AB’s IPL master class

AB de Villiers, slinking menacingly around a flat Wankhede pitch, set about the most vicious sustained attack of this IPL, reaping 133 runs at a strike rate of 225.42 to effectively bat Mumbai Indians out of the match.

Virat Kohli was in sublime form himself, but his 82 from 50 balls from the other end was little more than a sidelight, as a rapturous Mumbai crowd suspended regional loyalty to chant De Villiers’ name. The pair re- mained unbeaten at the close of the innings, having hit a T20record 215 in each others’ company.

Royal Challengers’ 235/1 was also the highest score of the season, beating their own previous record, while De Villiers’ was the highest individual score of the season. The visitors’ score would be 39 too many for Mumbai Indians.

De Villiers barely mishit a ball throughout his stay as Mumbai delivered too many knee-high full tosses and overpitched deliveries to such high-quality batsmen, but when De Villiers began to flit around the crease to launch the ball to almost any region of his choosing, the hosts were understandably battered to breaking point.

De Villiers began with five dot balls before his expansive game clicked into place with successive square fours in the sixth over.

The South African ODI skipper reached his 50 off 29 ball and went to three figures with his second six of his innings off only 47 balls. When the torment finally came to an end at the innings break, Kohli and de Villiers had hit 25 fours and eight sixes between them.

Kieron Pollard and Llendl Simmons clobbered 70 runs in 37 balls to give the hosts hope but they ended up well short.