Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode on half-centuries from Phil Salt and Virat Kohli to beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, piling up 240 before holding off a spirited chase.
Salt set the tone and never looked back. He smashed 78 off 36 balls, tearing into the attack with clean, brutal hitting. Kohli played it smart, anchoring the innings with a composed 50 while letting the chaos unfold around him.
That opening stand broke Mumbai early. Bengaluru raced to 120 without loss, grabbing control and refusing to let go. They dictated pace, angles, and intent.
Rajat Patidar then stepped in and raised the tempo again. “The way Virat and Salt started the innings, I think that kept us in the driving seat,” he said, and he got it right. He backed it up with a sharp 53 off 20 balls.
He did not stop there. “Then a good cameo by me and Tim (David), I think that was a pure team effort.” That late surge, powered by Tim David’s unbeaten 34, pushed the total beyond reach.
Mumbai tried to respond with intent. Ryan Rickelton started brightly, but the innings lost shape quickly. Rohit Sharma walked off injured, and the chase lost its spine.
Suyash Sharma ripped through the middle order. He struck twice in one over and shut down momentum. Mumbai never truly recovered from that squeeze.
Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya tried to drag the game back. They built a quick partnership, but they could not sustain the push. Once they fell, the chase slipped away.
Pandya summed it up bluntly. “I think in the last couple of games, as a bowling unit or even as a batting unit, we’ve been catching up in the game rather than leading the game.” That admission cuts deep. Mumbai react, but they do not control.
Sherfane Rutherford swung late with an unbeaten 71, but the damage had already been done. Bengaluru had built too big a wall.
