IPL 2019, RCB vs MI: 3 mistakes that cost RCB the match

The Chinnaswamy witnessed an extraordinary game of cricket between two of the most loved sides: RCB and MI.

RCB won the toss, and, to everyone’s expectations, decided to chase. Mumbai got off to a very good start with both Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma firing up the order.

Yuvraj Singh then played a nice little cameo, scoring 23 off just 12 deliveries. Surya Kumar Yadav, at the other end, held the MI innings together before Chahal showed why the wrist spinners are so important in this format. He demolished MI’s middle order, taking four wickets.

Just when it seemed that MI had lost their way, Hardik Pandya provided them the finish that they wanted and powered them to a fighting total of 187 runs.

In reply, RCB got off to a flier, with Parthiv playing aggressively and Kohli being back at where he is best, No.3. They scored 60 runs in the powerplay.

The chase seemed right on track with Kohli and ABD stitching together a partnership, but it was not to be as Bumrah came back and removed Virat.

From there on the contest was between AB de Villiers and Bumrah. He conceded only 5 runs in his last two overs and also picked up two essential wickets.

The match then went down to the last ball with RCB requiring a six off the final delivery to ensure a super over.

They only managed a single off the last ball, anti-climactically a no-ball which the umpire failed to notice. It turned out to be perhaps the biggest mistake of the game - albeit from the umpire's end.

Thus, RCB lost their second consecutive match.

Let us have a look at some of the mistakes by RCB that costed them the game.

#1 Poor team selection

Washington Sundar could have played an important role

RCB, in today’s match, fielded the same playing XI that they fielded in their first match. This meant that they went weak again in bowling, with only one death bowler.

They could easily have roped in Tim Southee in place of Colin de Grandhomme and could well have played an extra spinner in the form of Washington Sundar which would have provided them with extra batting depth too.

Especially, seeing the success of Chahal on today’s wicket, Sundar could have proved to be a lethal weapon.

Thus, not picking a good side again haunted RCB as they found themselves leaking runs at death.

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#2 Unable to capitalise after restricting MI in the middle

Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians were going well to finish big in their innings, but Yuzvendra Chahal had other plans. He broke the back of MI's middle-order, picking up crucial wickets of Pollard, Krunal and Surya Kumar Yadav.

MI found them reeling at 146/7 with only three overs remaining. The only recognised batsman was Hardik Pandya.

RCB failed to bank on the momentum shift and ended up leaking too many runs in the death overs.

Hardik smashed all RCB bowlers at death and they seemed to have no clue on what to do and how to respond to that onslaught. This made a difference of about 10-20 runs which later cost RCB the game.

Virat Kohli himself admitted this in the post-match interview and said that his team could have easily restricted MI at that time.

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#3 Virat Kohli getting carried away in the Bumrah contest

Virat got out at the wrong time

It was a match that was to witness an epic constant, a contest between the world’s No.1 batsman and No.1 bowler. It was going to be Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah.

The first over that Virat Kohli faced off Jasprit Bumrah, he smashed the bowler for three consecutive boundaries (one being an edge to third man).

Rohit bought Bumrah back in the 14th over of the innings to break the Virat-AB partnership that was threatening to take the match away from the visitors and the round 2 of Bumrah vs Kohli began.

Kohli played a pull shot off Bumrah, one which was not necessary, especially at that point of the innings. It seemed, for once, that Kohli got carried away in the heat of a personal contest and forgot the real target which was to take his team to a victory.

Kohli’s wicket changed the match.

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