MI vs RCB, IPL 2020: Suryakumar, Bumrah dominate Bangalore, power Mumbai two points clear at the top

RCB vs MI, IPL 2020: Mumbai is now up to 16 points with two games left and no team with as many points has missed out on a top-four spot in an eight-team IPL.

Suryakumar Yadav gestures to the Mumbai dugout after winning the match against Bangalore.

Suryakumar Yadav showed what the Indian side may miss in Australia, coming up with a superlative batting effort (79 n.o., 43b, 10x4, 3x6) to lead Mumbai Indians to a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

MI is now up to 16 points and has two games left. No team with as many points has missed out on a top-four spot in an eight-team IPL.

Jasprit Bumrah (4-1-14-3) played no less a part than Suryakumar, bowling a superb 2-1-5-2 spell at the death to restrict RCB to just 164 after the latter was 129 for two after 15 overs.

During the chase, MI, sans Rohit Sharma, was lumbering, scoring at a rate of just over six in the first nine overs. It was then that the prolific Suryakumar took over, sweeping Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and a four in the tenth.

As it happened

Saurabh Tiwary fell to a stunning catch by Devdutt Padikkal at mid-off, but Suryakumar was unaffected, hitting Chahal over cover for six and then smashing three fours off Dale Steyn.

With 48 required from five overs, Suryakumar slammed three more boundaries, this time off Mohammed Siraj, with a flick, a drive and an upper-cut. Perhaps bored at the other end, Hardik Pandya hit a six, engaged in a verbal duel with Chris Morris and was dismissed before Suryakumar finished things off by lifting Siraj over the infield.

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Earlier, after being put in to bat, RCB rode on Padikkal’s fine half-century (74, 45b, 12x4, 1x6). Josh Philippe (33, 24b, 4x4, 1x6) joined Padikkal at the top after Aaron Finch was dropped and the two scored at nine an over in the PowerPlay.

However, the cheap dismissals of Kohli and A.B. de Villiers hurt RCB. The skipper tried to pull a short ball from Bumrah, but connected with it too high on the bat. Tiwary completed a fine running catch from short mid-wicket for the speedster's 100th IPL wicket. de Villiers, after warming up with a scooped six, fell to a wobbly full toss from Kieron Pollard.

Bumrah pinned RCB down with a double-wicket maiden (17th over) that included the prized scalp of Padikkal. RCB barely raised its head thereafter.

Morris, Pandya reprimanded Chris Morris and Hardik Pandya have been reprimanded for a verbal altercation during their teams’ IPL clash here. The incident took place in the 19th over of Mumbai Indians’ chase when Pandya struck Morris for a massive six and gestured towards the South African. Morris got his revenge when he dismissed Pandya in the fifth ball of the over and gave him a send off. Mumbai Indians won the match by five wickets. A communique from IPL said both of them admitted to breaching the Code of Conduct. “For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the match referee’s decision is final and binding,” said the release. Mumbai Indians is placed at the top of the table with 16 points, while RCB is second with 14 points from 12 matches. The two teams are all but through to the playoffs. - PTI