Match 5, Indian Premier League, 2023 M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Right then, that is it then from this game and from the first weekend of the 2023 Indian T20 League and it has been a thoroughly entertaining one. Mumbai have kept up their tradition of losing their season opener which now dates back to 2013 and it is 11 losses in a row now for them. Cricketing action in the tournament continues as on Monday, the 3rd of April, Chennai will lock horns against Lucknow in Chennai. That game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but our build-up will begin much sooner. Cheers!

The Bangalore skipper, Faf du Plessis is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his blistering knock of 73 runs from 43 balls. He says that it is nice to start with a win. Adds that the bowlers were brilliant in the Powerplay, especially Mohammed Siraj who has been doing this for India in recent times. Tells that there was something for everyone on this wicket and credits the ground staff. Mention that he is playing here for the first time and the atmosphere was great. Says that it was good to bat along with Virat Kohli and adds that it's a perfect start for them.

The presentation ceremony...

The man of the moment, Virat Kohli is down for a quick chat. Starts by saying that coming back home after so many years feels phenomenal and lauds the efforts of Tilak Varma to get Mumbai to that score. Adds that they backed themselves and Faf du Plessis started taking on the new ball first and later he too joined in. Says that the wicket was good but their bowlers hit the right lengths and areas. Mentions that the crowd inside the stadium was amazing and they tried to use the backing of the crowd to fire themselves up. On Karn Sharma, he says that it was a top effort from him and he got them on the front foot and even in the nets it was difficult to get him away and he was ready to play. Ends by saying that they have been one of the most consistent teams over the years and it is all about staying focused and building up momentum.

Mumbai's skipper, Rohit Sharma says that they didn't have a great start in the Powerplay with the bat, but credits his players for getting to 170. Adds that they didn't turn up with the ball and couldn't execute their plans. Mentions that Tilak Varma is a very good player and he was outstanding, but he did not get much support from the others and they were probably 30-40 runs short. Tells that someone needs to step up and fill the place of Jasprit Bumrah. Says they have a lot of youngsters and they will need to back them up to give them the confidence to perform well.

Earlier in the game, Faf du Plessis won the toss and put Mumbai into bat first and this turned out to be an excellent decision. Akash Deep nicked off the Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma early and Mohammed Siraj soon got rid of Ishan Kishan as well. Mumbai were three down in no time and it took a colossal effort from Tilak Varma to pull them out of trouble. Verma added on 50 runs with young Nehal Wadhera before the latter got out. Verma carried on and ended the innings with an unbeaten 84 off 46 balls. Karn Sharma bowled beautifully in the middle overs for Bangalore and picked up two wickets with the likes of Siraj and Topley being economical as well. 172 runs to get in this stadium is never a difficult task but in front of a home crowd, Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli remained cool under pressure and Bangalore simply cruised to victory.

Mumbai were never in the game and even after a strong finish with the bat, the start with the ball let them down once again. This along with Jofra Archer dropping Virat Kohli early on off his own bowling pegged Mumbai back and they simply couldn't control the middle phase either. There were too many boundary balls and the inexperienced likes of Jason Behrendorff, Arshad Khan and Cameron Green were hit away for plenty. Khan and Green, the debutants did manage to pick up a wicket each toward the end but by then it was all over. Piyush Chawla and Jofra Archer bowled well but they too couldn't get the breakthrough when required.

It was a merry return to the Chinnaswamy Stadium for Bangalore and their star man Virat Kohli. Kohli along with Faf du Plessis rolled back the years as the two openers put on a magical show out in the middle. The skipper, Faf was the aggressor and put the Mumbai bowlers away with disdain. The pair put on 148 runs for the first wicket and broke the back of the chase. Faf reached his fifty first and surpassed the 70-run mark before getting out. Once Kohli got to his fifty, he went into overdrive and kept on smashing the ball to remain unbeaten on 82 off 49 balls and even hit the winning runs.

Wow, what a performance this has been with the bat from Bangalore and they have rocketed to the win here. Mumbai, on the other hand, are left dumbfounded as yet again, they get their Indian T20 League campaign underway with a loss.

SIX! Virat Kohli finishes things off in style! Arshad Khan serves this a touch fuller and around off, Virat Kohli clears his front leg away and delivers it over the long on fence for a biggie. BANGALORE WIN BY 8 WICKETS and with 22 balls to spare!

Arshad Khan tries a bouncer now, but this is way over the head height of Virat Kohli who leaves it alone. Wided. Bangalore one big hit away from victory.

FOUR! Easy pickings! Arshad Khan lands this short and on leg, Virat Kohli easily clips it wide of short fine leg for a boundary.