MUMBAI ‑ Skipper Rohit Sharma helped Mumbai Indians score a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 171, Rohit set the pace with yet another attractive knock of 62 off 44 balls. It was Kieron Pollard, who finished with a flourish hammering an unbeaten 39 off 19 balls as the home team notched up its second win in 18 overs. Jos Buttler played his part with 28 off 14 balls. The giant Caribbean hit four boundaries and three sixes. Bangalore has now lost two out of three matches.
It was in the 17th over bowled by Kane Richardson that saw Pollard hit two huge sixes to swing the game in Mumbai’s favor.
In the next over, Pollard hit another six off Shane Watson as the required number of runs came down to run-a-ball. He then finished the match with two successive boundaries.
Halfway into the first innings, Mumbai, which opted to bowl, was staring at a 200-plus target as Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers feasted on some friendly bowling during the course of a 59-run stand.
Krunal Pandya's twin strikes to get rid of Kohli and de Villiers in the space of five deliveries stunned Royal Challengers, which had made as many as six changes to its side. Shane Watson fell not long after, but Travis Head, on IPL debut, and Sarfaraz Khan lifted Royal Challengers from 99 for 4 to 170 for 7.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 171 for 4 (Rohit 62, Pollard 40*; Abdulla 3-40) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 170 for 7 (Head 37, Kohli 33; Bumrah 3-31, Krunal Pandya 2-27) by six wickets. - Agencies
