The day began with Mumbai’s openers laying down a statement of intent. Sandeep Singh, in blazing form, smashed 75 off 37 balls, peppering the boundaries with precision and power. His innings was a masterclass in T20 aggression — five fours, six sixes, and not a single moment of hesitation. Deepak Rao (64 off 34) complemented him beautifully, finding gaps and rotating strike with finesse. Together, they stitched a brilliant 110-run stand that broke Kerala’s rhythm early on. Yasir (44 off 22) provided late fireworks, taking Mumbai past the 220 mark as they posted 222/5 in their 20 overs. The Royals’ bowlers were left helpless — Krishnaprasad managed two wickets but leaked runs freely, while the rest of the attack wilted under relentless pressure.

Chasing 223, Kerala Royals started positively but quickly lost momentum once the new-ball pair of Basit Butt and Ankur Sangwan found their groove. Sangwan bowled with sheer venom, dismantling the middle order with a five-wicket haul (5/31) that will be remembered for its precision and pace. His yorkers and cutters proved unplayable, forcing the batters onto the back foot. Basit Butt added crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay, removing the dangerous Jeffin Saad and piling pressure from both ends. Despite Deepak Rao’s resilient 64 and Naveen Kumar Gorthi’s quick 41, the Royals kept losing wickets at critical junctures, ending their innings at 164 in 17.4 overs.