IPL 2021: Match 1, MI vs RCB – Royal Challengers Bangalore Player Ratings

The opening game of the 2021 IPL turned out to be an absolute humdinger. After loads of twists and turned, it was Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who came out trumps, beating Mumbai Indians (MI) by two wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

After electing to field, the Challengers pulled things back after the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai-based team got a decent start in the first 11 overs. With excellent bowling at the death, RCB restricted their opponent to 159 for nine in 20 overs.

In the run-chase, Virat Kohli and Co were steady and didn’t let much pressure build for a very long time. But regular fall of wickets tended to push them back. In the end, it was the Men in Red, who got over the line. In the meantime, MI’s dismal record in the first game of their IPL history stayed intact.

Here are the RCB Player Ratings for the MI vs RCB match:

Washington Sundar- 6/10

Washington Sundar bowled only a solitary over, but he did his job with precision. He got rid of Chris Lynn, who was batting on 49 runs. With the bat in hand, he opened the batting with Virat and managed 10 runs off 16 balls before perishing to Krunal Pandya.

Virat Kohli- 7/10

Virat Kohli didn’t quite blaze away in his knock, but made sure that he gave the Challengers a steady start. The right-hander scored 33 runs off 29 balls with four fours and looked set for a big score. But Jasprit Bumrah trapped him in front to end his stay.

Rajat Patidar- 2/10

Rajat Patidar made his IPL debut in the absence of Devdutt Padikkal. However, to his dismay, the youngster perished after scoring a run-a-ball eight. Trent Boult castled him to send him packing.

Glenn Maxwell- 7.5/10

Glenn Maxwell made his debut for RCB and he looked at his very best. He was finding the middle of the bat, scoring 39 runs off 28 balls with three fours and two sixes. But against the run of play, he became Marco Jansen’s first victim.

AB de Villiers- 9.5/10

AB de Villiers is known for pulling off ‘miracles’ and at the Chepauk, did the same. When he came to bat the required rate was hovering around 10. But he kept his cool, scored 48 off 27 balls with four fours and two sixes. He was eventually run out at the striker’s end.

Daniel Christian- 2/10

Daniel Christian returned to his old IPL franchise, but it wasn’t a happy homecoming for the veteran all-rounder. With the ball, he conceded 21 runs off his two overs. With the bat, he managed a single before getting out to Bumrah.

Kyle Jamieson- 8.5/10

Kyle Jamieson was outstanding with the ball on his IPL debut. The New Zealand paceman picked up the crucial wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. Moreover, he conceded only 27 runs at an economy rate of 6.75 with 13 dot balls.

Harshal Patel- 9.5/10

Harshal Patel, without a doubt, was RCB’s standout player on the day. In four overs, the right-arm fast bowler picked up five wickets. He bowled at the death and helped the Challengers restrict the MI batters. He only gave away 27 runs with 12 dot balls.

Shahbaz Ahmed- 2/10

Shahbaz Ahmed didn’t have a great day by any means. In the only over he bowled, the tweaker leaked 14 runs and was hit for a four and six. With the bat, he scored a single and perished to Jansen.

Mohammed Siraj- 8/10

Mohammad Siraj didn’t pick up a wicket, but he made sure that he kept the batters in check. In his four overs, he was the most economical bowler for the Challengers, giving away a mere 22 runs off his four overs. He also bowled 12 dot balls.

Yuzvendra Chahal- 3/10

Yuzvendra Chahal couldn’t quite make the impact his skipper would have liked him to. In four overs, the leg-spinner couldn’t get a single wicket and leaked 41 runs in four overs. He looked way out of sorts.