Mumbai finally wins, Gujarat extends IPL lead

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Mumbai Indians finally ended its eight-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League after defeating Rajasthan Royals by five wickets on Saturday.

Earlier, Virat Kohli’s first half-century in 14 IPL games went in vain as the league-leading Gujarat Titans routed the Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets.

Gujarat improved to a two-win lead on the league with a fifth straight win. It has lost just one of its nine games.

Rajasthan stayed second despite its third loss, while Bangalore slipped to fifth after a third straight defeat.

Mumbai broke its duck but remained stuck to the bottom of the table.

Mumbai’s middle order hung in for the first time this season to reach 161-5 after restricting Rajasthan to 158-6.

Suryakumar Yadav scored 51 off 39 balls -- his third half-century this season -- and Tilak Varma made 35 before they fell in the space of three deliveries after contributing 81 runs for the third wicket.

The end came in a rush after Tim David’s rapid 20 off nine balls, and Daniel Sams pulled fast bowler Kuldeep Sen for a big six over midwicket in the final over for the winning runs.

Rohit Sharma’s woeful IPL continued when he top-edged a sweep against Ravichandran Ashwin on 2 in the third over.

Earlier, Rajasthan run machine Jos Buttler hit 67, his third half-century to go along with three centuries this season to anchor his team total. Buttler walloped four sixes and five boundaries before he was caught at long off.

Ashwin made a rapid 21 off nine balls but Mumbai did well in the last four overs to concede only 30 runs.

In the early game, Kohli made 58 off 53 balls and led Bangalore to 170-6 but Gujarat’s strong middle order continued to prosper and reached 174-4 with three balls to spare.

Rahul Tewatia’s power-hitting exploits earned him an unbeaten on 43 off 25 balls, David Miller was unbeaten on 39, and the two left-handers combined in a match-winning 79-run stand.

Kohli finally got amongst the runs after going into the game with scores of 9, 0 and 0 in his last three matches.

Kohli, who gave up the Bangalore captaincy at the start of the season, shared a 99-run partnership for the second wicket with Rajat Patidar, 52 runs, after fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan found the outside edge of skipper Faf du Plessis in the second over.

Both batters survived tough chances before completing their half-centuries.

Sangwan returned and broke the stand when Patidar top-edged the left-arm fast bowler to square leg, and Kohli was clean bowled by Muhammed Shami off a yorker in the 17th over.

Glenn Maxwell added two sixes and three fours in his quickfire 33 off 18 balls.

Spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Wanindu Hasaranga brought Bangalore back in the game by claiming four wickets in the middle overs to pull back Gujarat to 95-4 in the 13th over.

But Tewatia and Miller controlled the chase in the death overs before Tewatia raised the victory with a boundary against Josh Hazlewood in the final over.

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