Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) overcame a sensational 15-ball 42 (3×4, 4×6) from skipper Hardik Pandya to edge Mumbai Indians (MI) by 12 runs in a last-over thriller in IPL 2025 on Monday night (April 7).

The win ended RCB’s 10-year wait to beat MI at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This was MI’s fourth loss in five games this season while RCB now have three victories in four outings.

Also read: Kohli completes 13,000 runs in T20 cricket

Chasing 222, MI were in control when Hardik and Tilak Varma (59 off 29, 4×4, 4×6) put on a brilliant 89-run partnership in 34 balls for the fifth wicket but RCB bowlers held their nerve to stop the home team at 209/9.

Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya bowled an excellent last over when MI needed 19. He took two wickets off the first two balls – Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar, and added one more (Naman Dhir) to finish with his IPL best figures of 4/45.

Rohit fails again

At one stage, MI were reeling at 99 for four with their pursuit falling apart with the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav (28), but Hardik and Tilak launched a stunning onslaught to bring them back into the contest.

Hardik went hammer and tongs while hitting three fours and four sixes, while Tilak also fought his way back into form, but the target proved far too much for Mumbai Indians who were again ordinary with the bat for a large part in their chase.

Rohit Sharma (17) was cleaned up by Yash Dayal (2/46) while swinging across an inswinging delivery and MI’s best batter Suryakumar struggled during his 28-run knock for which he consumed 26 balls.

On the other hand, Tilak brought up his maiden fifty of the season off 26 balls to make a comeback after being retired out in the last game.

The fortunes swung when Hardik clobbered two sixes and as many fours off his first four balls off Krunal in the 14th over.

Before Hardik cut loose, Tilak had raced to 30 off 15 balls to keep MI’s faint hopes alive, which kept improving with every hit that the batters unleashed.

The asking rate had zoomed past 15 an over but MI kept clearing the ropes to remain in the hunt. But Tilak fell in the 18th over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/48) and Hardik in the penultimate over from Josh Hazlewood (2/37).

Kohli, Patidar Hit Fiftees

Earlier, RCB rode on fifties from Kohli and skipper Patidar to set a daunting 222-run target for MI.

Kohli ruled the roost with a 42-ball 67 which gave RCB early impetus in Jasprit Bumrah’s (0/29) comeback game. Later on, Patidar’s 32-ball 64 (5x4s, 4x6s) and Jitesh Sharma’s 19-ball 40 (2x4s, 4x6s) ensured the RCB ended at 221 for five.

Phil Salt (4) played across the line to an inswinger from Trent Boult (2/57) which was pitched on the middle stump and was cleaned up on the second ball after crunching the first for a four.

Unfazed by the early blow, RCB recorded their highest powerplay score against Mumbai Indians by scoring 72/1, as both Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 22 balls) went all guns blazing.

Kohli welcomes Bumrah with a 6

The momentum had swayed RCB’s way before MI introduced Bumrah in the fourth over, and Kohli welcomed his India teammate with a six over midwicket.

Going at nearly 10 an over, RCB collected 20 runs off the final over in the powerplay from Deepak Chahar as Padikkal tore into the India bowler, smacking two sixes and a four.

RCB’s onslaught had also left MI clueless for a while, as Will Jacks was brought on to bowl inside the powerplay and was duly punished for 10 runs.

Padikkal was severe on any MI bowler who erred in his length, smashing three sixes and two fours before he was caught at the ropes off Vignesh Puthur in the ninth over. By then however, he had added 91 runs off 52 balls with Kohli for the second wicket.

Kohli has had significant success with the bat at Wankhede Stadium and Monday was no different – if he began with a few unconvincing boundaries, his exquisite drive through covers off Boult in the third over showed he was up for a big knock.

Kohli capitalised on every opportunity to score, whether it was picking gaps with ease or his immaculate running between the wickets.

Kohli completes 13,000 runs in T20s

Having completed 13,000 runs to move into unchartered territory for any Indian in the format in a little over 400 matches, a century appeared on the horizon.

But, in the 15th over, Kohli uncharacteristically walked across the crease to heave Pandya over the leg side and found Naman Dhir at deep midwicket, as his innings ended with two sixes and eight fours.

Patidar was belligerent with his strokes down the ground as well as behind the wicket, bringing up his fifty off only 25 balls. He struck MI skipper Hardik Pandya for 23 runs in the 17th over.

Patidar’s innings ended in the penultimate over when a top edge was grabbed near the ropes by a diving Ryan Rickelton in what was one of the most spectacular catches of this IPL season.

(With agency inputs)