Mumbai, April 13 (NationPress) Exceptional half-centuries from Phil Salt (78) and Rajat Patidar (53), coupled with impressive bowling, propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to an 18-run victory against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Match 20 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Salt and Patidar showcased an electrifying display of power-hitting, effortlessly sending the ball over the boundary, while Virat Kohli added a steady 50 to help RCB set a formidable target of 240/4 in their allotted 20 overs.

The chase for a record-high target by the Mumbai Indians stumbled after former captain Rohit Sharma sustained a hamstring injury, retiring hurt after scoring 19 runs off 13 balls. Sherfane Rutherford rallied with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls, hitting nine sixes toward the end of the match after Hardik Pandya (40) and Ryan Rickelton (37) initially raised hopes. Ultimately, the Mumbai Indians concluded their innings at 222/5, falling short by 18 runs and suffering their third consecutive defeat.

This victory marked RCB's third win out of four matches, bringing their total points to six and placing them in third position on the points table, trailing behind Rajasthan Royals (8) and Punjab Kings (7).

The match featured a peculiar pace, with players frequently leaving the field for treatment and prolonged reviews for no-balls and wides, making the proceedings somewhat tedious as time wore on.

The Mumbai Indians began their pursuit of 241 strongly, with Ryan Rickelton hitting a six off Jacob Duffy in the opening over, and Rohit Sharma contributing to a 50-run partnership in the fifth over. They reached 62 without losing a wicket in the Power-play overs, but the mood shifted when Rohit had to retire due to a hamstring issue in the sixth over.

Rickelton was the first wicket to fall, attempting a big swing against a Suyash Sharma googly, resulting in a top edge caught by Bhuvneshwar Kumar at short third. He scored 37 runs off 22 balls, including three fours and three sixes.

Tilak Varma (1) managed only three balls before attempting a sweep shot off Suyash, leading to a simple catch. The double strike by the leg-spinner severely hindered the Mumbai Indians' chase.

Suryakumar Yadav, who began his innings with a four off Impact player Rasikh Salam, reached 33 runs off 22 balls before holing out to Rasikh at backward square leg.

Hardik Pandya hit a six off Suyash's first ball and quickly followed with a four, but after Rohit's departure, the Mumbai Indian's confidence waned. Hardik's innings ended at 41 runs, leaving Mumbai needing 93 runs from the last five overs.

Rutherford kept fighting, reaching his half-century in just 26 balls, finishing with an impressive 71 off 36 balls, which included one four and nine sixes.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Phil Salt started aggressively, forming a 100-run partnership for the opening wicket with Kohli. They scored 13 runs off the first over from Trent Boult, with Kohli hitting a six and Salt a four.

Salt welcomed Mitchell Santner with a succession of three sixes, amassing 22 runs in one over. While Kohli maintained a steady pace, Salt quickly raced to his fifty in just 25 balls, ultimately scoring 78 runs off 36 balls before falling to Shardul Thakur.

Rajat Patidar then took charge, delivering a remarkable performance with a flurry of sixes and boundaries, reaching his fifty in just 16 balls. Both Kohli and Patidar departed shortly after achieving their fifties, as the Mumbai Indians attempted to regain control.

In the final overs, Tim David helped RCB finish strongly with an unbeaten 34 off 16 balls, bringing RCB's total to 240/4.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 240/4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Rajat Patidar 53, Virat Kohli 50, Tim David 34 not out; Shardul Thakur 1-32, Hardik Pandya 1-39) defeated Mumbai Indians: 222/5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2-47, Krunal Pandya 1-26) by 18 runs.