Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Match 1 Match Summary

That's all from the first game of the season! What a thriller we have had and Bangalore start off the new season with a win while the defending champions lose their first game of a new season again. On Saturday, 10th April 2021, we have Chennai going up against Delhi in Mumbai. That match will begin at 1930 IST (1400 GMT). But, the build-up will begin much earlier. Do join us then. Cheers and take care.

Harshal Patel, the Man of the Match, says that when they bought him, they told him that he will be an important part of the team and he is happy that they have showed faith in him. Tells that he was looking at executing his plans and it special to get a first 5-fer in T20s and especially, getting one against Mumbai. Adds that he wanted to get better at bowling yorkers as he is a good length bowler and he was working hard on bowling the yorker for the last couple of years.

Virat Kohli, the Bangalore skipper, says that they won their first game in 2020. Adds that they have got off to a good start. States that winning by 2 wickets means that almost everyone got game time. Says that pitch was looking decent in the first half and he hoped that dew might help but as the ball got older, it became slow and the partnership between himself and Maxwell was important. Tells that this was not a pitch where you can hit across the line. Says that they need to find ways to win. Tells that the shot Pollard got out to, would have been a six at Wankhede. Tells that the last 6 overs at the death with the ball is probably the best they have had with Harshal Patel bowling beautifully. States that Patel is going to be their designated death over bowler. States that Siraj bowled very well, Jamieson got off to a good start and even Chahal did well after his first couple of overs. Tells that this was Harshal's day. States that they wanted Maxwell to bat at no. 4 and Rajat is a good player and he is one player to watch out for. Says that if they lose wickets, it gives Maxwell time to play himself in and if he had stayed in, the game might have finished a couple of overs earlier. Says that AB came into the game as well and played really well. Goes onto say, AB is the only player in their team who is so versatile and can play many shots and they need experience at the back as well. Goes onto say that if they get off a good start, they will see a different mode of Maxwell and de Villiers.

AB de Villiers is there for a chat. He says that it was an incredible game of cricket which is always the case against Mumbai. Tells he knew it was going to be a tough pitch to play cricket and he was aware about it. Tells Mumbai has a fantastic bowling line-up and they knew it. Jokes he did that run in the treadmill but that was not the case. AB feels that it was an easy two but Krunal got the throw spot on. De Villiers says playing against Maxwell is a pleasure. Tells he loves his energy on the field. AB says that Mumbai are champions and tells there is a lot of aura around them. Tells that it was a big challenge for them to go against them and play. Tells they will not get too excited as they defeated Mumbai in the first game last year as well but tells this win is a morale booster.

Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai skipper, says that the most important is to win the championship. Rohit says it was a great fight and they did not let it go easily. Rohit feels they were 20 runs short. Rohit admits they made some mistakes but adds they are bound to happen and need to bounce back. Tells Jansen is a talent they have identified. Adds they needed wickets and hence they bowled Bumrah and Boult back-to-back. Rohit says the pitch was on the slower side and tells that is something they can think of and identify. Credits de Villiers for the innings he played. Rohit feels that in hindsight they can say so. Tells there are few new faces and many players are coming after playing international cricket. Tells they have not had time which is completely opposite of what happened 5 months back in UAE. Adds that it is how this tournament is played and they need to fight back. Rohit feels that neutral venues can be difficult especially for teams with a great team record. But adds the challenge of this sport is to go away and perform. Adds that they are lucky to get on the field and play and put smiles on the face of people in India.

Stay tuned for the presentation ceremony!!!

Earlier, in the day, Mumbai posted 159 on the board but they should have got a lot more than that. They lost 6 wickets for 31 runs in the last 5 overs which restricted them. Chris Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav got starts but could not make it count while for Bangalore, Harshal Patel was the star of the show as his 5-fer was the main reason that Bangalore restricted Mumbai to 159. Eventually, a match which Bangalore should have won easily, got home on the last ball.

Credit to Mumbai though! They never gave up and hats off to them for that. At one stage, they were looking down and out but they held in there. Bumrah was excellent, he got the big wicket of Kohli and that opened the door for them. Rahul Chahar was expensive while Krunal Pandya and Trent Boult did a decent job. Marco Jansen, playing his first game in the Indian T20 League bowled a very good final over but it was not to be as Bangalore clinched the game on the last ball.

Bangalore must have had their hearts in their mouth! They were cruising for most of their run chase but like most times, they give their fans some nerves before taking the game. But in the end, all's well that ends well. Bangalore started off well with Kohli starting off in a fine manner. His opening partner, Sundar though struggled before he fell. Patidar did not do much on his debut but Maxwell came out and played some fine shots. Kohli gave him some good company but Kohli's wicket opened the floodgates and they lost Maxwell and Shahbaz quickly. De Villiers took the matters into his own hands and got them close before he got run out before Harshal Patel kept his cool and took the game for Bangalore.

What a thriller we have had and it is Bangalore who take the honours in the first game of the tournament. This is just the first game and we have had such a game already. Could we have asked for anything more? I don't think so. A superb match and Bangalore are on the right side of it. It turned and turned but Bangalore have done it. Virat Kohli is happy and he will be relieved. Mumbai, on the other hand, continue to lose their season opener. The last time they won was in 2012.

Harshal Patel! The man with the ball and he has held his nerves and gets the run to take his side over the line. Very full on middle and leg, Harshal Patel manages to flick it to the left of short fine leg. Bumrah dives and stops the ball but cannot save the run. Take a bow, Harshal Patel! You beauty! BANGALORE WIN BY 2 WICKETS!

The bowler, Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma are in the middle of a conference.

SCORES LEVEL! 1 run needed off the final ball now. On the pads, Siraj looks to flick but misses. It hits his pad and goes behind the stump. Ishan Kishan has a lot of ground to cover and Harshal manages to make it count and get the single.

Mohammed Siraj comes out to bat.

OUT! RUN OUT! AB de Villiers is short of his crease. The run around from one side to another has seen AB eat some time and that fraction of seconds has seen him depart here. Length ball on off, AB de Villiers hits it away from Krunal and long on. He takes the run and then does a whole circle to come for the second. Krunal sends a decent throw at the keeper's end. Ishan Kishan takes a brilliant take and quickly disturbs the stumps. AB de Villiers puts a dive but it is not good enough.  He is short of his crease, he knows it, Ishan knows and the replays confirm it. 2 needed off 2 balls.  Super Over anyone?

An appeal for run out taken upstairs! What is happening? AB de Villiers knows that he is a goner and he is. What a match we are having and this is just the first game of the tournament.

Harshal gets the single. 3 needed in 3 balls now and more importantly. AB de Villiers is on strike. Low full toss on the stumps, Harshal manages to hit towards mid off and takes a single.

In the air and away! Two taken and 4 needed off 4 balls now. Full around off, Harshal lofts it over mid off and gets a couple.

Single off the first ball of the final over. The hero of the last over in the first innings with the ball, Harshal Patel will have strike now.

Marco Jansen will bowl the final over. Can he defend 7 from the final over?

Low full toss on off, AB de Villiers manages to hit to sweeper cover and keep the strike. 7 needed off the last over for Bangalore to win. Anything less than 6, Mumbai take it. 6 and we start the tournament with a Super Over. Do not discount that possibility out folks.

Harshal Patel makes his way out to the middle.

OUT! RUN OUT! Very good work from Bumrah! Low full toss on off, Jamieson hits it straight back towards Bumrah. He gets his right leg to it. The ball goes behind but not too far. AB de Viliiers calls for a run. Jamieson keeps his head down and goes for it. Bumrah quickly gets to the ball and scores an underarm direct hit at the stumps. Was this single needed? This is the last ball off the over. Maybe de Villiers was better staying at the other end and taking on the final over. This game is still in the balance. First game of the tournament and we might be running out of nails already.

Yorker! Superb from Bumrah. De Villiers manages to jam it to the on side for a single. 8 needed in 8 balls now.

FOUR! This is genius at work!  Tremendous from AB de Villiers. He sensed a short ball around off. AB was ready for it. He waits for it and then manages to get it over short third man for a boundary. Bumrah is being outdone here by another freak of a genius.

Good running! Fullish on middle, AB de Villiers hits it away from Pollard at long on. The Protea calls for two straightaway and the tall Kiwi obliges. 13 needed off 10 balls now.

FOUR! WHAT A SHOT! AB you beauty! Not many, in fact hardly any player can do that to Bumrah but de Villiers is out of this world. A yorker from Bumrah but de Villiers manages to take it as a full toss and hit it over extra cover for a boundary.

Single to end the over. 15 off the over. Spoils the good work done by Bumrah in the previous over a bit. Back of a length ball on off, AB knocks it to long on and keeps the strike. 19 needed off the final 2 overs now.

Length ball on off, AB clears his front leg and hits it to the right of long off. They look for two and get it with ease. This is turning out to be a very good over for Bangalore.

FOUR! Slammed straight down the ground! Fullish on middle and off, AB de Villiers clears his front leg and smacks it straight as an arrow. Long on and long off come in but the ball dissects them and races to the fence like a bullet.