Kohli smashes a six off Arshad Khan’s delivery to finish off in style, with a shot reminiscent of MSD’s iconic one on the day India won the World Cup 13 years ago. Although Kohli’s shot is much flatter, it sails over long-on and into the stands.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium welcomes back IPL cricket with an impressive victory for the home team. Their bowlers were outstanding in the powerplay, picking up crucial wickets, while their spinners kept things under control.
The team’s flawless chase was another highlight of the game. Faf du Plessis played a crucial role, bringing his SA20 form to the IPL, and although he couldn’t stay till the end, he set RCB up for an almost unbeatable position. And then there’s the ever-charismatic Virat Kohli.
He put on a show for the crowd at his adopted home ground, playing with a smile on his face and showing off his impressive class with some stunning sixes. He stayed till the end, despite losing a few wickets late on, to guide the franchise to victory with nearly four overs remaining.
Mumbai Indians face familiar issues as they return to the IPL. Jofra Archer’s comeback was underwhelming, and the other bowlers failed to make an impact. The top-order also struggled, with Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma having a rough day, and Suryakumar Yadav failing to capitalize on his start.
The only bright spot was Tilak Varma, who played a brilliant knock to set a challenging target in the first innings. It’s a new season, but unfortunately, a sense of deja vu for Rohit and his team.