The Indian Premier League (IPL) season began on Friday with an exciting match between reigning champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, followed by a mentor-mentee showdown as Rishabh Pant faced MS Dhoni in his first match as captain of the Delhi Capitals. The IPL still generates a lot of enthusiasm among fans, and Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Indian cricket board, was no exception. In an Instagram update, Ganguly wrote, “2 outstanding games to launch at IPL 21…loved watching at the ground.”
RCB beat Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller in Chennai to start the season. For the Virat Kohli-led side, Harshal Patel took their first five-wicket haul of the season, and AB de Villiers once again shone with the bat as they completed their chase off the final delivery.
Rishabh Pant made his captaincy debut against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium in the second match.
Following Suresh Raina’s IPL comeback half-century, Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan’s stunning 138-run opening stand propelled DC to a convincing 7-wicket victory.
The IPL 2021 season saw the cash-rich league return to India after the previous season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United Arab Emirates.
At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, Eoin Morgan’s Kolkata Knight Riders will face David Warner’s SunRisers Hyderabad.