Bengaluru dominates Rajasthan in IPL as Mumbai ends Delhi’s unbeaten streak

JAIPUR, India (AP) — Virat Kohli and Phil Salt struck attacking half-centuries to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru register a dominant nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Salt hit six sixes and five fours in scoring 65 off 33 balls, while Kohli finished 62 not out off 45 balls. Riding on a 92-run opening stand from the duo, Bengaluru reached 175-1 in 17.3 overs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 75 off 47 balls proved to be in vain as Rajasthan Royals finished with a below-par 173-4 in 20 overs.

With the win, Bengaluru climbed to third in the table with four wins in six games. Rajasthan is eighth after its fourth defeat in six games.

In Sunday’s second game, Mumbai Indians ended Delhi Capitals’ unbeaten run with a 12-run victory.

Mumbai was propped up by Tilak Varma’s 59 off 33 balls, finishing on 205-5. Its spinners choked the home side with impact player Karn Sharma taking 3-36 in four overs.

Mitchell Santner claimed 2-43, plus a sensational fielding effort, as Delhi lost its last three wickets to consecutive run-outs. Delhi was dismissed for 193 in 19 overs.

Salt-Kohli show in Jaipur

Put into bat, Rajasthan lost skipper Sanju Samson for 15 runs. He was stumped off Krunal Pandya (1-29) in the seventh over, after putting on 49 off 41 balls with Jaiswal.

Jaiswal made a quick start and raced to 50 off 35 balls, his second half-century of the season.

He added 56 off 39 balls with Riyan Parag (30 off 22) and then another 21 off 16 with Dhruv Jurel. But Bengaluru kept a tight leash on proceedings with no Rajasthan batter able to generate any real momentum.

Jaiswal was out lbw to Josh Hazlewood (1-26) in the 16th over, and it was Jurel’s 35 not out off 23 balls, including two sixes, that allowed Rajasthan to score 47 in the last four overs.

Hurting from a home loss against Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru rebounded in spectacular fashion.

Salt made a blistering start and raced to 50 off 28 balls, hitting four sixes. He put on 50 off 30 balls with Kohli and then further pushed the opening stand to 92 off 52 balls, which did half the job for his team.

After Salt was dismissed in the ninth over, Kohli took charge of the chase and never gave Rajasthan a sniff.

Impact player Devdutt Padikkal helped out with 40 not out off 28 balls as Kohli eased to yet another IPL half-century, this one off 39 balls.

Kohli and Padikkal added 83 off 54 balls as Bengaluru won with 15 balls to spare.

Mumbai registers a second win

Put into bat, Mumbai had opener Ryan Rickelton hit 41 off 25 balls. Suryakumar Yadav scored 40 off 28, with the duo hitting two sixes each.

Kuldeep Yadav took 2-23 in four overs, signaling a slower surface at Delhi. Varma then hit six fours and three sixes, notching a second half-century this season.

Naman Dhir provided the finishing touch and used the short boundaries to good effect – he scored 38 not out off 17 balls, with two sixes, adding 62 off only 33 balls with Varma.

The duo pushed Mumbai past 200 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

In reply, the hosts lost Jake Fraser-McGurk for a golden duck but Karun Nair returned to IPL action with a half-century after seven years. The impact player scored 89 off 40 balls, hitting five sixes, and putting on 119 off 61 balls with Abhishek Porel (33).

Delhi was ahead at the halfway stage, when the wet ball was changed and Mumbai’s spin sprung into action.

Karn Sharma got rid of Porel, and then sent back in-form Lokesh Rahul for 15. Santner bowled Nair in the 12th over in a game-changing moment.

Delhi’s lower order collapsed under pressure, losing the last four wickets for just 13 runs, including a hat trick of runouts for the final three wickets.

Mumbai climbed to seventh with its second win, while Delhi slipped to second with a first loss this season.

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