Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 12 (ANI): Half-centuries from Phil Salt, skipper Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli and late cameo from Tim David helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) reach 240/4 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
A 120-run stand between Salt (78 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and Virat and a 65-run stand between Virat (50 in 38 balls, with five fours and a six) and skipper Patidar (53 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and later some brutal hitting from David (34* in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) pushed RCB to a massive score.
After being put to bat first by MI, openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli started with a bang, with Virat taking down Trent Boult for a six and Salt securing a four against the pacer in the first over.
RCB continued to gather fours and sixes against pace duo of Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. However in the fifth over against Mitchell Santner, Salt took off with three sixes and a four, bringing 22 runs off the over and helping RCB reach the 50-run mark in 4.2 overs.
At the end of six overs, RCB were 71/0, with Salt (47*) and Virat Kohli (22*) unbeaten.
Mayank Markande’s eighth over was hammered for 20 more runs, with Salt smashing him for two fours and two sixes, reaching his first fifty of the season in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes. In next over, Virat collected a couple of fours, bringing up the 100-run mark in 8.4 overs.
Halfway through their innings, RCB was 115/0, with Salt (78*) and Virat (35*) unbeaten.
It was Shardul’s golden arm which broke the 120-run opening stand, removing Salt with a fine catch from Hardik Pandya at extra-cover. RCB was 120/1 in 10.5 overs.
In the 12th over, skipper Rajat Patidar started his innings with a hat-trick of sixes against Markande. Runs continued to bleed in the 13th over by Shardul, as Virat and Rajat collected a four each, Patidar smacked a huge six over backward point and the bowler also delivered three wides, making it 23 runs in the over. RCB reached the 150-run mark in 12.1 overs.
Patidar was merciless against Boult, collecting a four and six to bring the 50-run stand in just 14 balls.
Virat reached his second fifty of the season in 37 balls but later perished to Hardik. RCB was 185/2 in 14.4 overs.
RCB skipper continued his rampage, bringing up his fifty in 17 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes, but perished to Santner for a 20-ball 53, with four boundaries and five sixes, with a catch going to Tilak Varma. RCB was 194/3 in 16 overs.
Courtesy a single from Jitesh Sharma, RCB reached the 200-run mark in 16.5 overs.
Heading towards the final over, RCB were 230/3, with David (27*) and Jitesh (10*) unbeaten.
RCB ended their innings at 240/4, with David (34* in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Romario Shepherd (2*) unbeaten.
Shardul (1/32 in two overs), Hardik (1/39 in four overs), Santner (1/43) and Boult (1/50) took a wicket each for MI. (ANI)
