Mumbai hold on after Bumrah magic, no-ball controversy

Lasith Malinga was not even supposed to play this game. But he did, and he sealed Mumbai Indians' first win of the season in controversial circumstances, defending 17 runs off the last over against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Off his last ball, when Shivam Dube needed to hit a six to take the game into a Super Over, Malinga overstepped, but the umpire missed the obvious no-ball, leaving the home side shaking in disbelief. The result was particularly harsh on AB de Villiers, who was stranded at the other end on 70*. Before this match, de Villiers' team had never lost in the IPL when he remained unbeaten during a chase.

Despite an outburst from RCB's captain Virat Kohli, the result stayed, meaning Mumbai had ridden their luck for a five-run win - their first of the season. RCB held the edge at various points in the match, but Mumbai withstood a four-wicket burst from Yuzvendra Chahl, and later a 49-run partnership between Kohli and de Villiers, to eventually come out on top.

Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock were both quick off the blocks after RCB chose to field. They reached their fifty partnership during the Powerplay, with Rohit bringing out his silky drives and flicks, and the walking front-foot pull. De Kock, who was dropped by Colin de Grandhomme in the sixth over, was also timing the pace bowlers well, but Chahal's crafty googly snuck past his attempted reverse-sweep in the seventh over.

Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav added 33 runs in the next 4.1 overs before Rohit, who had struck eight fours and a six in his 48, fell pulling Umesh Yadav. Suryakamar then began a rush of big hits, most notably smashing Moeen Ali for a four and six at the end of the 13th over, before Yuvraj Singh struck Chahal for three big sixes over square-leg and long-on.

Yuvraj, however, fell the next ball trying a fourth consecutive six. Thankfully for Mumbai, Suryakumar kept finding the boundaries as the visitors eyed a total in the vicinity of 200.

Suryakumar fell midway through the 16th over, caught by Moeen who ran back from cover. Chahal then dropped Krunal Pandya but made up for it by removing Kieron Pollard next ball, and eventually got Krunal in his next over. At 147 for 7 in the 18th over, Mumbai were staring at a below-par finish, but Hardik Pandya provided a much-needed counterattack, slamming a 14-ball 32 to power the visitors to 187.

When RCB began their chase, the battle within the battle was a very one-sided one as Kohli cracked Jasprit Bumrah for consecutive fours off the first three balls he faced. He hammered Hardik for two fours too, before Parthiv Patel went after Krunal in the sixth over.

Even after Parthiv fell to legspinner Mayank Markande in the next over, Kohli and de Villiers added 49 runs for the third wicket. Soon afterwards, however, Bumrah, brought back for one over, nailed a superb bouncer at Kohli who miscued the pull and was caught at square-leg.

Just before Kohli got out, de Villiers, who was dropped on 0 by Yuvraj Singh, had found his gear with a six each off Markande and Malinga. He then smashed the veteran Sri Lankan for 20 runs in the 16th over with a four and two sixes, over long-off and midwicket.

De Villiers also went after Hardik, collecting 18 off the 18th over. The big hits included two sixes going over cover and square-leg. RCB would have fancied their chances at that point, but Bumrah bowled an exceptional penultimate over, conceding just five runs and dismissing de Grandhomme. It left the hosts needing 17 off the final over, to be bowled by Malinga.

Dube blasted the first ball over long-off for a six, before Bumrah dropped him running back from short third-man. Malinga, however, used his decade-old muscle memory of bowling full accurate balls, leaving both de Villiers and Dube flustered with deliveries going under their bat. Malinga had just about done his job, even if the umpires hadn't quite done theirs.