Sharma shows the way as Mumbai Indians win at last
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma led from the front as he scored a brilliant 94 runs and then later marshalled his bowlers well to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 46 runs for their first win in the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) match played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai here on Tuesday night.
Rohit was ably supported by left-handed Trinidadian Evin Lewis who scored a timely 42-ball 65 runs, which included 5 sixes and 6 fours, which enabled Mumbai to score 213 for 6 from the stipulated 20 overs.
In reply RCB failed to make a fight of it and managed to score 167 for 8. Krunal Himanshu Pandya was the most impressive Mumbai bowler and had figures of 4-0-28-3. He was supported by Mitchell McClenaghan 3-0-24-2. Mayank Markande again impressed and had figures of 4-0-25-1 and J Bumrah 3-0-16-2.
Virat Kohli was the lone RCB who put up a fight remained unbeaten with 92 runs. None of the other batsmen gave him the required support as wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians made a grand recovery from a shock start through sparkling half centuries from captain Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis to post a formidable 213 for six against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday night.
After his dismissal Rohit, who flopped in the first three games, took over the lead role to hammer 94 in 52 balls before departing off the penultimate ball, caught at long on. He smashed 5 sixes and 10 fours.
It was MI’s first score in excess of 200 in four games this season.
All the RCB bowlers went for runs, including Umesh Yadav in his second spell. Spinners Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal were particularly expensive.
MI made a horrific start losing Suryakumar Yadav (0) and Ishan Kishan (0) off the first two balls from Umesh and rallied to 60 for two after six overs. Both were clean bowled by Umesh.
MI were rallied superbly by skipper Rohit and Lewis who put on 108 runs in 66 balls for the third wicket.
Lewis set the tone with a pulled six off Chris Woakes and then Rohit followed suit with a spanking drive for four to the first ball from Sundar who was then struck for two more fours to fine leg by Lewis.
The tall off-spinner also conceded five wides in the fourth over that yielded 19 runs. Mohd Siraj was smacked for a huge six by Lewis off the first ball and 35 runs came off the fourth and fifth overs.Lewis raced to his maiden half century off 32 balls with a slogswept six off leggie Chahal and the momentum had swung firmly MI’s way.