MI vs RCB, IPL 2025 Highlights: RCB end Wankhede drought, beat MI by 12 runs in thriller

Pandya and Tilak's stand brought a stunning 89 runs in just 34 balls for the fifth wicket. The stand was broken by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over as he dismissed Tilak for 56 in 29 balls. Hardik then fell the next over to Josh Hazlewood on 42 off just 15 balls.

Rohit Sharma earlier managed a few lusty blows to provide Mumbai Indians quick runs in the first 13 balls of their chase of 222 before falling to RCB's Yash Dayal and the five-time champions haven't really got going since. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood held the MI batters down expertly in the powerplay and since then, spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya then took over. Suryakumar Yadav was then completely stuck and ended up falling to Dayal.

Captain Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli smashed fifties while Jitesh Sharma finished unbeaten on 40 off 19 balls as RCB set a score of 221/5 in 20 overs. Kohli scored 67 in 42 balls and played through 14 overs of the RCB innings before falling to MI captain Hardik Pandya while looking to accelerate in the 15th over. Pandya then got the dangerous Liam Livingstone in the same over and thus dented RCB's progress. Patidar then took over, scoring 64 in 32 balls.

Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal ensured that RCB didn't feel the sting of losing Phil Salt in the first over to Trent Boult. Kohli has raced past a half-century in 29 balls and his partnership with Padikkal brought in 91 runs in 52 balls before the latter fell to Vignesh Puthur. Jasprit Bumrah is back while Rohit Sharma is fit after a brief absence as well as Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Wankhede Stadium in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Two of the biggest names in the IPL are preparing to go head-to-head at the Wankhede Stadium, as Mumbai Indians prepare to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the headline leading up to it is that Jasprit Bumrah is back. It has been a very tricky start for MI to IPL 2025, sliding to three losses in their first four games.

They weren’t able to build on a convincingly dominant victory over KKR, losing their last match to LSG in contentious circumstances. They would be hoping that the return of Bumrah, who has been utterly unplayable in all formats for the past couple of years, would bring their campaign to life.

It was a poor result for RCB in their previous match as well, as they slid to the first loss of the season against GT. They will be trying to get back to winning ways against a struggling MI unit, but expect a boost for the home team in a stadium they are extremely comfortable in.

The main characters of this match will be the two players who have come to define the last decade of Indian cricket. Virat Kohli had a terrific start to the season with a half-century, but has struggled to have an impact in the matches since. Will he save his best for the stadium at which he scored that iconic World Cup semifinal century to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record? And will Rohit Sharma get another chance to prove that he can be important to MI’s plans, after being out of the team through injury in their previous match?

Rohit’s struggles have been a key focus of MI’s journey so far, but their issues also filter through to a lot of their other players not quite clicking into gear just yet. Their overseas options of Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton are taking their time meshing with this unit, not able to provide the batting unit the kind of starts that they would be able to capitalise on. This has meant that they haven’t quite gotten the best out of players like Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya.

RCB have had plenty of positives to take away from their first three games, especially on the bowling front where they have a well-rounded and effective rotation. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been in fine form, while Yash Dayal, Krunal Pandya, and others have chipped in with strong performances themselves. RCB have felt one bowler short, however, and they will want their investment in young Rasikh Salam to come good. Especially on the pacy surface of the Wankhede, how he performs will be of importance to their success.

An RCB win will vault them into at least second place, helping them keep up with high-flying Delhi Capitals. Mumbai, meanwhile, are still looking for their second win, which will move them into the tight pack of teams on two wins. A loss for MI could be disastrous, especially given their miserable away form, and a record of one win and four losses will make it very difficult for the five-time champions to catch up with those battling for the playoffs.