bat is beaten by inches by a Boult outswinger.
RCB 21/0 after 3
Jasprit Bumrah - playing his first white ball match since last year - bowls the 2nd over. Sundar is hurried by Bumrah's pace, but manages to get to the other end with a stolen single.
RCB 15/0 after 2
Washington Sundar and Virat Kohli open for RCB. Trent Boult bowls the first over for Mumbai Indians. Might this explain Sundar bowling only the one over in the first innings. He slashes in the first over, and an outside edge is dropped by Rohit Sharma. MI had their man in the first over itself! Considerable outswing in Boult's first over - some of which beats Kishan to go down for four byes. A leading edge from Kohli gets him off the mark, and rolls away for four to long off.
RCB 10/0 after 1
Harshal Patel is only the 3rd RCB bowler to pick a five-wicket haul in the IPL.
Most wickets in the 20th over of an IPL innings
4 ~ MI vs RCB (10 Apr 2021)
4 ~ SRH vs KKR (19 May 2018)
4 ~ DC vs KKR (7 May 2012)
4 ~ RCB vs CSK (12 Apr 2012)
There is a run out off the last ball. Mumbai Indians finish with 159/9. Harshal Patel (5/27) becomes the first ever bowler to take 5 wickets in a match against MI. RCB will chase 160 to win.
Harshal Patel misses the hat-trick but he strikes two balls later. It is Harshal Patel's night! The first ever bowler to take a 5-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians. Marco Jansen's IPL debut is cut short.
MI 158/8 after 19.4
Harshal Patel bowls the final over. And continues pegging away at the wickets. Krunal Pandya keeps smashing, but finds the fielder at fine leg. And off the next ball, Pollard now finds the fielder. Harshal Patel gets his 4th wicket!
MI 158/7 after 19.2
Krunal Pandya has joined Pollard with the death overs being won by RCB at the moment. Jamieson bowls the 19th. Kohli drops a simple catch now. The ball goes through his hands and strikes him right below the eye. Is okay to carry on, but what is with RCB and dropped catches tonight! Pandya pulls Jamieson for four to rub salt into the wound. Jamieson breaks Krunal Pandya's bat with a yorker as the batsman looks to crash a Free Hit. Pollard gets his first four, but with a fortunate top edge that goes over the keeper.
Jamieson on debut - 4-0-27-1.
MI 158/5 after 19
Ishan Kishan is living a charmed life! There is another shocker of a missed catch! Again, at fine leg. And would you believe it, the culprit is Siraj, the aggrieved bowler in the last over. Harshal Patel is the bowler. He reacts by bowling a yorker which strikes Kishan on the pads. The decision is Not Out, but RCB Review. And Kishan's charmed innings is over at three lives. He is out LBW for 28.
MI 145/5 after 17.4
Kishan survives! Siraj almost gets the wicket as Kishan swings for the ropes but almost finds Sundar at fine leg. Sundar misjudges the catch and walks a few metres inside and the result is a four. Siraj is not impressed. Aggression from Siraj in reaction - a bouncer strikes Pollard on the chest and harmlessly rolls away. RCB have a team discussion around Siraj - they want a wicket from their strike bowler. Pollard manages to get off strike with a single. A dot from Ishan Kishan to finish.
MI 142/4 after 17
Kohli looks to steal in another over from Dan Christian with the two batsmen just getting their eyes set in. Hardik tees off now, a rocket slammed past the bowler's head for four into the sightscreen. Harshal Patel bowls the 16th over, with the lack of pace now working much better than in the Powerplay. Hardik places a boundary towards third man for a clever four. Harshal Patel bowls a full toss off the last ball, and Hardik misses and is struck on the pad. Hardik is out for 13.
MI 135/4 after 16
Chahal comes back for his last over with the two quick wickets having given RCB a way back. But Ishan Kishan plays like he is playing a match of his own - devoid of the pressure of the quick wickets - and slams a six down the ground and a cuts a four past third man. Chahal finishes with 0/41.
MI 120/3 after 14
Ishan Kishan walks in at 4 to join Lynn, who half an hour ago looked like he would be a sitting duck but who has outlasted both Rohit and Surya. Siraj also brought back into the attack as RCB bring on the big guns. 4 runs from the over, with Lynn again narrowly surviving as a catch lands just short of Jamieson at mid off. It's time for Washington Sundar for the first time in the 13th over. He bowled in the Powerplay all through last year, this year... nothing before the 13th over! Lynn toe ends a four over the bowler's head. And then top edges a shot, which Sundar runs back and catches. Lynn mistimes for one last time - he is out for 49.
MI 105/3 after 12.5
Kohli brings back Chahal to regain control of proceedings after a TimeOut. Chahal gets a thick outside edge to loop up off Lynn's bat but yet again the ball drops just short of Sundar at short third man. Just 3 runs off Chahal's third over. Jamieson also brought back to bowl from the 11th over. Suryakumar enters into the act now, picks up an overpitched ball and slams an 83-m six over deep midwicket. But it's Jamieson who has the last laugh off the last ball. Surya is caught behind for 31. A breakthrough for RCB finally!
MI 94/2 after 11
Harshal Patel is RCB's fifth bowler. And he starts with a no ball. The free hit is a short ball in Lynn's arc and a six is smashed over deep midwicket. 84 metres. Suryakumar almost mistimes a drive straight to mid off but the ball lands short of the fielder. 15 runs off the over. RCB's fourth and fifth bowling options' profligacy is hurting the bowling team at the moment. Some philanthropic dibbly dobblies from Christian in the 9th over now. SKY carves the gap towards third man for four more. Where is Washington Sundar, one wonders! Sundar fails to make a diving stop at cover to stop a four to show us where he is.
MI 83/1 after 9
Kohli brings on Shahbaz Nadeem as the field spreads out. Chris Lynn explodes! A crashed four through the covers and a six slammed the ground to follow. Lynn's MI career is finally well and truly underway. 14 runs from the over.
MI 55/1 after 7
Chris Lynn finally gets the connection right. Chahal continues in the 6th over. Lynn takes a few strides to the pitch of the ball and slams a six over long on. It's all square at the end of the Powerplay. Lynn has got a few reprieves but MI have been pegged back by the Rohit Sharma run out.
MI 41/1 after 6
Suryakumar Yadav enters at 3 and hits a four off his first ball. Tries to go big again a couple of balls later. Attacking intent from the man in form early on. The commentary box has a laugh about Lynn, who is under intense pressure now to keep his place in the XI. A shaky start to his Mumbai Indians chapter, and he has had the misfortune of having run his captain out. Jamieson bowls another tight over.
MI 30/1 after 5
Yuzvendra Chahal replaces Jamieson for the 4th over. Lynn's problems continue. Fails to read a googly completely, but the inside edge runs away for four behind the keeper. It's been ugly from Lynn so far, but he has finally off the mark. Rohit Sharma, at the other end, hits what is the first perfect shot of the season. Walks down the track to Chahal and hits a well-timed six down the ground. But oh dear! There's tragedy for Mumbai Indians. Lynn has run his skipper out. Initially responded but then stayed in his crease. Rohit is out for 19.
MI 24/1 after 4
Siraj continues from the other end after Jamieson starts his IPL career with a 1-run over. Rohit Sharma, itching to let loose, mistimes a couple of shots, is rapped on the pad and then lofts a drive over a leaping mid off for four. The first boundary of IPL 2021.
MI 12/0 after 3
Kyle Jamieson partners Siraj with the new ball, getting a hint of movement in the air with his very first ball in India. Lynn faces for the first time and is rapped on the pad as he tries to push the ball to the leg side. There's an outside edge that falls just short of Christian at first slip. Lynn survives a very nervy first over. 'This is very different from Brisbane,' says Dominic Cork.
MI 6/0 after 2
Rohit pushes away the first ball of the season for a couple of runs on the leg side. Some signs of pace on the surface as Siraj gets the ball to rear up on a couple of occasions. Rohit retains the strike with a single off the last ball.
MI 5/0 after 1
The moment is here! It's lights, camera, IPL at the Chepauk! Virat Kohli, seen laughing with Dan Christian, who he reminded at the toss is back at RCB after 8 years, enters the field, leading the bowling team. Rohit Sharma and Chris Lynn are the MI openers. Siraj bowls the first ball of IPL 2021. Rohit faces.
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Marco Jansen, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Rajat Patidar, AB de Villiers(w), Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal
Kohli wins the toss and chooses to bowl first.
"They're a side who likes chasing. Good chance for us to get onto the park and create some intensity. With the balance we have this year we can do both, but have to understand who you're playing against. We understand with the depth they have they have never out of the game. Bowling first was a no-brainer for us," says Kohli.
"We would've fielded first as well had we won the toss. But as a team we've batted well over the years. Nothing different for us. Bat well in the powerplay and set the game up for the big hitters," says Rohit.
Lynn gets his maiden MI cap from Rohit. He will probably open the batting, letting Ishan Kishan or Rohit to drop down to 3. Toss and playing XI in 5 minutes.
If you remember how the vagaries of the spin-less pitch pulled the carpet from under CSK's feet last season, it's worth noting that MI - a traditionally pace-heavy unit - will deal without their home comforts. They play today in Chepauk, the famous turner, so that will be put to the test on the first day itself. Expect Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya to play major roles with the ball. RCB will look back and shudder about the time they were bowled out for 70 at the Chepauk in the opening encounter of IPL 2019. Which way will the cookie crumble tonight? Toss and team news in around 20 minutes.
RCB broke the bank at the auction to rope in Glenn Maxwell to have a batting x-factor beyond Kohli and de Villiers. Maxwell can tear into any bowling attack on his day. Also, he is a pretty handy off-break bowler. But a tally of 1505 runs at an average of 22.13 over 82 matches in the IPL attests inconsistency. Throughout the tournament, the Australian would be under pressure to justify his Rs 14.25 crore price tag. Focus will be on New Zealand allrounder Kyle Jamieson as well, bought for Rs 15 crore.
MI and RCB have played 29 times in the IPL and MI won 19 of them. However, the last five encounters have been close with RCB winning twice. This term, MI have added to their squad depth by bringing on Adam Milne, Piyush Chawla and James Neesham. For this year’s opening game, they will miss wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine period after coming from South Africa. So Ishan Kishan, who has made his international debut in the home T20I series against England, will open with Rohit.
Not that long ago, the 13th season of the IPL brought manna from heaven to a cricket-starved nation reeling under the shock of a pandemic. Mumbai Indians rampaged to their fifth title and Chennai Super Kings collapsed spectacularly in UAE as recently as in November. Less than half a year later, with a 'second wave' threatening, the 14th season of the IPL has come around to return a semblance of normalcy. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, those two behemoths of Indian cricket, will lead their team out in the opening match of the season.
Match starts at 7:30 pm. Toss and team news at 7 pm