NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru powered to a formidable 240/4 at the Wankhede Stadium, with Phil Salt’s explosive batting setting the tempo and Virat Kohli plus skipper Rajat Patidar extending the damage. Defending champions RCB looked in complete control as the innings built momentum from the opening overs, leaving Mumbai Indians chasing a steep mountain.
Quick facts
- RCB finished on 240/4 against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
- Phil Salt made 78 off 36, with an opening partnership of 120 with Virat Kohli.
- Virat Kohli scored 50 off 38; Rajat Patidar struck 53 off 20; Tim David added 34* off 16.
- Rohit Sharma’s chase ended early due to a hamstring injury after 19 off 13.
- At the end of the fifth over, Rohit appeared to be struggling while being bowled by Krunal Pandya.
When Mumbai began their chase, attention immediately swung to Rohit Sharma, a proven disruptor of bowling plans in chase situations. He started with caution, but the innings quickly turned into a medical concern as he began to feel discomfort in his hamstring during the early phase of the chase.
After five overs, with Krunal Pandya bowling, Rohit looked troubled and signalled for the physio. He received treatment on the field, but as the discomfort worsened, he ultimately retired hurt after scoring 19 runs from 13 balls.
The moment drew visible emotion from the stands, where Ritika Sajdeh reacted with clear disappointment as Rohit was forced to leave the field.
RCB’s batting masterclass
Earlier in the day, RCB’s top order delivered a statement performance. Salt struck 78 off 36 and combined with Kohli to stitch a 120-run opening stand, the kind of platform that tends to decide T20 contests early.
Kohli contributed a measured 50 off 38, keeping the strike moving while allowing Salt to unleash his power. The momentum then shifted even further in RCB’s favour when Patidar joined the assault, accelerating the innings with a blistering 53 off just 20 deliveries.
Patidar’s surge added 65 runs alongside Kohli’s work, before Tim David’s late burst provided the finishing touch—an unbeaten 34 off 16 balls that helped RCB post a total that looked out of reach.
The innings had an early cue as Kohli took down Trent Boult in the initial overs, quickly establishing that the batting side was set to attack. Soon Salt joined in as well, punishing both Boult and Jasprit Bumrah and racing to 71/0 in the powerplay.
Salt was especially ruthless against Mitchell Santner and Mayank Markande, reaching his fifty in only 25 balls. Kohli then followed with his own rhythm, helping RCB reach the 100 mark in 8.4 overs as the chase of a big total became inevitable.
Just when the opposition tried to steady the game, Shardul Thakur provided the first meaningful breakthrough, ending the 120-run partnership between Salt and Kohli. Patidar immediately seized the initiative, unleashing a brutal counterattack that included three consecutive sixes off Markande.
He raced to a fifty off 17 balls before his stay ended at the hands of Santner. Even with wickets coming at intervals, RCB’s forward march never truly slowed, with Jitesh Sharma adding valuable runs and David finishing with authority.
Ultimately, those combined efforts pushed the batting card to 240/4, leaving Mumbai Indians needing something extraordinary to pull off a turnaround.
Mumbai’s bowling and Rohit’s injury
For Mumbai Indians, the wickets fell to Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult—each taking a scalp as RCB built their innings. Still, the bowling group struggled to apply consistent pressure once the powerplay was won by the RCB openers and the middle overs opened up.
As Rohit’s chase began to unfold, the injury cut the contest’s balance early. With the captain forced to retire hurt after 19 off 13, Mumbai lost a key batter in the early stages, leaving the rest of the chase to deal with both the scoreboard and the disruption caused by his hamstring problem.
