RCB vs MI, IPL 2023: Virat Kohli hits a SIX and Royal Challengers dominate the game at home, win by 8 wickets

Virat Kohli finishes off in style!

What a game RCB have played in their opening game.

After a 100+ runs partnership between Kohli and skipper Faf, the former RCB captain made sure to finsh the game on a winning note.

And who can forget the screaming crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium who got to witness a resounding win.

Cam Green has got a wicket!

It was pitched up on the pads and Karthik tried a flick but sends the ball straight to deep square leg where Tilak Varma completes a regulation catch. 

Karthik c Tilak Varma b Green 0(3)

Finally a wicket for Mumbai Indians!

It was a slower length ball and Faf is beaten by the lack of pace. 

He went through his slog a bit too early and got no timing to it as the ballwent high and landed in the hands of Tim David at long-on. 

du Plessis c Tim David b Arshad Khan 73(43) [4s-5 6s-6]

Virat Kohli starts IPL 2023 with a half century!

And the fans at the stadium chant his name.

Most 50-plus scores in IPL:
60 - David Warner
50 - Virat Kohli
49 - Shikhar Dhawan
43 - AB de Villiers
41 - Rohit Sharma

With a SIX, it's 50 up for du Plessis.

The crowd is jumping and screaming as they witness a great opening partnership.

Behrendorff is the Impact player for MI, SKY is off.

MI looked down and out at 20-3 and when SKY got out at 48-4 it looked all but over for RCB. 

An innings that was looking in RCB's favour saw young gun Tilak Varma snatch things in Mumbai's favour as he scored 84 runs including 9 fours and four sixes.

He single-handedly steered his side over 170. While it may not be enough but it surely is a competative total.

Superb catch by Faf at mid-off! 

Hrithik Shokeen got forward and actually lofted it well, but Faf anticipated it well before and moved back to take it over his shoulder.

As the commentators said, "Made it simple". 

Hrithik Shokeen c du Plessis b Harshal Patel 5(3) [4s-1]

50 for Tilak Varma! 

Tilak Varma points to the MI crest on his jersey and pumps his fist after scoring the half-century.

The stumps are messed up.

Karn Sharma punches the air in delight after he gets another wicket.

The ball drifts into middle and leg while Tim David was aiming for a big slogsweep and misses. 

Tim David b Karn Sharma 4(7)

Just on the previous ball Nehal Wadhera had hit a SIX which had gone over the roof at long-on. However, Karn Sharma has the last laugh.

Tosses it up full and Nehal Wadhera could not get under this. He went forward to loft but it went straight to the fielder at long-on. Kohli surely would not drop that. 

Nehal Wadhera c Kohli b Karn Sharma 21(13) [4s-1 6s-2]

Topley is being helped off the field and it is a cause of concern for him and RCB, 

The physio is having a chat with him as he goes off the field. 

Terrific start by RCB!

A good length ball just outside off and Rohit pushed at it with minimal foot movement.

But he only managed an edge behind and Karthik took a regulation catch. 

Rohit c Karthik b Akash Deep 1(10)

Topley gets his first wicket in IPL!

He bowled a full ball around off and got it to swing. Green tried to drive it through covers with minimal foot movement but only got a thick inside edge.

The ball went and crashed into the stumps. 

Green b Topley 5(4) [4s-1]

Siraj draws first blood and the crowd makes a huge noise.

Siraj does what is known to do - take early wickets.

Ishan Kishan looked to pick it up over square leg but he got it off the outer half of the bat which saw the ball go into the hands of Harshal Patel.

Ishan Kishan c Harshal Patel b Siraj 10(13) [4s-2]

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to field.

RCB go with Faf, Bracewell, Maxwell, and Topley while MI go with Tim David, Cameron Green, Jofra Archer and Jason Behrendorff.

This will also be Rohit Sharma's 200th T20 game as captain.

Teams:

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik(w), Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Reece Topley, Mohammed Siraj

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jofra Archer, Arshad Khan