IPL 2019: Hardik Pandya celebrates WC selection with MI win

MI Hardik Pandya en route his unbeaten 37 against RCB yesterday. (Right) MI pacer Lasith Malinga bowls against RCB at Wankhede. Pics/Suresh Karkera

Hardik Pandya celebrated his maiden World Cup call-up with a 16-ball 37 (5x4, 6x2) to make a difficult finish look easy for Mumbai Indians against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Staduim last night.

The hosts, who were in a spot of bother needing as many as 41 runs off the last four overs, ended up chasing down the 172-run target with five wickets and an over to spare. Earlier, MI opted to bowl first and restricted RCB to 171-7.

AB de Villiers's 75 and Moeen Ali's 50 off 32 balls helped the visitors put a decent total in 20 overs. RCB skipper Virat Kohli (8) opened his account with a well-timed boundary through midwicket off pacer Jason Behrendoff (1-49). However, Behrendoff's incoming delivery ended India captain's nine-ball knock as he edged one to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

However, Behrendoff's third over proved too costly for MI as Parthiv Patel slammed 19 runs with the help of three fours and a six, but thanks to Bumrah, who was miserly in his first two overs, RCB managed to score only 45-1 at the end of the powerplay.

At the halfway stage, RCB were 70 for two with De Villiers on 19 and Moeen Ali on 10 but they increased the scoring. Ali was harsh on leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, pacer Hardik Pandya and Behrendoff, but he was dismissed by Lasith Malinga (4-31). Ali and De Villiers put on 95 runs for the third wicket. De Villiers was splendid, hitting four sixes and six fours in his 51-ball innings.

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