Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya delivered under immense pressure, taking three wickets in the final over to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a thrilling 12-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-scoring encounter at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Krunal’s heroics in the last over helped RCB edge past MI in what was a nail-biting finish. His final figures of 4/45 proved crucial as RCB claimed their first win at Wankhede in 10 years, moving up to third place in the IPL 2025 standings with three wins from four games.
Clutch Mode, ft. Krunal Pandya 🫡
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2025
3️⃣ wickets. 1️⃣ Final Over. Defended 1️⃣9️⃣ runs ❤️
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ArsodkwOfO#TATAIPL | #MIvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/cpzDvEp8K6
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐫 🫡
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2025
A Player of the Match winning knock from #RCB skipper helped them seal a thrilling 1️⃣2️⃣-run win over #MI ❤️
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Arsodkwgqg#TATAIPL | #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/GaDr2aPHsa
Earlier, RCB posted an imposing 221/5 after being put in to bat. Star performances from Virat Kohli (67) and skipper Rajat Patidar (64) laid the foundation, with Jitesh Sharma (40)* providing a fiery finish.
𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 💥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2025
Phil Salt & Tim David pulled off a game-changing blinder at the ropes! ❤️
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Arsodkwgqg#TATAIPL | #MIvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/gJxRuQGEyV
MI’s Run-Chase: A Tale of Momentum and Missed Chances
Chasing 222, MI stumbled early, losing both openers Rohit Sharma (17 off 9) and Ryan Rickelton (17 off 10) within the powerplay. At 38/2 in 3.4 overs, Will Jacks (22 off 18) and Suryakumar Yadav (28 off 26) attempted to stabilize the innings, guiding the side past 50 in the sixth over.
Their 41-run stand was broken when Krunal dismissed Jacks in the 10th over with MI at 79. The next blow came at 97, as Yadav fell to Yash Dayal in the 12th over.
Enter Hardik Pandya (42 off 15) and Tilak Varma (56 off 29) — a duo that breathed life back into the chase. They launched a fierce counterattack, bringing up MI’s 100 in the 13th over and reaching 150 by the 15th.
Tilak’s dismissal in the 18th over with MI at 188 proved a turning point. Hardik followed shortly after in the penultimate over. With both set batters gone, the remaining MI lineup couldn’t recover, falling short by 12 runs.
RCB’s Bowling Standouts
Krunal Pandya, who starred with the ball, finished with four wickets, including a game-turning final over. Yash Dayal (2/46) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) also chipped in, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed one wicket despite a costly spell.
RCB’s Innings Recap: Kohli and Patidar Take Charge
RCB’s innings began with a dramatic start as Phil Salt smashed a four off Trent Boult, only to be bowled on the next ball. RCB were 4/1 after just two balls.
Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli then built a strong base, attacking Boult in the third over. The much-anticipated Kohli vs Bumrah duel saw Kohli take 8 runs off 4 balls, including a towering six.
RCB crossed 50 in just 5 overs, and by the end of the powerplay, they were 73/1. Kohli reached his second half-century of the season in 29 balls. He and Padikkal put on 91 runs before Padikkal fell for 37 (22 balls).
Patidar then partnered with Kohli to add another 48 runs. Kohli’s fine knock ended at 67, thanks to a catch by Naman Dhir, and soon after, Liam Livingstone was dismissed for a duck.
But the middle order fired again. Patidar reached his fifty in 25 balls, while Jitesh Sharma launched a late assault with 40* off 19 balls. Their 50-run partnership came in just 17 balls, pushing RCB past 200 in 18.1 overs. Patidar was eventually dismissed for 64 (32 balls), but not before taking Boult for 23 runs in a single over.
RCB ended on a commanding 221/5, with Boult (2/57) and Hardik (2/45) being the top bowlers for MI. Bumrah, on his return, bowled tightly with figures of 0/29.
Brief Score:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 221/5 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 67, Rajat Patidar 64, Hardik Pandya 2/45)
Mumbai Indians: 209/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 56, Hardik Pandya 42, Krunal Pandya 4/45)