Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians in the first game of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League by 2 wickets. Their win came on the back of Harshal Patel, who took a fifer – the first-ever five-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians and AB de Villiers’s blistering knock.

Put in to bat first, Mumbai Indians didn’t have a great start in Chennai and Harshal Patel dismantled their line up with five wickets while giving away just 27 runs from his quota of four overs. His spell helped RCB restrict Mumbai Indians to 159/9 in 20 overs. While chasing 160 runs for the win, RCB batsman AB de Villiers’ quick-fire 48 helped them to register a nail-biting win on the final ball of the match.

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However, after the win, RCB captain Virat Kohli praised Harshal Patel and said that he will be their “designated death bowler” in the tournament.

“Harshal is relishing the role. He is going to be our designated death bowler. Very confident about what he wants to bring to the table and as a captain you want someone with that clarity. In T20 cricket that’s all you ask from the bowler. And the wickets that he got weren’t fluke wickets. He actually wanted the guys to hit the ball where he wanted them caught,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation about Harshal Patel.

Virat Kohli was also applauded his key middle-order batsman AB de Villiers and said that what the former South Africa captain can do on slow pitches, there is hardly anyone available in the circuit who can do that.

“AB is probably the only one in the team who is so versatile. And what he does on slow wickets, not many can do. In a tricky chase you need experience at the back, and the opposition knows that if he doesn’t get out, the bowlers get in a different headspace,” Kohli concluded.

RCB will next play against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14.