Kyle Jamieson has helped Royal Challengers Bangalore to an opening night victory over the defending IPL champion Mumbai Indians and Kiwi pace-bowling counterpart Trent Boult.
Jamieson proved his hefty price tag, helping RCB stifle Mumbai, taking one wicket for 27 from his four overs.
It was the tall Aucklander who took the key wicket of Suryakumar Yadav (31), just as Mumbai looked like it was going to pull away and post a formidable total.
But Chris Lynn (49) fell soon after, and the wheels began to come off for the defending champions, and it could only stumble to a total of 159 for nine from its 20 overs.
Watch the New Zealand Cricket Awards live on 1NEWS.co.nz from 7.30pm on Tuesday April 13.
It was always going to be a tough total to defend with the likes of Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Glenn Maxwell intent on chasing it down.
It was De Villiers who took the game by the scruff of the neck, smashing 48 from 27 deliveries, including a thumping six off the bowling of Boult.
The night had gotten off to a good start for Boult, who cleaned up the stumps of Rajat Patidar at the end of the powerplay.
But he could not stop the power of De Villiers, who was well-supported by Maxwell (39) and a scampering Jamieson late in the innings.
The game came down to the wire, RCB sneaking a single off the final ball to seal an important win for the franchise still chasing its first IPL title.
Mitchell Santner and the Chennai Super Kings take on the Delhi Capitals tonight.
SHARE ME