IPL 2017: Top 5 moments from MI vs RCB matches through IPL history
Mumbai Indians will be taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Mumbai in only a few hours. While Mumbai Indians only need a win to qualify for the playoffs, RCB are all but knocked out of the tournament with nothing much to play for.
Over the years, both MI and RCB have locked horns a total of 22 times, with Mumbai Indians leading the head-to-head by 10-8. Both these teams have played some thrilling encounters and there have been several memorable moments from their matches. Here are five of the best moments between RCB and MI in IPL history.
#5. Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard’s massive partnership, 2012
RCB and MI played one of the best matches of IPL 2012 on 12th May at Bangalore. While Mumbai Indians had already confirmed their place in the playoffs, RCB needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
MI had won the toss and had elected to bowl first.
RCB were off to a shaky start, having lost Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli early in the innings and the likes of Saurabh Tiwary and AB de Villiers were not able to spend much time on the crease as well. Tillakaratne Dilshan played a patient knock of 47 from 50 deliveries before Mayank Agarwal hit a 30-ball 64 to steer RCB to a total of 171/6 in their 20 overs.
In reply, Mumbai Indians were off to an even worse start as Herschelle Gibbs, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Dwayne Smith only scored a combined 29 runs between them and MI were reduced to 51/5 in 9 overs, with the required run rate approaching 11.
At this stage, Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard took center-stage as they began to smash the RCB spinners until the 15th over before going after their pacers during the death. With 41 needed to win from final three overs, Rayudu slammed two sixes and a boundary off Vinay Kumar in the 18th over to bring the equation down to 23 from 12 balls.
After Zaheer Khan conceded 9 runs from the penultimate over, MI needed 14 in the final over to win the game. Chris Gayle was the bowler and the first ball resulted in a leg bye.
Pollard then smashed a six and two boundaries off the next three deliveries to win the match for MI. Pollard and Rayudu added 122 runs for the sixth wicket with the former scoring 52 from 31 balls and the latter being adjudged the Man of the Match for his 81 from 54 deliveries.