RCB vs MI, Match 5, IPL 2023, Stats Review: Virat Kohli's masterclass, RCB's feat and other stats

A sensational 73-run-knock from RCB skipper Faf du Plessis and 82 unbeaten masterclass from Virat Kohli saw RCB begin their Indian Premier League 2023 campaign with an emphatic eight-wicket win over their rivals Mumbai Indians in the fifth game at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Speaking about the game, the host won the important toss and Faf opted to bowl first. MI’s batters did not live up to the expectations, as the RCB bowlers ran through their top order in the first half, leaving them unsettled at 48/4 in 8.4 overs.

Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera led the recovery by adding 50 runs for the fifth wicket as Wadhera scored 21 runs off 13 balls including two maximums. Karn Sharma struck twice in two overs where he not only took the wicket of Wadhera to break the good-going partnership, but also cleaned up the dangerous Tim David. MI looked even more in trouble in the mid of 16^thover with the scorecard reading 105/6.

However, Tilak Varma along with the tail, took the RCB bowlers to cleaners in the last four overs as MI smashed 65 runs in the last 27 balls to reach a competitive total of 171/7 in 20 overs. Tilak Varma amassed 84 runs from 46 balls that included 9 fours and 4 maximums.

In response to 171, RCB openers Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis went ruthless against the pity MI, recording their highest-opening partnership against MI in IPL history. MI bowlers literally had no answers against the RCB openers as they put together 148 runs for the first wicket.

Dinesh Karthik was promoted up the order to finish things soon but did not last long as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck off Green’s bowling. Glenn Maxwell and Kohli finished the proceedings in a grand fashion with a 23-run stand in five balls. Virat Kohli amassed 82 runs from 49 balls that included six fours and five maximums.

Meanwhile, let us look at the stats and numbers from the game between RCB and MI

1 - Virat Kohli registered his 50^th fifty-plus score in IPL becoming the first Indian to do so in IPL. David Warner is the only player above him with 60 fifty-plus scores.

2 - Virat Kohli (584) equaled David Warner for joint-second most fours in IPL. Shikhar Dhawan tops the chart with 707 fours.

1 - Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli registered the highest opening partnership of 148 for RCB against MI, bettering the previous best of 113 by Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal in 2011.

84 - Tilak Varma (84) registered his highest score in the T20s bettering his previous best of 75 against Gujarat in 2021.

11 - Mumbai Indians have now lost the 11^th consecutive season opener in IPL since 2013.

22 - Rohit Sharma has not scored an IPL 50 for the last 22 innings.

1 - Virat Kohli (909) surpassed Shikhar Dhawan and became the highest run scorer against MI in IPL. Shikhar Dhawan ranks second with 871 runs followed by KL Rahul with 867 runs.

7 - Virat Kohli completed 3000 runs as an opener in IPL and became the seventh batter to achieve this feat.