Watch: RCB’s Harshal Patel finished MI’s hopes after picking up the wickets of their premium batters, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard, in a memorable hat-trick.
Chasing a sizeable target of 166 set by the RCB, MI floundered after a good start provided by Quinton De Kock and Rohit Sharma. Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav all failed to get going as the game was getting out of MI’s hands.
However, there was still a glimmer of hope with Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya at the crease. MI needed 61 off 24 balls at this stage. Both batters are renowned big-hitters, with Pollard’s death strike rate in the IPL being 183.33 and that of Pandya being 190.32.
Harshal Patel, the IPL purple cap holder, began the over with a wide and then bowled a slower one to Hardik Pandya, who tried to whack it out of the ground. All he could manage was a top edge which went to Virat Kohli’s safe hands.
His next ball was another slower one to Kieron Pollard, who walked across and the ball clattered against his leg stump. The West Indian legend had been outfoxed by the field which had seemingly been set for a wide yorker.
Facing the hat-trick was the Mumbai leggie Rahul Chahar, not the most renowned batter in the line-up. Another slower one was dished from Patel’s hand and the ball dipped in towards Chahar’s leg. He failed to connect as Patel broke into a very confident appeal, which was immediately affirmed by the umpire.
Patel’s hat-trick destroyed any hopes that MI had of returning in the game. He finished MI’s innings by picking Adam Milne’s wicket off another slower one, and finished with match figures of 4-11.
