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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
RCB’s crisis man AB de Villiers once again stepped up to the occasion and took his side over the line in a nail-biting contest. Chasing 160, the Challengers were struggling at 106/5, but De Villiers held his nerve and took the game to the last over. Although he got run-out in the last over on 48 runs, but he did enough to put his team in a strong position. Harshal Patel hit the winning run on the final ball ไof the innings.
Except for De Villiers, RCB skipper Virat Kohli and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell played their part with 33 and 39 runs, respecti𓆏vely.
Earlier, explosive batsman Chris Lynn played his debut game for MI and made the most of it by smashing 49 from 35 deliveries at a strike rate of 140. Lynn slammed seven boundaries, including three sixes, before Washington Sundar dismissed him.
Apart from Lynn, Surya Kumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan made valuable contributions with 31 and 28 runs, resp🔥ectivelyﷺ.
For RCB, medium-ꦰpacer Harshal was the most successful bowler. The right-armer picked up a five-wicket haul while conce💖ding only 27 runs in his quota of 4 overs.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
RCBIANS! What a match! Down to the wire. I didn’t breathe the last over I don’t th🦋🔥ink 😂 EE SALA CUP NAMDE 😎
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB)
Harshal Patel!! did he ever imagine this performance? Delighted for h🐓im.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar)
English not my strong suit. What’s the adjective for ‘better than genius’?
That’s what AB is! Really! 🙏🏼🙏🏼— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar)
5 wickets with the ball. Winning runs with the bat. Harshal Patel has owned this game. Last ball finish….perfect to start the
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
What a thrilling start to
— DK (@DineshKarthik)
w🌺in the 2021 season opener against by two൲ wickets.
Scorecard –
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL)
If this does turn out to be Maxwell’s season, credit must be given to Virat. Having all🍎owed him the No.4, ahead of ABD, Virat’s given the best initiation into the RCB XI
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73)
the first night of should convince any d🍨oubters about the merits o🍨f staying put indoors
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75)
This is the first five wicket haul against Mumbai Indians in IPL history – Harshal Patel, Take a bow.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
AB de Villiers, bade bhaiya of RCB with al🌠l the responsibilities.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer)
AB De Villiers is well and truly RCB's crisis man.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)
Mumbai Indians in first games of IPL seasons
Played 8
Won 2
Lost 6 (lost all last 6)— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath)
Some things never change !
In that case congratulations but be very very careful🎃 👁️— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima)
Haven’t played in 5 months….ABD. Genius. Great game
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
AB de Villiers, with a Match Impact of +22, is the CricViz Player of the Match. The veteran's class was the difference between the two sides in a Chennai thriller.
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst)
