It’s was an absolute pleasure playing alongside Glenn Maxwell: AB de Villiers

South African star batsman AB de Villiers praised his new RCB teammate Glenn Maxwell. The Proteas stalwart mentioned that it’s an absolute pleasure to play alongside players who look to win games. AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell were the top two run-scorers for the franchise as they defied history. RCB won their first-ever IPL tournament opener after suffering losses in 2008, 2017, and 2019 seasons. The victory helped RCB improve their head-to-head record over MI with 11 wins out of 28 games. On his debut match for RCB, Maxwell came to at No.4. The Australian all-rounder set the platform after Powerplay with a 28-ball 39, whereas it was AB de Villiers who finished the game for the side with a 27-ball 48.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by two wickets in the IPL 2021 season opener. The match was held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Chasing a decent target of 160 runs, Virat Kohli & Co. won the game on the final ball. Despite losing an early wicket, opening batsman Virat Kohli gave the side a good start. The skipper scored 33 runs off 29 balls. Before losing his wicket, Virat formed a short and beneficial partnership with new recruit Glenn Maxwell. 

Harshal Patel became the first bowler to scalp a five-wicket haul against Mumbai

For Mumbai Indians, Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen were in good form, taking two wickets each. Meanwhile, Trent Boult and Krunal Pandya recorded a dismissal each. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians scored 159 for nine in 20 overs, setting a 160-run target for RCB. Opener Chris Lynn was in great form, smashing 49 off 35 balls. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav (31) and Ishan Kishan (28) also made decent contributions to their team’s total. Harshal Patel was the star bowler for RCB, scalping five wickets. Patel also became the first bowler to scalp a five-wicket haul against Mumbai in the IPL. He is also the 22nd bowler in the Indian Premier League to claim a fifer in a match. Kyle Jamieson and Washington Sundar also registered a dismissal each.  Bangalore will next play against 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue in Chennai on April 14. On the other hand, MI will take on two-time winners, Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk.

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