IPL 2021, RCB vs MI: Who won yesterday's match?

Harshal Patel's hat-trick drilled the final nails in MI's coffin
Harshal Patel's hat-trick drilled the final nails in MI's coffin

Harshal Patel claimed a hat-trick with three slower balls as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) crushed the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 54 runs in Match 39 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Dubai.

MI were already in big trouble in a chase of 166, having sunk to 97 for 5 at the start of the 15th over. Patel put RCB in complete command by claiming an IPL hat-trick with the first three balls of the 17th over.

Patel first took out Hardik Pandya (3) with a slower ball that the MI batter hit straight up in the air. He then foxed Kieron Pollard (7) as the big-hitting batter walked right across and lost his leg-stump.

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Patel completed a hat-trick with a hat-trick of slower balls as Rahul Chahar (0) failed to get bat on a low full-toss and was struck right in front. The umpire had little hesitation in raising his finger.

Yuzvendra Chahal (3/11) then cleaned up Jasprit Bumrah (5) with a flighted delivery before Patel returned to claim his fourth, knocking back Adam Milne with, guess what, a slower one! Courtesy Patel’s heroics, the end for MI came much sooner than expected. From 97 for 5, they sank to 111 all out at the start of the 19th over.

MI got off to a confident start in their chase of 166, reaching 56 without loss by the end of the powerplay. After a quiet start, MI skipper Rohit Sharma gave the innings momentum, striking three consecutive fours off Kyle Jamieson in the third over. The first one was off a free-hit, a full-toss slammed down the ground. The second was driven square past the fielder at backward point and the third went wide of mid-on as 17 came in the over.

Two more fours came in the next over bowled by Mohammed Siraj, one each to Rohit and Quinton de Kock. The MI openers brought up the fifty-stand by taking 15 off Dan Christian’s first over. The first ball was a juicy half-volley, which was launched over the bowler's head by De Kock. The next was short and wide and smashed through covers. Rohit was gifted a four as Shahbaz Ahmed let one go through to the boundary at deep square leg.

Chahal broke the opening stand by foxing De Kock (24) to mistime a hoick to deep midwicket. Kohli brought on Maxwell in the eighth over and Rohit helped himself to a six over deep midwicket. The MI skipper, however, fell to the part-time spinner in his next over. After being struck hard on the wrist by a spanking shot from Ishan Kishan, Rohit (43) perished in the deep, unable to clear long-on.

Kishan (9) put MI in further trouble, as his ugly slog off Chahal ended up as a sitter to short third man. At 81 for 3, the match was back in the balance. The move to promote Krunal Pandya (5) ahead of brother Hardik did not work as the left-hander’s charge down the wicket to Maxwell saw him lose his off-stump.

Unfortunately for MI, Suryakumar Yadav’s horror run with the bat continued. He played a nothing shot, edging a slower off-cutter from Siraj that was well wide of off-stump to short third man. Yadav was back in the hut for 8, with MI stumbling to 97 for 5. Patel then finished off MI rather quickly. (Read slowly!)


Bumrah claims three as RCB post 165 for 6

MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a wicket. Pic: IPLT20.COM
MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a wicket. Pic: IPLT20.COM

Fantastic bowling spells by Jasprit Bumrah (3/36) and Trent Boult (1/17) enabled MI to restrict RCB to 165 for 6 despite fifties from Glenn Maxwell (56 off 37) and skipper Virat Kohli (51 off 42).

At 156 for 3, with two overs to go, RCB looked all set for the final assault. However, it never came as Bumrah dismissed Maxwell and AB de Villiers (11) off consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over. Maxwell dragged a yorker-length delivery to long-on while De Villiers edged a rising delivery to the keeper, attempting an upper cut.

Boult then cleaned up Shahbaz Ahmed (1) with a brutal yorker and did not allow the RCB batters to get under the other deliveries. Only three came off the last over as MI finished their bowling spell on a high.

Earlier, after MI asked RCB to bat, Kohli had a close shave in the first over itself. The second ball from Boult was flicked by the RCB captain towards deep square leg. Rahul Chahar leapt to take the catch but only managed to palm the ball over the ropes.

At the other end, Bumrah gave Devdutt Padikkal (0) a stern examination outside off and induced an edge off the fourth ball. Kohli and Srikar Bharat (32 off 24) then featured in an impressive second-wicket stand of 68. The RCB skipper enjoyed some luck against Bumrah in the fourth over. He edged a pull over the keeper for four and slammed another six on the leg side to complete 10,000 T20 runs.

Kohli was in better control of his fours against Adam Milne. In the fifth over, he drove one between cover and mid-off for four and whipped the next on the on-side for a maximum. Bharat took on leggie Chahar, slog sweeping him for a six over deep square and hitting a second six in the same area in the bowler’s next over.

Just before that, though, there was a massive moment in the game as Hardik dropped Kohli at point, when the RCB skipper was in his 30s. While Chahar was unlucky not to get Kohli, he dismissed Bharat, who smashed one into the hands of deep cover.

Maxwell came in and put on a switch-hitting exhibition. The first one came off Krunal Pandya in the 12th over, as the ball was slammed over deep point. The Big Show repeated the shot with success against Chahar in his last over and the 14th of the innings. Kohli, however, perished immediately after his fifty, top-edging a pull off a knuckle ball from Milne to deep square.

De Villiers came in and smashed Bumrah for a six and four to keep up the momentum. Maxwell then clattered Milne for 17 in the 18th over. The first two balls were reverse-swept for six and four respectively while the third boundary was lofted over mid-off. Just when Maxwell and ABD were setting themselves up for the final act, MI applied the brakes.


IPL 2021, RCB vs MI: Who was the Man of the Match?

Harshal Patel claimed a famous hat-trick and finished with fantastic figures of 4 for 17 in 3.1 overs. His control over the slower ones was amazing. Leggie Chahal also rose to the challenge, finishing with brilliant figures of 3 for 11.

Maxwell put up a superb all-round show. After smashing an impressive fifty, he claimed the key wickets of Rohit Sharma and Krunal Pandya. RCB skipper Kohli hit a fine half-century.

For MI, Bumrah claimed 3 for 36 while Boult ended with 1 for 17 from his four overs.

Despite Patel's heroics, it was Maxwell who was named IPL Man of the Match for his stupendous all-round show.

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Edited by Sai Krishna