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MI (Mumbai Indians) and RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) are two heavyweights in the IPL but have had contrasting fortunes in the competition. While MI have won the IPL on a record five occasions, RCB are still searching for their maiden title in the T20 league.
Nevertheless, matches between the two teams tend to be exciting, as both MI and RCB have star-studded squads.
With MI and RCB set to go head-to-head in the opening game of the IPL 2021 season, let's have a look at three of the most thrilling games between the two teams over the years:
#3 IPL 2019: MI (172-5) beat RCB (171-7) by five wickets
(April 15th, 2019; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
The 31st game of the IPL 2019 season saw MI lock horns with RCB at the Wankhede Stadium. Batting first, RCB posted a competitive total of 171-7 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to half-centuries from AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali.
MI started their chase emphatically, with openers Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock adding 70 runs in just seven overs. But there was a twist in the tale.
The pitch was surprisingly dry, and the ball began to grip for the spinners in the second innings. That brought both Ali and Yuzvendra Chahal into the game.
MI began to lose wickets at regular intervals as RCB clawed their way back into the contest. Thankfully, MI's blistering start had given their lower order enough time to get their eye in.
With 22 needed off the last two overs, RCB fancied their chances of a win, but Hardik Pandya had other ideas. With Pawan Negi bowling the penultimate over, Pandya smoked the left-arm spinner down the ground multiple times as MI won the game with an over to spare.
Check the detailed MI vs RCB head to head stats here.
#2 IPL 2019: MI (187-8) beat RCB (181-5) by six runs
(March 28, 2019 - M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru)
This game between MI and RCB produced one of the most controversial finishes in IPL history.
Batting first, Rohit Sharma and Quinton De Kock got MI off to a flyer, adding 53 runs for the first wicket. But RCB pegged MI back by taking wickets at regular intervals. At 147-7, Virat Kohli must have felt that RCB were on the ascendancy.
However, Hardik Pandya once again proved to be RCB's nemesis. The all-rounder played a blistering cameo of 32 off just 14 balls, hitting two fours and three huge sixes. Thanks to his blitzkrieg, MI managed to post a competitive 187-8 on the board.
RCB would have backed themselves to overhaul that target, as they had a strong batting lineup. They targetted MI's spearhead Lasith Malinga, and the ploy worked, as the Sri Lankan legend proved to be highly expensive.
But MI's other speedster, Jasprit Bumrah, kept his team in the game. Whenever MI needed a wicket that day, Bumrah delivered more often than not. However, AB de Villiers looked good to take RCB home.
With 40 needed off the last three overs, De Villiers plundered Malinga for 18 to reduce the asking rate for RCB. But with 22 required off 12, Bumrah once again proved his mettle as a world-class bowler. He conceded a miserly five runs, giving Malinga 17 runs to defend in the final over.
Shivam Dube smashed Malinga's first ball of the final over for a six. But what followed next was Malinga magic, as he nailed his yorkers to perfection. With seven needed off the last ball, De Villiers was stranded on 70* at the non-striker's end.
Dube couldn't hit the last-ball yorker for a six as MI clinched the thriller by six runs. However, what followed next made Kohli absolutely furious. The replays on the big screen showed that Malinga had overstepped on the last ball.
That meant the on-field umpire should have called a no-ball. In that case, RCB would have had De Villiers on strike with four needed off the final ball - a free hit. Following this incident, from the IPL 2020 season, the third umpire was allowed to call front-foot no-balls.
#1 IPL 2020: MI (201-5) tied with RCB (201-3); RCB won in a super over
(September 28, 2020 - Dubai International Stadium, Dubai)
This thrilling match-up needed a super over, and that was exactly what happened.
Batting first in the tenth game of IPL 2020, RCB's young sensation Devdutt Padikkal got his team off to a flying start. This was one of the few games where Aaron Finch also contributed with a half-century.
After the openers added 81 runs for the first wicket, RCB looked on course for a tall total. However, Kohli's uncharacteristic knock of three off 11 balls seemed to halt RCB's momentum, but De Villiers ensured they kept up the pace at the death.
The South African star smashed an unbeaten 55 off just 24 balls. Aided by a fine cameo of 27 from Dube, RCB posted a mammoth 201-3 in their allotted 20 overs.
In response, the defending champions got off to an inauspicious start, losing their top three with just 39 runs on the board. Even Hardik Pandya, who generally brings his A-game against RCB, couldn't bail MI out of trouble. However, young Ishan Kishan played a career-defining innings alongside Kieron Pollard.
The duo added a massive 119 runs in just 8.3 overs as MI inched agonisingly close to RCB's total. During his knock of 99, Kishan clobbered both the pacers as well as the spinners to all parts of the ground. Pollard was belligerent as well, knocking 60 off just 24 deliveries.
Despite incredible hitting from the MI pair, the team needed five to win off the final ball. With Pollard smacking the last ball for a boundary, a super over ensued.
Batting first, MI sent both their power-hitters Pandya and Pollard to the middle. However, neither managed to get going, as they scored only seven off six balls. Navdeep Saini was absolutely sensational with his line and lengths, giving away no freebies to the MI duo.
A modest target of eight was never going to bother the likes of Kohli and De Villiers, even though they were facing one of the world's best in Bumrah.
RCB completed a thrilling win over the defending champions on the last ball of the IPL super over, which is arguably the most memorable encounter between the two teams.
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