IPL 2021: Harshal Patel finished 5 for 27 for RCB against Mumbai Indians.© BCCI/IPL
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Harshal Patel picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in the Indian Premier League in a miserly final over of the first innings of IPL 2021 opener against Mumbai Indians. Harshal picked up three wickets in the final over, dismissing Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Marco Jansen, and finished with figures of 5 for 27 in four overs. The right-arm pacer helped RCB arrest Mumbai’s momentum towards the end of the innings after Chris Lynn’s 49 had helped the five-time champions get off to a good start.
Harshal dismissed Ishan Kishan, trapping the left-handed batsman lbw with a searing yorker after having trapped Hardik Pandya, too, with a low full toss.
He then returned in the final over to dismiss two of Mumbai’s key finishers in Krunal and Pollard.
Krunal holed out to Dan Christian at deep mid-wicket while Pollard was done in on the very next ball by a change of pace from the RCB fast bowler as the Caribbean big-hitter was also caught in the deep, at square leg by Washington Sundar.
Although he missed out on a hat-trick, Harshal knocked over Marco Jansen stumps to claim a fifth wicket and put to waste Mumbai’s chances of a strong finish.
RCB took on Mumbai in the first match of IPL 2021 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
None of the teams will be playing their home grounds this season as only six venues – Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi and Ahmedabad – have been chosen for the tournament.
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RCB, who made the playoffs last season, will look to go further than that this time while Mumbai, who have five trophies in the cabinet, will look to add another one to their kitty.
The playoffs and the final will be played in Ahmedabad.
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