By K Aditya
Dubai, Sep 26 (UNI) Half-centuries from captain Virat Kohli (51) and Glenn Maxwell (56) powered Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to 162/6 in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians in match 39 of IPL 2021 here on Sunday.
Sent into bat first, RCB saw trouble early with Jasprit Bumrah (3/36) removing Devdutt Paddikal for naught. However, this turned out to be a mere impediment in the powerplay as Kohli took charge of the innings with Srikar Bharat in a 68-run stand for the second wicket.
The duo helped RCB quickly add 48 runs in the powerplay that included four boundaries and three maximums. The partnership was ended by Rahul Chahar (1/33), who had Bharat dismissed at 32 runs (24 balls).
Kohli, 1 run away from his fifty at the stage, had another crucial 50-plus partnership with Glenn Maxwell; the latter being the aggressor in the stand. During Maxwell's 37-ball blazing fifty, the Australian smashed six boundaries and three maximums to add pace to RCB’s score.
Kohli, meanwhile, reached his fifty in the 15th over, hitting three 4s and as many 6s, before being outsmarted by an Adam Milne delivery while the RCB scoreboard read 126/3.
Maxwell continued to blast MI bowling, including 17 runs off the 18th over bowled by Milne (1/48). MI did manage to do some damage control by giving away just nine runs in the last two overs including three wickets. Bumrah first removed AB de Villiers (11 off 6) and Maxwell respectively in the 19th over while Trent Boult (1/17) bowled out Shabaz Ahmed (1 off 3) in the last over.
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