NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah showcased his bowling brilliance, claiming a five-wicket haul, as Dinesh Karthik's explosive innings propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a challenging total of 196/8 against Mumbai Indians in the IPL clash in Mumbai on Thursday.
Contributions from Faf du Plessis (61) and Rajat Patidar (50) were instrumental in RCB's push towards the 200-run mark. Karthik's unbeaten knock of 53 runs off just 23 balls proved crucial in the death overs, providing the necessary momentum to RCB's innings.
Amidst inconsistent performances from his fellow pacers, Bumrah's precision and variety stood out, as he dismissed the in-form Virat Kohli early on, extending Kohli's struggles at the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL.
Despite du Plessis and Patidar stabilizing RCB's innings with their solid partnership of 82 runs for the third wicket, Bumrah's exceptional spell post the halfway mark broke the backbone of RCB's resistance.
Karthik's aggressive approach, particularly against Akash Madhwal, who conceded 38 runs off his two overs, bolstered RCB's total with five boundaries and four sixes.
While debutant Will Jacks showed promise but fell early, du Plessis and Patidar made significant contributions with the bat, with Patidar's exquisite shot off a Pandya delivery being a highlight.
However, RCB suffered setbacks with the dismissals of key players like Glenn Maxwell, who fell victim to Shreyas Gopal, and du Plessis, who perished in the death overs.
Despite these setbacks, RCB managed to post a challenging total, thanks to Karthik's late onslaught and the significant contributions from du Plessis and Patidar.
(With PTI inputs)
