Sports

Manjeri (Kerala), April 15 (IANS) NorthEast United FC caused a huge upset in the Hero Super Cup, defeating Indian Super League (ISL) Shield Winners Mumbai City FC 2-1 at the Payyanad Stadium here on Saturday.

Mumbai City FC are without their foreign recruits in this tournament and playing with an all-Indian side. While Colombian striker Wilmar Jordan Gil scored both goals for the winners, Lalengmawia Ralte, more known as Apuia, was the lone marksman for Mumbai City.

The result threw Group D wide open with three teams having a chance to qualify for the semi-finals. At the end of the second round, Chennaiyin FC have three points, and NorthEast United and Mumbai City have three points each. Churchill Brothers have only one point and are out of the running for the knockouts.

The Guwahati side delivered a commendable first-half display, constantly putting pressure on the Islanders' rather vulnerable defence. As expected, though, Des Buckingham's men did find a couple of breakthroughs, but couldn't meet the end product.

In the fifth minute, Lallianzuala Chhangte cut inside and went for an ambitious shot from outside the box. But the winger's effort bounced off the wrong side of the crossbar before going for a goal kick.

NorthEast United, however, immediately hit back in the seventh minute as Gani Ahmed Nigam went for a headed attempt from inside the box. But the midfielder's effort went just wide off the target.

In the 25th minute, the Guwahati team had another opportunity when Wilmar Jordan Gil tactfully attempted a header from an incoming free-kick, but saw his effort denied by the woodwork.

NorthEast United kept playing on the counter-attack and came tantalisingly close to scoring on a few occasions. Eventually, in the 32nd minute, they capitalised on an error from Mumbai City's Mehtab Singh who handled the ball inside the box, following a cross from Emil Benny. The resultant penalty was slotted home coolly by Jordan, as NorthEast United went up 1-0.

Before half-time, Chhangte had an opportunity to pull the scores level, but the 24-year-old couldn't get a proper connection and his effort from the top of the box was cleared out by the NorthEast United defence.

Despite recording a 68% ball possession as against NorthEast's 32%, Mumbai City couldn't find the back of the net. Nevertheless, midfielder Apuia Ralte put on a quality show in the centre of the park for Mumbai ensuring they had at least one positive to take from the game.

Following the break, NorthEast United went on to pile more misery on the Mumbai City defence. In the 50th minute, Alex Saji took matters into his own hands and went for a daunting run from the right flank to inside the box. In the process, Gani Ahmed had a powerful shot on target and goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa's block resulted in the ball landing in Jordan's feet. The Colombian forward made no mistake in tapping it in and making it 2-0 for his side.

On the other hand, Mumbai City kept moving forward and displayed a typical short passing game. With 20 minutes left on the clock, they almost pulled one back through substitute Ayush Chhikara. The youthful striker fended off three opposition defenders and managed to take a shot on target. But his blistering shot bounced off the crossbar and came back into play.

Finally, it was Apuia, who pulled one back for his side in the 85th minute. The midfielder charged in on a loose ball and drove it powerfully as the ball hit the underside of the bar and into the back of the net, catching goalkeeper Mirshad Michu totally off guard.

--IANS

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Manjeri (Kerala), April 15 (IANS) Sreenidi Deccan FC will face the reigning champion of the I-League, RoundGlass Punjab FC in their final group stage game of the Hero Super Cup 2023 at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium, here on Sunday, hoping to clinch a spot in the semifinals.

It will be a potentially do-or-die encounter for Sreenidi Deccan as they are level on points with Group A counterparts Bengaluru FC, who simultaneously face Kerala Blasters on the same day. The Carlos Vaz Pinto-led side will need to win by a bigger margin than Bengaluru, in order to seal their spot in the semifinals.

RoundGlass Punjab, on the other hand, have nothing to play for but pride, when they face Sreenidi Deccan. The Mohali-based side had an underwhelming campaign in the tournament with two losses in two games against the Blues and the Yellow Army. With a game in hand, they will look to bow out on a positive note.

Head coach Staikos Vergetis insisted that the results in the previous games will not have an impact on the team's mentality going into the game. "The pressure is the same, no matter what. The discipline and respect for the opponents, these things never change. We will go out there seriously with our tactical plan to do our best in this game," stated the Greek tactician.

The two teams faced each other twice during the I-League season and both registered a win and a loss. At the Tau Devi Lal Stadium, RoundGlass found the upper edge with a 2-1 victory while in the return leg at the Deccan Arena, Sreenidi registered a huge 4-0 win.

Speaking about the past results, Vergetis added, "Tomorrow's game is different from those in the league. We have to approach the game with the same determination as the previous games. We'll try to be very competitive and are looking to end the season in a better way."

Meanwhile, Pinto reiterated Vergetis' words to assert that the results between the two sides in their previous meetings will not affect the performance.

"There isn't really an advantage with respect to what happened in the two league games. It's a different story from a different competition and a different moment in time. Tomorrow's game will be a new chapter and we have to be fully focused to win," he expressed.

The Sreenidi Deccan boss did acknowledge, however, the fact that his side will be confident going into the match, courtesy of the 4-0 win over RoundGlass during the Hero I-League season. "The previous win does give us confidence, but it will not have much bearing. The players, the coaches and the clubs know each other so it will be a difficult game. We will need to be at our best to get a good result," concluded Pinto.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 15 (IANS) Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in Royal Challengers Bangalore's 23-run win over Delhi Capitals in an IPL 2023 match on Saturday, said that he is very happy with the two points as it was crucial to bounce back after last losses in their last two matches.

Virat Kohli sparkled with the bat with a breezy 50 off 34 balls to help RCB post a competitive 174/6. Vijaykumar Vyshak then impressed on debut with a brilliant spell of 3-20 and along with Mohammed Siraj 2-23 helped RCB restrict DC to 151/9 in 20 overs at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Saturday.

"Very happy to get two points. We kind of let it slip away in the last two games. For us to bounce back like this was very crucial," said Kohli at the post-match presentation.

Though Kohli scored a fifty, he was disappointed with the way he got out on a full toss, adding that 175 was a good total on that pitch.

"I was quite disappointed that I got out to a full toss. I've been playing really well. I wanted to make sure that after fifty, I was targeting 30-35 runs off the next 10 balls. That's how I play. That would've helped us get past 200," he said.

"One thing I mentioned to the guys in the change room was that 175 was enough on this pitch. It slowed down considerably when the spinners came on. Even the balls hit the back foot off Kuldeep were holding up, unlike the other games we played. We did well to get to that score and had the belief it was enough," he added.

The 34-year-old also revealed how he hit length balls for boundaries while playing his best cricket. He also recalled his famous shot off Australian pacer James Faulkner during the 2016 T20 World Cup, saying it was a different phase altogether.

"When I've played my best cricket, those are the balls I've put away consistently (length balls on the up). That helps me to put pressure on the bowlers. When I put away their best balls, they're going to try to do something else. I back myself to hit good balls and the best bowlers in the opposition. That's how I motivate myself to play out there," said Kohli

"That was a different mentality and phase altogether (T20 World Cup 2016 semis). I was in a space where I felt I could hit any ball. I back myself to hit good shots. When they come off they look good," he concluded.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 15 (IANS) Virat Kohli's fine half-century (50 off 34), followed by impressive performances by pacers Vijaykumar Vyshak (3-20) and Mohammed Siraj 2-23) led Royal Challengers Bangalore to an important 23-run win over Delhi Capitals in the 20th match of the IPL 2023 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Saturday.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for the David Warner-led Delhi Capitals and they are yet to open their account in the ongoing season, lying at the bottom of the table. On the other hand, it was the second win for RCB in four matches and they are in the seventh spot in the table.

After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Delhi Capitals made a remarkable comeback to keep RCB to 174/6 in 20 overs despite Kohli's fifty. Apart from Kohli, none of the RCB batters could score big as the team kept losing wickets at crucial junctures against a disciplined Delhi bowling attack.

Chasing a challenging total, Delhi Capitals (DC) got off to a dreadful start as they lost four wickets -- Prithvi Shaw (0), Mitchell Marsh (0), Yash Dhull (1) and David Warner (19) inside the powerplay.

Shaw was the first one to go as Anuj Rawat nailed a superb direct hit to run him out at the non-striker's end. Mitchell Marsh, who came to bat next, played three dots and then got a leading edge against Wayne Parnell as Virat had a comfortable catch.

Yash Dhull too couldn't capitalise on the opportunity as he was trapped in front of the wicket by Siraj. Wickets were falling from the other end but Warner showed intent and hit Siraj for three fours in the same over.

The RCB skipper then introduced debutant Vijaykumar Vyshak into the attack and he got the big wicket of Warner (19) in his very first over, leaving Delhi in deep trouble at 30-4 after 5.4 overs. Left-handed wicket-keeper batter Abishek Porel also miscued his shot on a full toss as Delhi lost half of their side for 53.

Despite wickets falling at the other end, Manish Pandey was playing his shots. He eventually got some good support from Axar (21 off 14) and they kept Delhi's hope in the run chase. The pair added 27 runs for the sixth wicket before Vyshak outfoxed Axar with a knuckleball.

With the required rate increasing rapidly, Pandey hit Hasaranga for 4, 6, 4, 2 to get to a 37-ball fifty but he couldn't continue longer as the Sri Lankan spinner got rid of the spinner on the last delivery of the over.

From there on it was an uphill task for Delhi Capitals. The likes of Anrich Nortje (23 not out off 14) and Aman Khan (18 off 10) hit few boundaries but it was not enough as Delhi were restricted to 151-9 in 20 overs.

Earlier, put in to bat first, openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave RCB a decent start, adding 42 runs for the opening wicket. Kohli looked in fine touch right from the start and hit back-to-back boundaries against Anrich Nortje as 11 runs came from the first over. With the pacer getting smashed, skipper David Warner brought in Axar Patel in the second over and he kept things tidy for the Capitals.

After Virat, it was Du Plessis' turn to hit a few boundaries and he did it against Mustafizur Rahman. Left-handed Axar came for his second over and Du Plessis dispatched the fifth ball for an 86m six over the long-on fence, taking RCB to 33/0 after 4 overs.

With the main bowlers not making much impact, Warner introduced Mitchell Marsh into the attack. Marsh, who is playing his first match after joining the DC camp following his marriage, was welcomed with a boundary by Kohli and then Du Plessis hits the pacer for a four.

However, Marsh had the last laugh as he removed Faf for 22 off 16 balls on a length ball on the off stump, courtesy of a sensational catch by Aman Khan at short mid-wicket. The Australian all-rounder could have two in two but Manish Pandey dropped new-man Mahipal Lomror's catch at point. Lalit Yadav came to bowl the final Power-play over and gave just four singles as RCB were 47/1 after 6 overs.

Though Kohli was able to find occasional boundaries, Delhi kept things under control as spinners Lalit and Kuldeep Yadav didn't allow Lomror to bat freely. While Lomror was struggling to find his timing, Kohli was dropped by Kuldeep on his own bowling.

Despite spinners doing well, Warner went back to Mustafizur and Kohli smashed him for a boundary six to bring his 50 in just 33 balls. However, the former RCB skipper couldn't continue longer as Lalit got rid of him with a full toss.

Glenn Maxwell came to bat next and started from where he left in the last game, dispatching Lalit Yadav for two huge sixes. However, Nortje bowled a decent next over to pull things back and Marsh dismissed Lomror (26 off 18) to give Delhi an important breakthrough.

Harshal Patel was sent ahead of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed and the all-rounder hit Axar for a boundary but the spinner dismissed him in the same over. Kuldeep, who came to bowl the next over removed Maxwell (24 off 14) and Karthik (0 off 1) in consecutive balls to break RCB's back, leaving them 132/6 after 14.2 overs.

RCB, who needed some crucial runs lower down the order, brought Anuj Rawat as a substitute, replacing him with Lomror but he couldn't deliver as expected. The left-hander played a slow knock (15 off 22 balls). It was Shahbaz Ahmed, who played a vital knock (20 and 12) in the end and took RCB to 174-6 in 20 overs, which turned out to be a winning total in the end.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 174/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 50, Mahipal Lomror 26; Mitchell Marsh 2-18) beat Delhi Capitals (Manish Pandey 50, Anrich Nortje 23; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3-20; Mohammed Siraj 2-23) by 23 runs.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Lucknow Super Giants cruised to their second win of the season in the IPL as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 wickets at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Batting first, Sunrisers could only manage 121/8 as the Super Giants' spinners were all over them and picked six of Hyderabad's eight wickets.

Krunal Pandya was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets while Amit Mishra picked two. It was a comfortable chase with skipper KL Rahul top scoring with 35 runs (31b, 4x4). Krunal Pandya who was adjudged the Player of the Match contributed with the bat as well and scored 34 runs (23b, 4x4, 1x6).

Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble believes that Sunrisers' batting has let them down and was also not impressed by how they used Adil Rashid.

"It is not the greatest of starts. Even I had them in my Top-4 and I still believe that they have a good side, a very good batting line up. They have not fired. Their batting has let them down in both the matches. Even against Rajasthan Royals at their home ground, they didn't score enough runs. Even the bowling on this surface," he told JioCinema.

"Even when they played against Rajasthan, they missed a trick by not bringing in Adil Rashid against Jos Buttler. We all know Buttler, at the start of the innings doesn't like leg-spinners coming in and bowling. Even here, Adil Rashid was held till the first six overs. You only have 121 runs on board, use your main spinner. He should be bowling. Even Washington Sundar bowled just that one over in the powerplay. So, there are some things that they need to certainly work on but most importantly, they need to get their batting sorted."

Krunal put up a strong all-round show in the game. While bowling, he was economical and also picked up three key wickets including SRH skipper Aiden Markram and Mayank Agarwal and later scored a quickfire 34 in 23 balls.

Former cricketer Suresh Raina heaped praises on his performance.

"He (Krunal) batted with good intent. Scored boundaries and then picked up singles as well, it was a good all-round performance today. The boundary he scored by stepping out, it is a difficult shot in these conditions and then the six to Adil Rashid, he looked in good form. Like he mentioned to the press, he has worked on it and is a good white ball cricketer," he was quoted as saying.

"He bowls during the powerplay and if asked to bowl later also, stands for his captain. In batting as well, he has good dimension. Looks to attack, has good intent and plays very less dot balls and whenever there is an opportunity, hits boundaries as well. He is a very important player for LSG."

--IANS
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Bengaluru, April 3 (IANS) While praising young left-handed batter Tilak Varma for his unbeaten 84 off just 46 balls, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma admitted that rest of the batting line-up didn't bat very well on a pitch which was good to bat upon.

Pushed into batting first, Mumbai crumbled to 48/4 and then to 123/7 at one stage, looking in danger of being shot out for a below-par total. But Varma stood tall and impressed everyone with his skill and temperament in hitting nine boundaries and four sixes at a strike-rate of 182.6, as Mumbai got 69 runs from the last five overs.

"Didn't have a great start but was a good effort from Tilak at the end. But the bowlers didn't bowl well. We didn't bat well enough, it was a good pitch. Some of the shorts he played today, he showed a lot of courage.

We wanted to be courageous enough, and hats off to Tilak for getting us to the total. Was a good pitch to bat on. We did not bat to our potential. 30-40 runs would have been ideal. We were struggling to play the catch-up game," said Rohit in the post-match presentation ceremony.

With the ball, Mumbai's bowlers were all over the place as Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis smashed half-centuries in a 148-run opening partnership. Though they got two wickets, it was too late by then to avoid a loss in their opening match of IPL 2023.

Rohit refused to use the absence of Jasprit Bumrah as a reason behind lacklustre bowling performance.

"For the past six-eight months I am used to playing without Bumrah. We can't control things which we can't control. The other guys are also talented. A lot of the guys haven't played IPL before. First game of the season, a lot to look forward to," he said.

Du Plessis, who was named Player of the Match for his 73 off 43 balls, including five fours and six sixes, felt great in playing a part in making a happy homecoming for RCB.

"It's awesome to play (in M Chinnaswamy Stadium). It's my first time playing here as a home player, especially batting with Virat Kohli. You have to try and stay with the youngsters. I try to push the old hamstrings so that I can move in the field. To start the campaign with a bang, was huge," the RCB skipper said.

Faf was also appreciative of the bowlers for ratting Mumbai's top-order batters in power-play.

"It was a nice way to start the way we did in the powerplay. Siraj with his tail up is a beautiful thing. The bowler stuck to their task," he said.

"The last two or three overs were a bit of learning. The cutters were working really well, it was not easy to hit the ball. There was value for your shots. Credit to the groundsman. Even the spinners found something," he added.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 3 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bangalore marked their homecoming to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium through a thumping eight-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians to get their IPL 2023 campaign off to a flying start.

One of the chief factors of RCB's victory was scintillating half-centuries from Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli in a gigantic 148-run opening partnership. While du Plessis made 73 off 43 balls, including five fours and six sixes, Kohli was in sublime touch to be 82 not out off 49 balls, laced with six fours and five sixes to chase 172 in 16.2 overs.

After the match ended, Kohli said to broadcasters that he and du Plessis were aiming to hit their shots in good areas and keep the pressure on the bowlers.

"Phenomenal win. Homecoming after so many years. We kept backing ourselves. Faf went first, and I joined later. I am very happy with how things went today," the former RCB captain said.

"The new ball was a bit tricky, but we shifted the momentum by taking them down with the new ball. We nullified all their intensity. The wicket was quite a nice one. We hit good areas and kept putting pressure on the bowlers," he added.

The star batter was also in praise of leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who picked two wickets in the match.

"He was phenomenal, when he got that left-hander out. it was great bowling. He was bowling so well last year. He was ready to play. Even in the nets, he was not getting hit for sixes. He put us on the front foot right away," he said.

Asked about the support from a jam-packed home stadium, Kohli said, "Phenomenal, was a packed crowd. Every seat was full and we knew we would get a lot of support. We just ride off that intensity from the crowd. They were right behind us.

The first game of the IPL, and to perform like that was great. Credit to their batters for getting to that score. Tilak batted well."

Kohli signed off by saying RCB need to build on the momentum from the opening victory for the rest of the tournament.

"Apart from Mumbai winning five times and Chennai four times, we have qualified the most number of times, so we do play consistent cricket. It's just about staying focused, and just trying to be the best balanced team. We need to play on this momentum. We just need to execute better," he said.

--IANS

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London, April 2 (IANS) Leicester City on Sunday sacked head coach Brendan Rodgers in the wake of their 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

That result on Saturday was their fifth defeat in six league games and saw the club drop into the relegation zone with just ten games left in the season.

The decision ends the former Liverpool and Celtic coach's four-year stay at the club, during which he led them to the 2021 FA Cup and consecutive fifth-place finishes in his first two seasons in charge, a Xinhua report said.

Club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha issued a statement explaining the decision to sack Rodgers, saying that although the club had wanted "continuity and stability", the time had come for a change.

"Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with ten games of the season remaining, the board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status."

"The task ahead of us in our final ten games is clear. We now need to come together -- fans, players and staff -- and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club."

Leicester kicked off the season with seven defeats from ten matches, and although they improved as the season progressed, they have struggled for form following the World Cup, taking just seven points from 11 matches.

"The achievements of the team under Brendan's management speak for themselves - we've experienced some of our finest footballing moments under his guidance and will always be grateful to him and his staff for the heights they helped us to reach on the pitch. His place in Leicester City history is assured," commented Srivaddhanaprabha.

--IANS

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Dunedin, April 2 (IANS) New Zealand's Hayden Paddon took every stage win on his way to a commanding victory at the Winmax Brakes Otago Rally, the third round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship qualifier, the Pacific Rally Cup, here on Sunday.

The rally did not have the presence of Indian Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill, the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion, who won the second round at the South India Rally in Chennai but the stage is set for a grand finale in Indonesia among all the winners of Asia Cup and Pacific Cup.

The Indian presence was also felt remotely with a generous backing by Vamcy Merla, a passionate rally enthusiast and motorsports promoter from India, who supported the organisers with prize money and trophies for the winners of FIA APRC Pacific Cup, a media release said.

Driving their Hyundai New Zealand i20 N Rally2 for the first time in 2023, nobody was able to get close to the former WRC event winner, as he extended his overnight lead on each stage to conclude the rally with a winning margin of over four minutes.

''It was a good win and I really want to thank the promoter Vamcy Merla for his support to the rally. It is great news that a motorsport enthusiast like him has come on board and will promote other rounds of the APRC as well. I really thank him and wish to meet him in person someday,'' Haydon said after the round.

The Pacific Rally Cup saw 20 international drivers from Australia, Japan, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Philippines competing for points and glory on the scenic and challenging roads of Otago.

Vicky Chandhok, working group president of the FIA APRC, thanked Merla for his involvement and support.

''We are grateful to Vamcy Merla for his generosity and passion for rallying. We look forward to seeing him at the final round in Indonesia later this year,'' he said.

In the day's stages south of Dunedin, he and co-driver John Kennard were again untouchable, continuing to show why he is New Zealand's greatest rally driver. Behind him was the Holden Barina AP4 of Ari Pettigrew, who was the 'best of the rest' for most of the weekend. He took second place by over 30 seconds from multiple NZRC champion Ben Hunt.

Hunt's day two goal was to catch Pettigrew after a few driving mistakes on Day 1 but Pettigrew showed class beyond his years to hold off the fast charging Skoda driver.

After another Pacific round in May at Whangarei in New Zealand and two more rounds of Asia Cup in Indonesia and China, the Danau Toba Rally in Indonesia from Nov 24 to 26 will serve as the grand finale where the Asia Pacific Champion will emerge.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 2 (IANS) Scintillating half-centuries from Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2023 match, marking a happy homecoming at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, here on Sunday.

As RCB took the field in Chinnaswamy Stadium after 1247 days, chants of the franchise engulfed the whole arena. To their credit, RCB didn't disappoint at all, as bowlers got wickets in power-play and middle overs to keep Mumbai to 171/7, though young Tilak Varma shined with an outstanding 84 not out off just 46 balls.

In reply, du Plessis and Kohli put out an exhibition of majestic strokeplay and rattled Mumbai's bowling attack to enthrall home fans. While du Plessis made 73 off 43 balls, including five fours and six sixes, Kohli was in sublime touch to be 82 not out off 49 balls, laced with six fours and five sixes to chase 172 in 16.2 overs to get their IPL 2023 campaign off to a winning start.

In defence of 171, Mumbai brought in Jason Behrendorff as an impact player in place of Suryakumar Yadav to share the new-ball with Arshad Khan. After making a watchful start, du Plessis cut down on the swing by dancing down the pitch to hit a four and two sixes on both sides of the wicket off Behrendorff.

Jofra Archer put down Kohli on his first ball of the match. Kohli then followed it up by placing a steer between backward point and short third man for four, and smacked a six over long-off. Kohli and du Plessis took a boundary each off Piyush Chawla and Archer to bring the fifty of their opening partnership in the power-play.

Du Plessis continued to be unstoppable -- timing his drives through the off-side against Cameron Green twice and ended the over with a scooped six to take 17 runs off the eighth over. He welcomed off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen with consecutive sixes over mid-wicket and long-on, first of which took him to his fifty in 29 balls.

Kohli then danced down the pitch to whack Chawla over long-on for six, and bring up the century of the opening partnership in the 11th over, before reaching his fifty in 38 balls. He then welcomed Behrendorff with a pull through cow corner for four, before du Plessis pulled and flicked for four and six respectively.

Kohli hammered sixes off Archer and Arshad through the leg-side to keep Mumbai under the pump. They had a breakthrough when du Plessis holed out to long-on, breaking the 148-run opening partnership. After Dinesh Karthik fell for a three-ball duck, Glenn Maxwell slapped sixes over extra cover and fine leg, with Kohli whipping and lofting for four and six respectively to complete Bangalore's chase with 22 balls remaining.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 171/7 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 84 not out; Karn Sharma 2/32) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 172/2 in 16.2 overs (Virat Kohli 82 not out, Faf du Plessis 73; Arshad Khan 1/28, Cameron Green 1/30) by eight wickets.

--IANS

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