What a wonderful match! Contrary to Kolkata match, this IPL match is a wonderful exhibition of fine skills by cricket superstars. Bangalore IPL registered a sensational victory by defeating Mumbai Indians in a thrilling encounter at Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai. Bangalore won by 5 wickets with 2 balls to spare. Undoubtedly, this is the best match of IPL tournament. This is what IPL needs to attract more audience. Mumbai audience have tasted the "T20 Mazaa".
South African pair, Kallis-Boucher steered Bangalore Royal Challengers in cool manner in a nerve wrenching thriller. Mark Boucher came when Bangalore needs 9 runs per over. He scored 39 vital runs in just 19 balls to register a sensational victory against favourites Mumbai Indians. This is a sharp bounce back by Royal Challengers after devastating defeat by Kolkata Knight riders.
Toss: Mumbai won the toss and wanted to bat first.
Man of the match: Mark Boucher. Special player: Shaun Pollock who scored 28 runs in just 12 balls and gave just 17 runs in 4 overs. Pollock is a real all-rounder.
IPL Cricket scorecard:
Mumbai Indians: 165/6 in 20 overs.
Bangalore Royal Challengers: 166/5 in 19.4 overs.
Bangalore Royal Challengers: 166/5 in 19.4 overs.
Highlights of the match:
1. Zaheer Khan terrorised Mumbai Indians with his sharp incisive bowling. There is still place for talented bowlers in T20 format. He gave just 17 runs in his 4 overs.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya and Robin Uthappa helped to build Mumbai Innings to respectable 165.
3. Shaun Pollock hit superb shots to score 28 in 12 balls.
4. Kallis is the most expensive bowler for Bangalore who gave 43 runs in 3 overs. No place for slow medium pacers and part time spinners in Twenty20 format.
5. Ashish Nehra is the major culprit for Mumbai loss who gave 45 runs in his 4 overs. Why Mumbai picked Nehra who is in poor form?
6. All the Bangalore batsmen played crucial roles in this win. Top order gave stability and middle order completed formalities.
7. South African cricketers overshadowed others in this match. Zahher Khan and Uthappa are exception.
8. Mumbai batsman Thornley was severely injured by Zaheer Khan’s short ball. This is a nasty injury on eye brow. Thornley is the first batsman to be retired hurt in IPL tournament.
9. Praveen kumar once again bowled a superb spell in the initial overs to contain Mumbai’s top order.
10. Congrats to Bangalore team for proving my pre-match analysis wrong. Class players like Dravid, Chanderpaul and Kallis chipped in with useful knocks.
If Dale Steyn and Misbah-Ul-Haq joins this squad, Bangalore Royal Challengers will emerge as favourites to win IPL 2008 Twenty20 cricket tournament. Mumbai got their selection wrong like Deccan Chargers at Eden Gardens.
Even Lalit Modi may not have expected this range of success for Indian Premier League in such a short span of time. Massive city patriotism is already seen developing in cities like Kolkata.
BCCI should allow IPL teams to play 5-6 foreign players to increase the quality of the games. ICC should accomodate IPL in its future programme calendar there by players from more countries can play in Indian Premier League.
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