DUBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians in a thrilling Super Over contest in the Indian Premier League on Monday after the match was tied.
Bangalore’s Navdeep Saini came up with a brilliant over, giving away just seven runs. It was a surprise that Ishan Kishan did not walk into bat as he had made 99 runs earlier in the second innings. Pollard and Hardik Pandya, who came onto bat, did not make great connection when it mattered most while Bangalore’s Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers reached the target in Jasprit Bumrah's last delivery.
It is quite unbelievable that the game actually went to a super over, considering Mumbai were 35/2 in six overs while chasing 202. But Pollard and Ishan Kishan had some other ideas and kept on fighting even when things looked improbable.
In fact, Pollard and Ishan, at one point, needed 104 from 36 balls, but a last ball four by Pollard meant the game was tied. The duo’s heroic partnership of 119 runs and Ishan’s 58-ball 99 went in vain.
Chasing a target of 202, Mumbai Indians managed 201 for 5 after Ishan Kishan (99 off 58 balls) and Kieron Pollard (60 off 24 balls) nearly pulled off an incredible chase but could manage 8 off the required 19 runs in the last over.
Bangalore should, more importantly, thank their batsmen for putting up a good score. Else, they would have suffered another loss. Finch starred with 35-ball 52 and laid the foundation with a partnership of 81 alongside Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli failed, but De Villiers (55 n.o) and Padikkal (54) delivered.
Padikkal, at one point of time was 25 from 23, and he made his intent clear with back-to-back sixes off James Pattinson. But, when the South African smashed two sixes and a four off Bumrah in the 17th, and there was no holding back despite Padikkal’s wicket.
Whatever was bowled to him resulted in a four or a six, such was De Villiers’s form. It was a special innings considering the likes of Bumrah, Trent Boult and Pattinson were on the receiving end. Shivam Dube also played his part, smashing Pattinson for three sixes in the last over.