Pollard fails again as struggling Mumbai remain winless

PUNE, India (CMC):

KIERON POLLARD’S first-ball duck underscored Mumbai Indians’ misery, the five-time champions crashing to a seven-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to extend their winless start to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Defending 151 for six at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here Saturday, Mumbai were powerless to stop RCB’s march to their modest target, with nine balls remaining.

Anuj Rawat top-scored with 66 off 47 balls while stroke-maker Virat Kohli chipped in with 48, two knocks which controlled the run chase and saw RCB to their third win in four matches and third in the 10-team standings on six points.

Earlier, Mumbai struggled after being sent in, Suryakumar Yadav carving out his third straight half-century with an unbeaten 68 off 37 deliveries.

Opener Ishan Kishan and captain Rohit Sharma, both with 26, gave the innings a sound start by adding 50 off 38 deliveries before a collapse ensued with six wickets tumbling for 29 runs in the space of 43 deliveries.

Pollard was among the carnage, fifth out at the start of the 11th over, lbw on the backfoot to a googly from leg-spinner Hasaranga de Silva.

The West Indies white-ball captain has mustered only 47 runs from four innings.

In reply, Rawat blasted a couple of sixes and half-dozen fours, posting exactly 50 for the first wicket with captain Faf du Plessis (16) and a further 80 for the second wicket with Kohli who counted five fours in a 36-ball knock, as RCB never lost control of the chase.

INEFFECTIVE OVERS

Pollard sent down three ineffective overs which leaked 24 runs.

In Mumbai, Nicholas Pooran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad got the better of Dwayne Bravo’s Chennai Super Kings, beating them by eight wickets at the DY Patil Sports Academy.

Set 155, Sunrisers chased down their target with 14 balls to spare with opener Abhishek Sharma top-scoring with 75 from 50 balls and Pooran unbeaten on five at the end.

Bravo finished with one for 29 after earlier making eight not out in CSK’s 154 for seven, headlined by Moeen Ali’s 48 from 35 deliveries.

Like Mumbai, CSK are winless in four outings this season while the victory was the first for Sunrisers in three appearances.