OpenAI, the American tech behemoth, stated that India is among the most developed AI marketplaces in the world, particularly in the areas of data analysis, coding, and higher-level reasoning.

In a statement about reasoning tokens that ChatGPT Plus users employ, OpenAI stated that India is among the top five countries in the world for per capita use of cognitive capacity.

With a fourfold increase in Codex users in just two weeks following the release of the company’s Codex app in February 2026, the nation has become one of the fastest-growing AI builder ecosystems.

According to the firm, India’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) is still heavily concentrated in a few cities, and its sophisticated use is even more unevenly distributed, indicating a significant opportunity to extend its use beyond early adopters in the top few cities.

“The key issue now is how rapidly the advantages of AI may spread from early adopters and major cities to the larger public. The young, quick-adopting Indian population will have a significant impact on the measures needed to close this gap, including increasing access, developing skills, and facilitating more meaningful use nationwide,” according to Oliver Jay, Managing Director-International, OpenAI.

As the top 10 cities only make up around 10% of the population but have around half of the AI users, advanced capability is heavily concentrated.

In India, Delhi-NCR has the greatest ChatGPT penetration rate. According to the study, India has a high level of AI competitiveness, but its greatest strengths are concentrated in a few cities, such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai.

The Capability Gap results show that some of the most significant use cases for AI are already occurring in healthcare and education, among other fields, demonstrating how it is being used in real-world settings.

The firm discovered significant intra-regional disparities in sophisticated applications, with data analysis utilization being 30 times higher in top cities than in laggard cities.

The usage of coding was discovered to be four times greater, while the use of Codex developer was nine times higher.

In the 23rd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which was held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) chased down a modest target of 147 runs in just 15. 1 overs, losing five wickets against Lucknow Super Giants. Virat Kohli, an impact player, led the way with 49 runs.

After this victory, RCB has 8 points from five games and is back at the top of the points table.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru began cautiously in pursuit of a small target, scoring only six runs in the first over. Prince Yadav bowled Phil Salt for 7 off 8 balls in the following over, after he narrowly escaped being run out on the last delivery of the first over when he tried to pick up the pace.

The shackles were broken when Virat Kohli then changed course and hit three straight boundaries off Mohammed Shami, who had previously bowled a good first over. To keep the pressure on the opposition, Kohli continued his aggressive strategy by hitting four boundaries in the next over against Prince Yadav. Kohli’s 40 runs off only 20 balls, together with his aggressive approach, helped RCB reach 60/1 at the conclusion of the power play.

As a result of an elbow injury he sustained in the first innings, Rishabh Pant was unable to play, and Nicholas Pooran captained the Lucknow Super Giants on the field. Despite their sloppy play in the field, LSG made a breakthrough in the eighth over when Avesh Khan got rid of Devdutt Padikkal for ten runs.

While Rajat Patidar took the offensive role, Kohli kept the innings together by effectively rotating the strike. In the 13th over, though, Kohli was dismissed for 49 off 34 balls at long-on, an innings that featured six fours and a six, falling just shy of a half-century.

Patidar and Jitesh Sharma increased the pace of the game after he was fired. Patidar chipped in with a quick 27 off 13 balls before both were out in rapid succession by Prince Yadav, while Jitesh hit two sixes and two fours in the same over.

Ultimately, Tim David and Romario Shepherd led RCB to victory with 29 balls remaining, each remaining undefeated on 14. Two crucial wickets for LSG were taken by Avesh Khan.

Prince bowled the best for LSG, ending with respectable numbers of 3-32. Even though Avesh Khan also grabbed two important wickets.

In the beginning, when asked to bat first, LSG had a difficult time getting started as openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram struggled against the tight new-ball spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, scoring only 14/0 in the first two overs. Markram left for 12 after misjudging a slower Rasikh delivery, although Marsh momentarily changed the tide with a massive six.

Rishabh Pant, the captain of LSG, sustained a major setback when he injured his elbow and was forced to quit the game due to injury after just three balls. Hazlewood bowled Nicholas Pooran out cheaply, and he was unable to take advantage of the chance.

Marsh was then dismissed for 40 by Krunal Pandya after he and Ayush Badoni put together a rapid 36-run partnership. Abdul Samad was knocked out for a duck by Krunal, which dealt another blow to the LSG innings.

With a steady partnership, Badoni, 38, and Mukul Choudhary, 39, attempted to rebuild, but consistent wickets continued to slow LSG’s progress. Later, Pant returned, but he was just able to complete one run.

With four wickets taken by Rasikh, three by Bhuvneshwar, and Hazlewood maintaining good command, the innings was brought to a successful conclusion. The combined effort of the team resulted in RCB limiting LSG to a low score.

Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 146/10 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 40, Mukul Choudhary 39; Rasikh Dar 4-24, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-27 )
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 149/5 in 15.1 overs (Virat Kohli 49, Rajat Patidar 27; Prince Yadav 3-32, Avesh Khan 2-23)

In a policy debate, it was said that India is seen as a key ally in setting future norms, and the United States is pushing for worldwide agreement on regulations governing digital assets.

Under the Chatham House Rules, the discussion took place on Wednesday (local time) and highlighted the inherent cross-border nature of digital assets, necessitating international collaboration in order to prevent regulatory fragmentation.

According to participants, Washington is increasingly focused on developing interoperable frameworks that may be adopted across jurisdictions. The objective is to streamline regulatory complexity, cut costs, and facilitate the smoother transfer of capital in a fast-digitalizing global economy.

It was generally agreed that no one nation may regulate digital assets alone. Cross-border collaboration, both bilaterally and via multilateral forums like the G20, was recognized as essential for establishing shared norms.

India was highlighted during these discussions as a significant participant, considering its size, expanding digital economy, and expertise in developing large-scale public digital infrastructures.

India’s contribution to earlier international policy initiatives on digital finance has already been noteworthy, according to participants, and as the technology develops, more engagement is likely to occur.

India has adopted a more cautious approach, notably on issues such as capital restrictions and monetary sovereignty, while the United States is shifting toward a more innovation-driven paradigm, according to some participants.

Although these disparities reflect differing economic structures and policy priorities, participants said there is still room for convergence over time.

The conversation highlighted cross-border payments as one possible area for collaboration. Digital assets have the potential to lessen friction in international transactions, which is especially important for nations like India that have significant remittance flows.

The significance of establishing international norms was also highlighted. According to participants, nations that act quickly to create trustworthy regulatory frameworks are more likely to influence international standards.

In this scenario, collaboration between big economies like the United States and India may have an impact on the future of digital asset markets worldwide.

From a larger perspective, participants stated that digital assets are joining the progress in digital payments and artificial intelligence as part of a more comprehensive transformation of the financial infrastructure.

They emphasized the significance of collaboration between democracies in guaranteeing that new technologies are regulated by open and regulated systems.

As digital finance continues to spread across borders, the challenge ahead will be to strike a balance between national priorities and the demand for international collaboration, according to participants.

They further stated that increased interaction between the United States and India might be crucial in determining the future framework of digital asset regulation.

The Chennai Super Kings overcame the Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs in their IPL 2026 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday, thanks to a superb bowling display led by Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj that complemented a stellar batting performance.

In spite of late resistance from Ramandeep Singh and Rovman Powell, CSK managed to keep KKR to 160/7 in 20 overs while successfully defending a respectable 192/5.

Sunil Narine and Finn Allen began KKR’s chase with an experimental approach. Allen’s cheap dismissal by Kamboj in the second over gave CSK an early breakthrough, while Narine showed early intent with a few sixes.

Khaleel Ahmed bowled out Narine in the powerplay, leaving KKR in trouble at 36/2 after six overs—their worst powerplay total since 2024.

With a combination of boundaries and sixes, Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi made an effort to rebuild, momentarily increasing the scoring rate.

But in the middle overs, CSK’s spin assault turned the game around significantly. Before Noor’s game-changing performance, Akeal Hosein severed the partnership by dismissing Raghuvanshi. Rahane was dismissed by the Afghan left-arm wrist-spinner, who then quickly took out Cameron Green for a golden duck and later Rinku Singh, disrupting KKR’s chase.

Noor consistently troubled batters with his variations and exploited the Chepauk surface, finishing with an outstanding 3/21. At 91/6, his magic brought KKR back from a position of rehabilitation to serious difficulty.

As the required rate increased, Ramandeep (35 off 23) and Powell (31 not out off 22) formed a competitive partnership, keeping KKR’s hopes alive with intermittent boundaries. But CSK’s controlled bowling kept the goal from being scored.

With a score of 2/32, Kamboj came back at the last minute to win the game. He dismissed Ramandeep in the second-to-last over and gave up only 12 runs in the last over to finish the match.

Earlier, CSK chose to bat and scored a respectable 192/5. Ayush Mhatre, a young batsman, got off to a lightning start with a 17-ball 38, and Sanju Samson led the way with a smooth 48.

With a well-constructed 41, Dewald Brevis gave the middle overs a boost, which helped CSK rebound from a little lull.

Despite the best attempts of KKR’s bowlers, notably Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, to turn things around in the middle overs, CSK’s aggressive start ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.

With the victory, KKR remain winless and are struggling for consistency in their batting, while CSK have now won two games in a row.

Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 192/5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 48, Dewald Brevis 41, Ayush Mhatre 38; Kartik Tyagi 2/35)
Kolkata Knight Riders 160/7 in 20 overs (Ramandeep Singh 35, Rovman Powell 31*; Noor Ahmad 3/21, Anshul Kamboj 2/32)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, predicted on Tuesday that India’s growth prospects will remain strong despite increasing global uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict and that inflation would continue to rise steadily.

“India has been doing very, very well in 2025,” Gourinchas said during a group interview with journalists from India, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Chile, adding that growth is now predicted at “7. 6 percent” on a fiscal year basis.

The IMF is predicting a “6. 5” percent growth rate in 2026, which he claims represents a “very slight upgrade” from previous forecasts and suggests that momentum is anticipated to continue into the coming year.

Despite challenges brought by the continuing conflict in the Middle East, which has increased world energy prices and generated worries for oil-dependent economies like India, the forecast has been revised.

“The Middle East war is having a negative impact, but the impetus from 2025 will more than make up for it,” he stated.

Additionally, Gourinchas cited the reduction of trade disputes between India and the United States as a contributing factor.

The tariff rate has decreased, and the ambiguity surrounding it has been alleviated, as a result of trade talks between the US and India, he said.

In India, however, the IMF expects inflationary forces to rise in the next year. Due in part to rising food expenses and higher world energy prices, he claimed, “We are seeing an increase in inflation for 2026 to 4. 7 percent.”

He continued, “In India, we’ve seen food prices that have been rising in early 2026.”

Although the immediate outlook is still positive, Gourinchas warned that India’s structural reliance on energy imports makes it vulnerable to a turbulent global landscape.

It relies heavily on energy. He also said that it is heavily reliant on oil and cautioned that these circumstances may cause “some headwinds going forward. ”

He also stated that India’s current growth path is largely in line with its long-term potential.

“We have kind of a potential growth level that is about 6. 5 percent,” he said.

At a time when many nations are struggling with decelerating growth and increasing uncertainty, the IMF’s assessment highlights India’s role as a major engine of the global economy.

Following the increase in conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted energy flows and raised oil and commodity prices, the global environment has become more difficult.

According to the IMF, the length and severity of the shock will determine how it affects the global economy as a whole.

Recently, India has maintained robust domestic demand and investment momentum, aided by policy stability and a resilient private sector, making it one of the quickest developing major economies.

AI will be essential to hastening the process of discovering new drugs, facilitating precision medicine, and fostering a healthcare system that is more intelligent and driven by innovation, according to experts.

The emphasis of the pharmaceutical industry was on rethinking processes rather than just digitizing old ones. They emphasized the increasing significance of robust data and technological infrastructure for facilitating the widespread use of AI and emphasized the immediate advantages of automation in enhancing clinical efficiency.

On the first day of the ninth ‘India Pharma 2026,’ four impactful plenary discussions brought together industry leaders, regulators, politicians, and technology specialists to discuss the future of India’s pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.

The pressing need to close the gap between policy goals and on-the-ground implementation was emphasized during the first plenary meeting.

Industry-led research and development model, the need to improve government lab networks, and the need to align regulatory models with European systems were all highlighted by Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.

Despite the fact that research funding has grown significantly over the past few years, Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, stated that the nation requires a Bharat model of R&D that fosters confidence in the innovators and promotes greater collaboration between industry and academia.

Industry leaders echoed the necessity for more venture capital involvement and co-funding strategies to support research-driven businesses, closer industry-academia integration, and highlighted the significance of integrated ecosystems to convert early-stage discoveries into worldwide solutions, according to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

The main goal of the second plenary session was to establish a regulatory environment that is predictable, effective, and consistent with international standards.

The Drug Controller General of India, Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, emphasized the value of stakeholder input in developing effective regulatory frameworks.

The third plenary session addressed the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence throughout the pharmaceutical value chain.

India’s expanding participation in the worldwide Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) market was the subject of the fourth session.

India’s CRDMO industry, which is now worth approximately $8 billion, has been expanding at a healthy rate of 10–12% annually, according to the panel, indicating a strong demand for outsourcing worldwide.

The government-run BEML Ltd announced that it had won a $36. 38 million (about Rs 336 crore) export order from the Middle East for the provision of heavy earthmoving machinery.

The corporation stated in a regulatory document that the equipment will be used for infrastructure development initiatives in the area.

This order brings BEML’s international order book to $106. 95 million (about Rs 996 crore), increasing its worldwide footprint, the business said.

The business got a Letter of Intent on March 18 for a foreign order worth about $60 million from the African area for the design, manufacture, delivery, testing, and commissioning of conventional gauge metro rolling stock. This was BEML’s first foreign order in the metropolitan market.

BEML shares were trading positively after the most recent contract victory.

On the NSE, the share increased almost 1% to an intraday high of Rs 1,635. 80 before falling back to finish the day up 0. 12% at Rs 1,623. 10.

The stock is currently down 46. 34% over the last year and 12. 44% year to date.

BEML’s financial performance for the quarter ending December 2025 saw a combined loss of Rs 22. 38 crore, down from a profit of Rs 24. 41 crore in the same period the previous year.

The company recorded a loss of Rs 23 crore in Q3FY26 on a standalone basis, which was somewhat less than the loss of Rs 25 crore that was reported for the same time the previous year.

During the quarter, the firm’s total income increased from Rs 880. 28 crore to Rs 1,087. 13 crore.

Costs, however, rose from Rs 850. 70 crore to Rs 1,112. 54 crore, which hurt profitability.

Following the conclusion of his term, the firm said in a separate statement in February that Bipin Kumar Gupta stopped being an Independent Director on its board on February 10.

With a resounding 53-run victory over Rajasthan Royals, who topped the IPL 2026 rankings, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday, Sunrisers Hyderabad concluded their winning streak, and rookie pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain made their presence known on the big stage by jointly claiming eight wickets.

Nagpur-based Hinge became the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the opening over in a script that read more like a fairytale.

With a score of 4-34, he ended up breaking the back of RR’s formidable top order. Hailing from Gopalganj, Bihar, Hussain remained calm and picked with 4-24 to provide the clinical conclusion.

A 118-run partnership between Donovan Ferreira (69) and Ravindra Jadeja (45) — the second-highest stand for the sixth wicket or lower in the IPL — rescued RR, who were at 9/5, from being bowled out for a low score, as they ultimately fell at 159 in 19 overs.

The gamble of blooding two debutants in place of seasoned campaigners Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel turned out to be a stroke of genius for SRH. With their campaign now firmly back on track, the win moves SRH up to fourth place in the points standings and represents their second victory in five games.

On the very first delivery of his spell, Hinge accomplished what the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood had failed to do this season: get Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out for a low price. On seeing the short ball, Sooryavanshi’s eyes lit up, and he attempted a huge pull, but the top edge was caught by keeper Salil Arora, much to the delight of Hinge and SRH.

Hinge’s stunning streak began when Dhruv Jurel chopped onto his stumps before Lhuan-dre Pretorius flicked directly to long leg. With his incredible dream start, Hinge became the first bowler in IPL history to take three wickets in the first over.

After being cruelly thrashed through mid-wicket, RR’s nightmare persisted when Hinge fired skipper Riyan Parag just one ball later. He seduced Parag into chasing a beautiful outswinger, which the RR captain narrowly avoided letting slip.

While Yashasvi Jaiswal upper-cut a short ball with extra bounce to deep backward point, giving fellow debutant pacer Sakib Hossain his first IPL victim from the other end, as RR lost five wickets even before the third over was finished.

Knowing the game’s outcome, Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira worked to stabilize RR’s ship in order to prevent a significant drop in the net run rate. Since the couple drove RR beyond 49, they were able to escape the shame of having the IPL’s lowest score.

With Ferreira being lightning fast to pounce on anything loose from spinners Shivang Kumar and Harsh Dubey and send them over the boundary ropes, the pair brought up the fifty of their stand off 35 balls, which brought up his first IPL half-century off just 31 deliveries.

However, the 118-run partnership came to an end when Jadeja was caught behind off Eshan Malinga and Sakib bowled Ferreira with a slower delivery.

Sakib had even more pleasure when he struck out Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi with consecutive slower balls, and Malinga had Tushar Deshpande holing out to extra cover to complete a resounding victory for SRH.

Brief Scores:
Sunrisers Hyderabad 216/6 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 91, Heinrich Klaasen 40; Jofra Archer 2-37, Riyan Parag 1-5)
Rajasthan Royals 159 in 19 overs (Donovan Ferreira 69, Ravindra Jadeja 45; Sakib Hussain 4-24, Praful Hinge 4-34)

In the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, Jannik Sinner maintained his composure and defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to regain the top spot in the world rankings for the first time since November 2025.

The only other man to have won the first three ATP Masters 1000 events of the year is Djokovic (2015), with whom Sinner shares this distinction.

In a tense opening set between the top two players, Sinner barely prevailed in a high-quality contest. Following his earlier victories at Indian Wells and Miami, he then seized the lead in the second set to win his third Masters 1000 championship of the year.

Additionally, this triumph increased his remarkable winning streak in Masters events to 22 games.

Due to the challenging and windy weather in Monaco, both athletes had trouble finding their rhythm at times during the game. They made 83 unforced mistakes together. Nevertheless, there were significant shifts in momentum and potent shot-making in the game, with neither side able to gain an early edge.

The match went to a tiebreaker when Sinner improved his game at the decisive point after both players traded breaks in the first set. His increased accuracy on his first serve was a key factor. He seized an early advantage after Alcaraz committed a double fault, but he had missed his first set point.

Alcaraz wasted no time in the second set, breaking early to take a 3-1 lead and posing a threat to force the match to a decisive set. Nonetheless, as Alcaraz had trouble maintaining his serve, Sinner maintained his tenacity under pressure, saved break points, and slowly worked his way back into the game.

Alcaraz was under pressure after Sinner broke back and went ahead 4-3. The Italian maintained his composure from there, breaking once more before winning his 27th ATP Tour championship by serving out the match with assurance.

“It has been an interesting week trying to learn how to play on clay again,” Sinner remarked as he considered his win. I’m glad to have won a major competition on this surface because I came here with the goal of competing in as many games as possible. It means a lot to me to have this trophy and be back in the top spot.

“Both of us performed at a very high level today,” he said. The weather was somewhat windy, in contrast to the conditions we experienced during the week.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team defeated five-time champions Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in Match 20 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium thanks to outstanding, scorching half-centuries from Phil Salt (78) and Rajat Patidar (53), along with some excellent tight bowling.

As they pounded sixes en route to half-centuries, Salt and Patidar gave a fantastic demonstration of power-hitting, and RCB scored a tough 240/4 in their 20 overs, with Virat Kohli adding a quiet fifty.

After former captain Rohit Sharma sustained a hamstring injury and was forced to retire hurt for 19 off 13 balls, the Mumbai Indians’ attempt to break a record-high target at Wankhede fell apart. Ryan Rickelton (37) and Hardik Pandya (40) had earlier given the hopes a bit of a boost, but Sherfane Rutherford smashed nine sixes in the final few balls of the game to score an undefeated 71 off 31 balls. In the end, the Mumbai Indians were 18 runs shy of winning, as they suffered their third consecutive loss after finishing at 222/5 in 20 overs.

The Rajasthan Royals (8) and Punjab Kings (7) are now ahead of RCB, who have six points and are third in the points table after winning their third match in four games.

The game was bizarre in that it continued for a long time, with players leaving the field with injuries after requesting lengthy treatment breaks on the ground, and both teams going for review for no-balls and wides, which further extended the process, which grew boring near the conclusion.

With Ryan Rickelton beginning with a six off Jacob Duffy in the first over and Rohit Sharma scoring 50 runs for the side in the fifth, the Mumbai Indians began their chase of 241 on a high note. The five-time winners scored 62 without losing in the six overs of the power play, but the dugout wasn’t all that pleased because Rohit Sharma, the former captain, was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring ailment that was treated on the field. In the sixth over, he chose to head back to the dugout for further therapy after scoring 19 runs.

Rickelton smashed Duffy for four and six and blasted the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six over the long-leg boundary. When he attempted to hit a Suyash Sharma googly, he only managed to top-edge it to Bhuvneshwar at short third, making him the first to fall. Rickelton was dismissed after scoring 37 runs off 22 pitches, including three fours and three sixes.

Tilak Varma (1) only faced three pitches before trying a sweep off Suyash Sharma, which resulted in a simple catch for Duffy. The Mumbai Indians’ pursuit was almost derailed by the leg-spinner’s double strike.

After beginning with a four off Impact player Rasikh Salam on the second ball he faced, Suryakumar Yadav hit Krunal Pandya for a four and then took back-to-back boundaries off Suyash Sharma in the 10th over, bringing Mumbai to 99/2 at the midway point, slightly behind RCB, who were 115 for no loss at the same moment. However, SKY was unable to hit a match-defining long innings, as he only managed to score 33 runs off 22 deliveries before hitting it directly down to Rasikh Salam at backward square leg.

Suyash Sharma’s first delivery was smashed for a six by Hardik Pandya, who then followed up with a four a few balls later. Two boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 11th over, followed by two fours off Suyash, kept Mumbai’s hopes alive. However, the Mumbai Indians’ pursuit seemed shaky after Rohit left the game with an injury, and Hardik’s heroics were short-lived as he misjudged Duffy to Romario Shepherd 41, leaving Mumbai needing 93 from the final five overs as MI fell to 145/4 in the fifteenth over.

Rutherford then continued the battle, hitting one four and nine huge sixes as he stayed undefeated on 71 off 36 balls, reaching his half-century in 26 balls.

Phil Salt had earlier been asked to bat first, and he came out with guns blazing as he and Virat Kohli scored 100 runs for the first wicket partnership. With Salt hitting a four and Kohli hitting a six off Trent Boult’s first over, they scored 13 runs.

Phil Salt hit a hat-trick of sixes off Mitchell Santner (first a heave over deep square leg, the next clubbed over wide long-on, and third smashed over deep square leg) after consistently scoring runs off Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Boult, then followed up with a four off his first four deliveries of the match, totaling 22 runs from the over.

Salt, on the other hand, continued to operate in the third gear, hitting Mayank Markande for a hat-trick of boundaries as he raced to his fifty in 25 balls, while Kohli scored at a sedate pace. Salt raced to 61 off only 27 deliveries after hitting a six in the eighth over to commemorate his 50 off Markande. After hitting a simple catch directly to Pandya at extra cover, he finally succumbed to Shardul Thakur in the eleventh over. Salt hit 78 runs on 36 deliveries, including sixes and half a dozen fours.

However, Rajat Patidar took over as the Mumbai Indians’ power-hitter, giving them no respite. Patidar began by hitting four off Thakur, then went on to hit a hat-trick of sixes off Markande in the 12th over. In the 13th over, they scored 23 runs off Thakur by hitting a six and two fours. In the 11th over, he hit a four and a six off Boult as he threatened to break the record for the quickest fifty in IPL history, reaching 44 off 11 balls.

While Kohli labored through a slow fifty off 37 balls, Patidar sped to his half-century from 16 balls, hitting Santner for a streaky four. As the RCB fell from 185/1 to 194/3 in the space of eight balls, the Mumbai Indians put on the brakes, and both Kohli and Patidar were out soon after they reached their fifties.

While Patidar fell to Santner, who tried to shank him over long-on but miscued it to Tilak Varma, Kohli ended his suffering by holing out to Suryakumar Yadav at long-on off Pandya for 50 (38 balls, 5×4, 1×6). In his 20-ball fifty-three, Patidar hit five maximums and four boundaries.

After that, things were a little quiet, but Tim David helped them reach fifty runs in the final five overs by hitting Pandya for a six off a free hit. After reaching 115/0 at the midway point and 201/3 in 17 balls, RCB was threatening to surpass 250, but David stayed undefeated on 34 off 16 balls, reached with a six off the final ball bowled by Boult.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240/4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Rajat Patidar 53, Virat Kohli 50, Tim David 34 not out; Shardul Thakur 1-32, Hardik Pandya 1-39)
Mumbai Indians 222/5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2-47, Krunal Pandya 1-26)