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'What's he thinking': Disbelief over Virat Kohli 'shocker'

Virat Kohli is pictured being interviewed after an IPL match.
Despite hitting the winning runs in the super over between Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians, Virat Kohli's otherwise troubling start to the IPL season continued. Picture: IPL 2020/Star Sports

Aaron Finch's Royal Challengers Bangalore have survived a mighty fightback as the Mumbai Indians forced a super over in their IPL clash on Monday.

The Finch-inspired Bangalore made a massive 3-201, with the Australian contributing 52 to add to AB de Villiers' unbeaten 55 and Devdutt Padikkal's 54.

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A super over, to divide the teams, appeared unlikely until Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard arrived at the crease for the tournament's defending champions.

Kishan, playing his first IPL game this season, smashed 99 off 58 balls while Pollard hit an electrifying unbeaten 60 off 24 deliveries.

The West Indian's innings included a last-ball four which took the score to 5-201, tying the game.

But Pollard could hit only one boundary in the super over as Bangalore fast bowler Navdeep Saini conceded just seven runs, before Saini's captain Virat Kohli won the game with a four off the last ball.

"I don't have words because it was such a rollercoaster," Kohli said.

"Fielding is something we have to keep working on. If we'd taken our chances again it wouldn't have been so close ... we'll take lessons and close the games better in the future."

The most glaring missed chance was with Pollard on 15 in the 17th over and Mumbai still needing 76 for victory.

Substitute fielder Pawan Negi, who had earlier grabbed three catches in the deep, dropped a catch on the cover boundary that went for six over his head.

Virat kohli’s horror run continues in IPL ‘shocker’

Earlier, Kohli's barren run in this IPL continued when he lobbed a gentle catch to short cover after scoring three.

But left-hander Padikkal continued to impress in his maiden IPL by scoring his second half-century in three matches and combined well with Finch in an 81-run opening wicket stand in nine overs.

De Villiers gave Bangalore an ideal finish by hitting four sixes and four boundaries while Shivam Dube also scored a vital unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls.

New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult (2-34) grabbed the wickets of Padikkal and Finch, but the other two fast bowlers including Australian James Pattinson (0-51) and Jasprit Bumrah (0-42) proved expensive.

"It was a great game," Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said.

"I thought we could have got 200 with the batting we have. With Polly being there, anything can happen, and Ishan can hit it. We had the belief that we could do it."

Mumbai looked like it was out of it with 80 required off the last four overs but Kishan and Pollard nearly pulled off the victory with some extraordinary hitting.

The brunt was taken by legspinners Adam Zampa (1-53) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1-48), who conceded 49 runs in two overs.

Bangalore share the lead on the table with four points, while Mumbai have two points. Both teams have completed three games each.

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