IPL 2021: After No Fifer Against Them In 13 Years, MI Concede 2 In 2

For 13 seasons before this one in the Indian Premier League (IPL), no bowler had taken a five-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians (MI). In their first two games of the ongoing 14th season, IPL 2021, there have already been two five-wicket hauls against them.

The best bowling spell against the five-time champions MI until the start of this season was incidentally by their current skipper Rohit Sharma in 2009 at Centurion who was back then with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. Sharma had then taken four wickets for six runs as he ran through the middle and lower order of MI.

In the first two matches of the ongoing season, however, MI has conceded five wickets to Royal Challengers Bangalore's Harshal Patel (5/27) in the tournament opener and to Kolkata Knight Riders' medium-pacer Andre Russell (5/15) on Tuesday night.

Patel ran through the MI's power-packed middle and lower order on Friday night as he scalped Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, and Marco Jansen.

On Tuesday, Russell dismissed batsmen Nos. 6-10, taking only two overs to do the damage and scalp his five victims. The West Indian Russell got rid of Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen, Rahul Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah.

In both the matches, MI's strong batting line-up was restricted to scores in the 150s - 159 vs Royal challengers Bangalore and 152 vs Kolkata Knight Riders.