Royal Challengers Bengaluru made history by defeating Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time in 10 years. MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first, aiming to take early wickets. Trent Boult gave MI a strong start by dismissing RCB opener Phil Salt for just 4 runs on the second ball of the match.
However, Mumbai Indians failed to capitalize on the early breakthrough, as Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli counterattacked Deepak Chahar and Boult, putting up 73 runs in the powerplay. Both batters kept the momentum going until the 10th over, when Padikkal was dismissed after a quickfire 37. RCB’s middle order stepped up once again, with captain Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma powering the team to a massive total of 222 runs.
MI needed to make history, as they had never chased a target of more than 219 in IPL history. Rohit Sharma showed some promise but was dismissed by a brilliant inswinger from Yash Dayal. RCB seemed in control with Mumbai Indians at 99 for 4 in 12 overs. However, what followed was completely unexpected. Tilak Verma, who had earlier been retired out for struggling to time the ball, returned to score a stunning 56 off just 29 deliveries.
Captain Pandya brought the ‘Mumbai storm’ to Wankhede, smashing 42 runs off just 15 balls. However, RCB’s experienced bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, stayed composed and picked up crucial wickets of set batters. The match went down to the final over, with Krunal Pandya needing to defend 19 runs in six balls. He showed great composure, taking two wickets in the first two deliveries. In the end, RCB secured a 12-run win—marking their first victory at Wankhede in 10 years.
Fans react to RCB’s famous win over Mumbai Indians in Wankhede after 10 years
As RCB faced MI at Wankhede Stadium, fans had low expectations going into the match. In their last six games at the venue, the Red Army had lost every time. But after their historic win, many fans started to believe that this could finally be RCB’s year to lift their long-awaited trophy.
One fan said that this year’s IPL needed a thrilling, nail-biter like this match. Another fan credited RCB’s strong performance to their experienced bowlers and captain Patidar’s brilliant form. Here are some of the top fan reactions:
One user blamed Hardik Pandya, the captain, for his poor bowling rotations. Another fan truly believed that this could be the year RCB finally lifts their first trophy. One fan also pointed out an interesting fact: RCB had lost their previous match at Wankhede by 12 runs, and now they won by the same margin.
