New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a thrilling IPL clash on Sunday, officially ending Mumbai’s hopes of reaching the playoffs this season.
With the defeat, the five-time IPL champions have been eliminated from the playoff race. Even if Mumbai win all their remaining three matches, they can only reach 12 points, which is unlikely to be enough for qualification.
Mumbai suffer early collapse
The match was played at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, where RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Mumbai got off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets for just 28 runs within the opening three overs.
However, Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma steadied the innings with an 82-run partnership.
Naman Dhir scored 47 runs, while Tilak Varma contributed 57.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads RCB bowling attack
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the standout performer with the ball for RCB, claiming four wickets and putting Mumbai under constant pressure.
Mumbai Indians eventually finished at 166/7 in their 20 overs.
RCB later chased down the target in a tense finish to secure a crucial victory in the race for the playoffs.
