IPL 2025: Kohli, Patidar and Krunal help RCB end 10-year Wankhede jinx

Pulled out retired hurt by Mumbai Indians in their previous match, Tilak Varma returned with a vengeance, slamming a 26-ball half-century and raising 89 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya. But despite their explosive stand, it wasn’t enough as Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged out the five-time champions by 12 runs in Match 21 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Varma smashed a brilliant 56 off 29 balls while Hardik blasted a fiery 42 off just 15 deliveries to bring MI back into contention, reducing the chase from 132 off 56 balls to 41 off 18. However, RCB struck back in the death overs—Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Tilak, and Josh Hazlewood removed Hardik, derailing the chase.

Needing 28 runs off the final 12 balls, Mumbai crumbled under pressure. Krunal Pandya claimed three wickets in the final over, including Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar off successive deliveries. Although Boult survived the hat-trick ball and Naman Dhir struck a four, it came down to 12 off 2 balls. Dhir’s dismissal on the fifth delivery sealed a dramatic win for RCB.

RCB Post Massive Total After Kohli-Patidar Blitz

Asked to bat first, RCB got off to a flying start despite losing Phil Salt (4) early to Trent Boult. Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli then tore into the Mumbai attack, putting on 91 runs for the second wicket with some blistering shots against Chahar, Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Vignesh Puthur.

Padikkal smashed 37 off 22 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, while Kohli registered his second fifty of the season, reaching it off 29 balls. Kohli eventually fell for 67 off 42 balls, caught by Naman Dhir off Hardik, trying to slice one behind square.

Patidar, Jitesh Power RCB to 221

After Liam Livingstone departed for a two-ball duck, Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma took charge. Patidar reached his half-century in just 25 balls and along with Sharma, stitched a crucial 69-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Patidar clubbed Hardik for 23 runs in the 17th over and followed up with a flurry of boundaries off Boult before falling for 64. Jitesh Sharma remained unbeaten on 40 off 19 balls, smashing Bumrah for a towering six in the penultimate delivery to help RCB post 221/5.

Mumbai's Top Order Fails to Fire

In response, MI were rocked early with Rohit Sharma (17) and Ryan Rickelton (17) falling to Yash Dayal and Hazlewood. Will Jacks (22 off 18) looked promising but failed to convert, while Suryakumar Yadav struggled for rhythm, managing just 28 off 26 balls.

The middle-order collapse left too much for the lower order. Despite the late fireworks from Tilak and Hardik, MI couldn’t recover from their stuttering start.

Krunal Pandya Seals it in Final Over

Krunal Pandya emerged as the unlikely hero, dismissing three batters in the 20th over, including a game-changing double strike. He ended with figures of 4-45, while Hazlewood (2-37) and Dayal (2-46) provided key breakthroughs earlier to ensure RCB defended their total.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 221/5 in 20 overs  (Virat Kohli 67, Rajat Patidar 64, Jitesh Sharma 40*; Hardik Pandya 2-45, Trent Boult 2-57)  beat  Mumbai Indians: 209/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 56, Hardik Pandya 42; Krunal Pandya 4-45, Yash Dayal 2-46, Josh Hazlewood 2-37) by 12 runs.

(With IANS Inputs)