Former South African captain Faf du Plessis opined that Arshdeep Singh’s six-run over in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the West Indies had a huge impact on the end result. Describing it as a match-winning over, Du Plessis added that small contributions like that often make a huge impact in the overall picture.
India beat the West Indies by five wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1 in a must-win clash of the T20 World Cup 2026. Bowling first, India held the Windies to 195-4 and then chased down the target in 19.2 overs. With the win, the Men in Blue also qualified for the semifinals.
While Sanju Samson (97* off 50) was the star of the show for India, Du Plessis picked the 19th over bowled by Arshdeep as the game-changing moment. Having gone for 24 runs in his previous over, the left-handed pacer made a brilliant comeback and conceded only six runs in the penultimate over, which went a long way in ensuring that the West Indies did not cross the 200-run mark.
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During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Du Plessis made a special mention of Arshdeep’s effort under pressure and commented:
“That one over in the context of the game is credit to him. The way that he executed – to go for six on a small ground, that is a match-winning over. If you are sitting in the dressing room and do the accolades, the coach or captain goes – our player of the day is you because of that over. People don’t realize how important a small contribution is in the big picture.”
Former India captain Anil Kumble also agreed that the Arshdeep’s six-run over was extremely crucial in the context of the match. He commented:
“Having gone for 24 runs, and then sticking to his plan of wide yorkers… Maybe West Indies could have been smarter. Instead of looking to pump him down the ground for a six., they could have used the pace and the ground as well, which they didn’t. So, it worked in his favor.”
Arshdeep ended the T20 World Cup clash with figures of 0-43 from four overs. Jasprit Bumrah stood out with 2-36, while Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakaravarthy registered identical figures of 1-40 from four overs.
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“You cannot afford that against England” – Anil Kumble on India’s worry ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal
While India progressed to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a win against the Windies, their fielding was poor once again. The Men in Blue dropped three catches on Sunday. Kumble opined that India cannot afford another bad day in the field against England in the knockout clash. He stated:
“The fielding, we saw the nerves were there. Dropped catches, misfields – you don’t expect that. Come semifinal, you cannot afford that against England. India would be happy, but there were nerves certainly because this was a must-win game.”
Team India will face England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5.
The NBA season concluded on Sunday with all 30 teams in action and playoff seeding at stake.
In the East, the Toronto Raptors secured the No. 5 seed and the final unclaimed guaranteed spot in the playoff field, relegating the 76ers and Magic to the play-in.
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In the West, the Denver Nuggets secured the No. 3 seed with a win over the Spurs, sending the Los Angeles Lakers to the No. 4 seed. The playoff field is set, and the first set of games are on the schedule.
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NBA playoff schedule for first set of games:
Saturday, April 18
Raptors at Cavaliers, 1 p.m. Amazon Prime Timberwolves at Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. Amazon Prime Hawks at Knicks, 6 p.m., Amazon Prime Rockets at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. ABC
Sunday, April 19
Play-in winner vs. Celtics, 1 p.m. ABC Play-in winner vs. Thunder 3:30 p.m. ABC Play-in winner vs. Pistons, 6:30 p.m. NBC Play-in winner vs. Spurs, 9 p.m. NBC
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Playoff bracket
Eastern Conference
1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) play-in winner (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) play-In winner (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
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Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) play-In winner (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) play-In winner (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Play-in bracket
Eastern Conference
(7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers (9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat
Western Conference
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers (9) LA Clippers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
AUGUSTA, Ga. — There’s more Charlie Brown in this Rory McIlroy than you might realize. You see it, now and again, in clubhouse locker rooms, with his cap high on his head and the brim pointing toward 3 o’clock, his cheeks filled with air. You saw it at Augusta National Sunday night, in the witching hour, on 18. The only thing he has to do was hit something in play, with any club. He drove it wildly right, where no 71-hole, two-shot leader has stood before. In this age when we think we know everything, the defending champion knew nothing. Didn’t know where his ball was. Didn’t know if he would be the first player in Masters history to cough up a six-shot, 36-hole lead. A double bogey would mean a playoff. A playoff is a crap shoot.
He marched off that tee. His parents were in the clubhouse. Millions of us were in the dark.
Where is it?
Does he have a shot?
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Is this really happening?
THIS GAME OF GOLF. No sport has more mystery to it, no sport is more beguiling. Maybe not for Tiger in his prime, who was so good that his relentless winning was majestic, boring and inevitable. But the thing about Rory’s golf is that the game’s odd and captivating beauty is there for all of us to see. He was 12 under through 36 holes and had a six-shot lead. He was 12 under through 72 holes and won by one. Day to day, hole to hole, swing to swing, the golfer is never exactly the same. It’s so odd, isn’t it? McIlroy talked about it, the ever-changing golfer, Sunday night, in his — spoiler alert! — winner’s press conference.
“You have a lot of time to think,” McIlroy said. “You’re out there a long time. There’s a long time between shots. There’s a long time between rounds. Of all the big sports, I think it’s the most mental, the most challenging mentally. I think it’s hard to stay in the same mental space for four days in a row. I was in a great mental space for the tee shot on 13th, for example. All of my practice rounds here in the weeks leading into the tournament, hit it great there. Then Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I didn’t sniff the fairway. These little things happen that make you second-guess things. It’s just very hard to stay in the same spot mentally for a long period of time.”
We hear you, brother — we hear ya!
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This from a man who chipped twice with a putter on Sunday, once from off the green and up a lush hill at 13 (for par) and from over the green on 16, also for par. Like, we can relate. But that chip he hit from the right side of 17, also for par, was off-the-charts and dead solid perfect. To play that shot, at that moment, with the world watching you? There are about 32 golfers in the world with the skill and mental strength to pull that off.
We stand in awe.
He won the tournament with those three shots, along with the puff of wind that helped his thinned third shot into 15 pitch in the hill and bounce forward, not backward into the lake.
Luck. Dumb luck, really. Life requires luck.
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In victory, he was asked if he could explain the golf-life connection.
“Good things come to those who wait, maybe?” he said in that lovely sing-song Irish way. “Just keep going. Keep your head down and keep going. If you put the hours in and work on the right things, eventually it will come good for you.”
Even if it’s not true it’s a good game plan, anyhow.
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TWO P.M. WAS CREEPING IN. Under the tree, up by the clubhouse and in the shade, it was almost cool, almost breezy, players and caddies coming through, amid the jackets and the lucky-badged. Out on the course, the fairways and the tees and the greens are baking. Rory McIlroy was in a practice bunker, the glare of the white sand in his eyes. This was the first Masters in 15 years without a drop of rain.
For two days, McIlroy could do no wrong, even as he was driving it all over the map. Leading by a touchdown halfway through. You may remember his closeout golf early Friday night, supper on the stove: birdies on 15, 16, 17 and 18. Maybe his psychologist (Bob Rotella) has a name for it. Maybe flow state, peak experience, the zone. Or, more simply, dreamstate. A golfer in a dreamstate. Anybody in a dreamstate. We all get there, now and again. Maybe you once rattled off four straight pars. For a minute there, you think you have something in your hand. These moments show up in golf, as they show up most everywhere. Maybe you have heard Bruce Springsteen, last month at the Target Center in Minneapolis, singing the Prince anthem, “Purple Rain.” At the 5:20 mark, he’s offers a full-throated something. Who-who wa-hoo, who-who wa-hoo. The band is with him, the backup singers are with him, the house is with him. And that’s how we are with Rory. There’s something about him. All the while we know: the moment comes and the moment goes. McIlroy was hitting every note for two days, and then he wasn’t.
The Masters. The best three-act play on the world’s sporting stage. Thursday-Friday. Saturday. Sunday. The stage. The players upon it. McIlroy made a double on the par-3 fourth, to fall to 10 under. He had one major thing going for him: 14 holes to right the ship.
HE GOES ABOUT HIS BUSINESS in a most engaging way. He stopped to look at leaderboards to see how he was doing against the field — and to see how his mate Shane Lowry was doing. “I was looking at Shane’s score because if I didn’t win today, I wish I would have been putting the green jacket on him,” he said. Looking at Shane’s scores, looking at other scores. “I know that doesn’t serve me,” he said. And yet he does it.
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The bogey he made to win was equal parts terrible and great. His tee shot was so bad, so far right, it was almost OK. As he stood beside his ball and his bag, as his caddie Harry Diamond scoped out the scene, his chest was heaving and his lips were parched. He smashed an uphill hooking 8-iron that went maybe 160 yards and finished in the front left trap. (That’s a lot of territory to cover.) His bunker shot, chunky and runny, left him with a 12-footer for par. His winning putt was a six-incher his daughter could have made.
“I said to myself on 17 tee, ‘I need four good swings,’” McIlroy said. “I made one.”
That daughter, Poppy, is 5. In the awards presentation, the first people McIlroy thanked, in a long list of them, were his wife, Erica, and their daughter. He said the Masters was her favorite week of the year, because of the opportunity to caddie in the Wednesday par-3 event and because of the unlimited ice cream opportunities in family dining. She put her hands to her face. It was like time stopped. Big Jack won back-to-back. Sir Nick won back-to-back. Tiger won back-to-back. Now it’s a foursome. This seems good. We could all use some good, no matter how long it might last.
The Ulsterman joined the exclusive club of grand slam winners in emotional fashion last year after overcoming Rose in a playoff, but had to fight his way back to the top of the leaderboard on Sunday after trailing Rose, overnight co-leader Cameron Young and even Russell Henley at different points during a rollercoaster final round.
Rory McIlroy pulled on the green jacket again (Getty Images)
After two days this tournament had seemed as good as over, with McIlroy six shots clear – the greatest margin in Masters history after 36 holes – and playing with a peace and tranquility that comes with being the defending champion.
But a one-over 73 on Saturday gave hope to those in pursuit and rocked McIlroy’s confidence, forcing him to seek answers at the practice range deep into Saturday evening.
(AP)
If there was one thing that stood out about the chasing pack on Sunday morning, it was the quality of those golfers willing and able to chase.
Sam Burns and Cam Young are the young bucks of the PGA Tour, both seeking a first major after success on tour and Ryder Cup appearances. Justin Rose, Jason Day and Shane Lowry are all major winners with the experience and temperament to mount a Sunday pursuit while Scottie Scheffler is Scottie Scheffler. If you need to know more than that then welcome to your first Masters – have you tried the pimento cheese?
With the most bunched leaderboard for a Sunday morning since 2017, it was still only the final four pairings really in contention, and even then needing to play the best golf of their life to have a chance. The first hour or two posed a question of who could make gains or even just stay in the hunt.
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Scottie Scheffler put the pressure on but could not reel Rory McIlroy in (AP)
Burns was the first to fall out of it. Louisiana born-and-bred, Burns had managed to play some highly competitive golf all weekend and shot under-par all weekend – which was more than could be said of McIlroy, Scheffler and others – but a bogey on the first and a double-bogey second sunk him simply too far back to recover.
As Burns retreated from the battle, the overnight co-leaders continued to jostle for position in the final pairing. Elsewhere, Rose became only the second golfer to birdie the fifth on Sunday to put him level with Scheffler in a tie for third. The race was showing signs of being down to just five.
Shane Lowry was the next to drop, finding sand from his tee shot on five but, significantly, catching the front wall of the bunker on his second shot with an iron that ended up further from the hole than where he had started. By the time the ball was eventually in the hole, he had carded a double-bogey six and plunged down the leaderboard to further narrow the hunt. Day followed soon after.
There was always likely to be one interloper, and Henley turned out to be that guy. The 37-year-old is something of a local favourite, hailing from down the road in Macon, Georgia, and had four birdies through the first eight holes to be tied for second. Somewhat understated, Henley had four top-10 finishes in his last eight majors and has figured out how to compete at the highest level.
(Getty Images)
At different times we had almost all possible combinations of leaders. McIlroy and Young began the day joint, then Young had sole custody before Rose joined him, Young took a step back and then Rose had it all to himself for a while. While Henley appeared from nowhere to hold the joint-lead, a bogey on 12 set him back into the chasing pack, where he would remain for the rest of the day after missing too many key putts.
By just after 5pm, five golfers were separated by just one shot; McIlroy the sole leader and four on his tail. His par putt on the 11th prevented him falling back to a five-way tie for the lead that essentially would have started the tournament again – a mini-Masters for the select few.
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When it mattered, though, Young continued to err and McIlroy surged.
Rory McIlroy held off playing partner Cameron Young (REUTERS)
On 12, he went closer to the pin than anyone else had on Sunday to pick up another shot. He then birdied the 13th to open up a two-shot lead on his familiar foes, Rose and Scheffler.
(Getty Images)
In the end, Scheffler’s undoubted class was not enough to overcome the mistakes of Thursday and Friday. A two-over 74 in his second round had stranded him down the leaderboard and while he threatened a memorable Sunday charge he never led the Masters and 11 straight pars on Sunday featured a number of missed opportunities to press the defending champ.
Rose kept himself in the battle all day but went bogey, bogey and then three-putted for par through Amen Corner. Those holes, in the end, were the difference between him and his Ryder Cup teammate who picked up shots on the most (in)famous three-hole stretch in golf and used that momentum to carry him over the finish line.
It was another Masters near miss for Justin Rose (Getty Images)
A winner had not come from outside the final pairing since Englishman Danny Willett stunned the golfing world a decade ago this week, and McIlroy’s scramble to save par on 15 averted the final true threat to this remarkable achievement, becoming only the fourth person ever to defend a Masters championship.
Ultimately, though, this win figures to be a milestone for much greater achievements for McIlroy, a man who must now look at major wins as a counting stat rather than singular peaks of a career.
Rory McIlroy was presented with the green jacket by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley (Getty Images)
By entering the grand slam club last year, McIlroy confirmed his place among the all-time greats. How many more he can add to his six major triumphs will decide exactly where he sits in the golfing pantheon.
PHILADELPHIA — Giannis Antetokounmpo said it was “disrespectful” for Milwaukee to bench him over the final weeks of the season while he said he was healthy enough to play, a stinging rebuke of the franchise as he enters a stay-or-leave off-season.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who led Milwaukee to its first title in half a century in 2021, said after Sunday’s season-ending loss to Philadelphia that he learned that he had no control over his playing status as the Bucks limped to the finish.
Antetokounmpo was the subject of trade speculation as the deadline approached, but he wasn’t dealt. He has since been in a dispute with team management over his injury status.
The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly after a dunk on March 15. Antetokounmpo said in the closing weeks of the season that he was healthy and wanted to play, but the Bucks continued to rule him out with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
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Antetokounmpo did not play Sunday at Philadelphia in what was also likely the final game of Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ career.
“Being cleared to play, I don’t understand. I’ve never in my life denied participation in practice,” Antetokounmpo said. “Whoever came up with that is disrespectful towards what I’ve done for this team and the way I carry myself.
“I did what I was supposed to do. I wasn’t able to come on the court now. Who has that say? It comes from above. I thought I had control. OK, if I’m healthy, I’m going to play. This just shows me that not just me, players in general, don’t have no control. No, I didn’t feel like I had control.”
Antetokounmpo had participated in recent pregame warmups, showing no sign of injury.
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“It was draining for me, for sure,” Antetokounmpo said. “If it was draining for me, it was definitely draining for me and the organization.”
Antetokounmpo said he planned to put his phone on “do not disturb” and try to avoid the distractions that plagued the end of his season.
The Bucks could look to trade Antetokounmpo in the offseason, or he could sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October.
Antetokounmpo said he had yet to be formally offered the extension — no surprise given that it could not be finalized for months.
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“That’s too far away. It’s something I have to sit down with my family and see what’s best for me, what’s best for my family,” Antetokounmpo said. “Money doesn’t mean nothing do me. Zero. Absolutely zero. What means something to me, it’s winning.”
The Bucks put Rivers’ job in jeopardy with a dismal 32-50 season that ended the Bucks’ streak of nine straight playoff berths.
Rivers had said he has a “great relationship” with Antetokounmpo and that he often talks to the superstar about what to work on and what to add to his game.
“I just want to see it end well for him and for the franchise. I think they both deserve it,” Rivers said. “Giannis is a fantastic person. I’ve been lucky to coach a lot of stars, and he’s right at the top as far as good people. I want good people to be taken care of.”
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The Bucks reached the East finals during Antetokounmpo’s first MVP season in 2019 — ending an 18-year stretch without a playoff series win. They won the title two years later. But they haven’t won a playoff series since 2022.
“We’re the furthest away we’ve been,” Antetokounmpo said. “I didn’t think we were going to be in this position last year, so I don’t know what position we will be in next year.”
Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in five straight IPL matches. Unthinkable as it may sound, Bumrah’s barren run now stretches across two seasons. He did not take a wicket in the last match Mumbai Indians played in IPL 2025 and has now gone wicketless in four matches in IPL 2026. India spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, however, defended Bumrah. He stressed that Bumrah’s ability to nail tight yorkers and restrict the flow of runs is more important than his wicket tally, especially at high-scoring venues like Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
According to CricViz, Bumrah has bowled 122 balls without taking a wicket – the longest wicketless streak of his IPL career.
Jasprit Bumrah’s last five IPL innings:
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0/40 (4) vs PBKS, Ahmedabad
0/35 (4) vs KKR, Wankhede
0/21 (4) vs DC, Delhi
0/32 (3) vs RR, Guwahati
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0/35 (4) vs RCB, Wankhede
In Mumbai Indians’ match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, the ace Indian pacer again went wicketless, returning figures of 0/35 in four overs. However, he stood out as MI’s most economical bowler as RCB posted a mammoth 240/4 in 20 overs.
In a post on X, Ashwin said that focusing solely on Bumrah’s lack of wickets is misleading and could hurt MI’s cause. He reiterated that Bumrah’s true value lies in bowling pinpoint yorkers and choking runs, particularly at venues like the Wankhede.
“The lack-of-wickets narrative for Bumrah can hamper the team’s cause. Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets, especially at venues like the Wankhede,” Ashwin said.
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“When you can’t bowl overs on the trot, your wicket-taking ability depends on your partners who hand the over to you. We have had so many years of T20 cricket now, and bowling in partnerships as a defensive group is still a seed in the minds of bowling units,” Ashwin added.
The lack of wickets narrative for Bumrah can hamper the teams cause!
Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets, especially in venues like the Wankhede.
Despite going wicketless in his last five IPL innings, Bumrah has registered an economy rate above 10 in just two matches – against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 Qualifier and Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing season.
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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
The NASCAR O’Reilly Series competed at Bristol Motor Speedway and it was a sensational event. Kyle Larson won the first two stages; however, Connor Zilisch and Brent Crews stayed out while he pitted during a late caution. So, which one of the three NASCAR drivers found victory lane at Bristol on Saturday night?
Zilisch and the No. 1 team for JR Motorsports won the O’Reilly Series race at Bristol on Saturday night, earning their first victory of the season. Crews took the lead on the final restart with old tires, but wasn’t able to hold on after running the top. Then, Zilisch was able to hold off Larson in the closing laps following the No. 88 car’s mistake.
Larson dominated the event at Bristol, but Zilisch was able to give crew chief Rodney Childers his first NASCAR win at JR Motorsports. It has been a tough rookie season for Zilisch with Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, but this win on Saturday night helps remind that he is capable of winning at this level.
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NASCAR results: O’Reilly Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 2026)
Bankers Choice is in pursuit of a landmark achievement this Saturday in the Mornington Cup, striving to emulate just one prior horse by notching successive wins in the 2400m Listed spectacle.
Last year, the eight-year-old surged late to defeat challengers in a dramatic showdown, prepared then by Glen Thompson in the wake of Mike Moroney’s passing.
Now with Ben, Will and JD Hayes at Lindsay Park, Mongolian Khan’s progeny reappears in good nick, notching a podium finish in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) first time out then a solid eighth in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m).
Due to clash again with select Easter Cup adversaries including Ambassadorial, his connections trust the added stamina demand will enhance his prospects.
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“Bankers Choice is the one that will head to the Mornington Cup,” Will Hayes said.
“He’s going to go for a course proper gallop on Monday to have a look around and hopefully defend his title.
“He ran terrifically in the Peter Young first-up, he was only three lengths off them in the Easter Cup and he looks really good.”
Despite the likelihood of substantial ballast again, Hayes prioritises the gelding’s validated long-distance credentials over that burden.
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“Hopefully someone can throw an out-of-form import with a high rating into the noms that can get us down,” Hayes said.
“But he deserves the rating that he has, he does carry weight well.”
“He’ll eat up 2400 metres. He’s as fit as a mallee bull, and a seasoned old gelding like him, it’s right up his alley.”
With top preparation and his pet distance ahead, Bankers Choice stands ready to challenge strongly for crown retention.
Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma – Sunday could not have gotten better for cricket fans. At the Wankhede Stadium, the two giants clashed in the biggest match of IPL 2026 so far. Virat Kohli played a patient knock while Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar rained fury. Kohli, though, also achieved a few major firsts. The former RCB captain is now the first batter to score 1,000-plus runs against MI. KL Rahul (977) and Shikhar Dhawan (901) are next in the list.
Kohli also surpassed Chris Gayle and Babar Azam for being involved in the most century partnerships in T20s. The 120-run stand between Phil Salt and Kohli is the second-highest opening partnership for RCB against MI in the IPL. The highest remains the 148-run stand added by Faf du Plessis and Kohli in Bengaluru in 2023.
Talking about the match, Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and decided to field against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match No. 20 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Sunday.
The high-voltage clash between five-time champions MI and defending champions RCB is being played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
“We’re going to bowl first. It looks like a good track. We played the first game on the other pitch; this looks similar. It’s always good to bat second here. I think it’s a big game. Just want to come out and play our best cricket, do the things we’ve spoken about in the meetings, and enjoy the sport. We requested good wickets, and we’ve been getting them,” Pandya said.
“As long as you land the ball right as a bowler and play the right shots as a batter, you’re in the game. Over the years at Wankhede, chasing has worked for a lot of teams. Being our home ground, dew comes in later as well. So it’s good to know what you’re chasing and plan your innings accordingly. Mayank Markande and Mitchell Santner come in for Chahar and Ghazanfar,” the MI skipper added.
After losing the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar said that Jacob Duffy replaced Josh Hazlewood in the playing XI.
“Obviously, we would have bowled first. But as you all know, it’s a good batting track. The ball comes nicely onto the bat with good bounce, so it won’t make too much difference. We’ll try to put a good total on the board and keep them under pressure. This is our fourth game,” Patidar said.
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“The way we’ve played in the last few matches, there are a lot of positives. In the last match, we were 97 for 6 and still managed to score over 200. That’s a positive sign for us. We enjoy playing here a lot. Whenever we come, we see great crowds. It’s challenging but also fun and exciting. Just one change – Duffy comes in place of Hazlewood,” the RCB skipper added
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Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the main protagonists in any Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians clash in IPL. Fans assembled at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday were treated to a Kohli half-century – his 65th in the IPL – which came off 37 balls. Yet, he appeared unhappy. In fact, he did not even celebrate the milestone after reaching it on the second ball of the 15th over bowled by Hardik Pandya. He departed two balls later while trying to break the shackles and looked frustrated. A strike rate of 131.58 may have been the reason. While Kohli was attempting to play the sheet-anchor role, the innings of Rajat Patidar (53 off 20 balls) and Phil Salt (78 off 36 balls) were in complete contrast.
kohli throwing his off his gloves and helmet, man he’s so pissed off by himself pic.twitter.com/8gbtBwX9tA
Virat Kohli looks disappointed after getting out , Still he has scored a half century for not like Virat Kohli’s Level.#MIvsRCBpic.twitter.com/tpDeIZvyJV
Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli all registered half-centuries as the defending champions put up an imposing 240 for 4 – the second-highest total this season – against Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt smashed a 36-ball 78, studded with six boundaries and as many maximums, while stalwart Kohli made a composed 50 off 38 balls, as the duo put on a polished 120-run opening-wicket stand.
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Salt was dismissed by Shardul Thakur in his very first over – the team’s 11th – providing a huge sigh of relief to MI.
Skipper Rajat Patidar then took over from where Salt left off, scoring a rapid 53 off just 20 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes, as RCB made quite a statement.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field.
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Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans
“Just a chance that got away obviously. I was by no means kind of free and clear and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done but I was right in position,” said the Englishman, whose final-round 70 left him 10 under and two behind McIlroy, who made a successful defence of the green jacket.
“I was really in control, the first 10 holes I felt like I was and the mentality was to run through the finish line not just try and get it done.
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“I was playing great but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner. That three-putt (on 13) was untimely for sure.
“I feel like with a sudden-death loss (last year) you kind of know you got to the house. You’ve done everything it took to win, then it comes down to flick of a coin at times.
“Whereas today I felt there was an opportunity to do better, so obviously that is frustrating for sure.”
;)
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