Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis power Bangalore to IPL win over Mumbai

Virat Kohli and captain Faf du Plessis hit blazing half-centuries to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to a thumping eight-wicket drubbing of Mumbai Indians in Match 5 of the IPL on Sunday.

Chasing 172 for victory, Kohli (82 not out) and Du Plessis (73) put on a 148-run opening stand as Bangalore romped home in 16.2 overs in front of a raucous home crowd, AFP reported.

The pair bossed the chase from the start with some assured strokemaking and regular boundaries to open this season’s Indian Premier League campaign in style.

Du Plessis reached his fifty with a six and Kohli, who last month hit a Test ton after 1,205 days, was not far behind when he raised his half-century in 38 balls.

Five-time winners Mumbai looked clueless despite the presence of Jason Behrendorff, who came in as the “impact player” ahead of their bowling innings, and the returning England fast bowler Jofra Archer.

Earlier Sunday, Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs in Match 4 of this year’s IPL, which was played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Fifties from Jos Buttler (54 off 22), Yashasvi Jaiswal (54 off 37) and Sanju Samson (55 off 32) powered RR to 203/5.

The RR bowlers led by Trent Boult (2/21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4/17) then mixed skill with accuracy and discipline to maintain a stranglehold over SRH throughout the innings and restrict them to 131/8, helping RR win the match by 72 runs.

Match 6 will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in
Chennai n Monday, April 4, between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants.

For fans in Afghanistan, the match can be viewed live on ATN digital platforms. CLICK HERE