IPL 2018, RCB vs MI: Hits and Misses
In their penultimate home game, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lost their third consecutive toss and were put in to bat by Mumbai Indians. The hosts got off to a slow start before Manan Vohra gave some much-needed momentum to the innings with a fluent 31-ball 45.
After his dismissal, Brendon McCullum and Virat Kohli were looking very good and it seemed like the hosts would get to 175-180. But Hardik Pandya ran McCullum out before taking 3 wickets, including that of Kohli in one over to change the complexion of the innings. RCB then struggled at the death before 3 sixes from Colin de Grandhomme in the final overtook them to 167.
The pitch was turning and 168 was going to be a tricky target. MI got off to a bad start as they lost 3 wickets in the powerplay as Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav bowled wonderfully in the powerplay. RCB then sent back the dangerous Kieron Pollard and JP Duminy and gained total control of the game. However, the Pandya brothers threatened to take the game away from the hosts but RCB held their nerve and eventually won by 14 runs.
#5 Miss: Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock has not been at his best in this IPL. He’s got stars in almost every innings but hasn’t kicked on and made a big score. He has scored just one fifty in this season.
In this game, with AB de Villiers missing out due to viral fever, de Kock’s role at the top of the order became a lot more crucial. However, the South African opener struggled and looked completely out of sorts in his 13-ball stay at the crease. The Mumbai pacers bowled very well against the 25-year-old left-hander as they varied their pace superbly. De Kock struggled to pick the slower ones and was through his shots quite early.
He did score a boundary but that was also off the top-edge and he was eventually dismissed trying to force the issue. He scored a scratchy 13-ball 7 and was out for his second single-digit score in this IPL.