The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has begun with an upset after Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, helped by a decent contribution from new boy Glenn Maxwell, stunned champions Mumbai Indians by two wickets.
Maxwell, who was picked up by the Challengers for INR 14.25 crore ($A2.56 million) in the IPL auction, scored 39 off 28 balls, with three fours and two sixes, but their key innings was played by AB De Villiers at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
Harshal Patel claimed 5-27 in the contest between the tournament’s perennial underachievers Bangalore and the most successful team Mumbai who managed a modest 9-159 after being put into bat.
Patel then sealed the nervy contest for Bangalore by taking a single off the last ball following de Villiers’ dismissal for 48 in the final over.
Earlier, another Australian Chris Lynn smacked a quickfire 49 and Suryakumar Yadav a breezy 31 to set up a perfect stage for Mumbai to launch a late assault.
But Patel claimed three wickets in four balls and eventually registered the first five-wicket haul ever against Mumbai to restrict the champions to a below-par total.
Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli came out to open, a role the India captain wants to reprise in the T20 World Cup later this year, and made a fluent 33.
He and Maxwell put on 52 together but it was de Villiers’ whirlwind knock off 27 balls that put Bangalore on the verge of victory.
“There’s a reason why Mumbai have won this trophy five times, there’s a lot of aura around them,” de Villiers said of the opponents.
“But that was the challenge, to beat the champions and get a lot of confidence. We did well tonight.”
The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the previous edition of the league to be staged in the United Arab Emirates where Mumbai Indians won their second successive title.
The league returned to India but a second wave of infection in the country ensured this year’s tournament would be played across six venues, initially without spectators.