Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore shock champions Mumbai Indians in IPL opener - in pictures

Harshal Patel claims 5-27 in two-wicket victory off the final ball

Rohit Sharma, captain of Mumbai Indians, greets Mohammed Siraj of Royal Challengers Bangalore after their IPL match on Friday. All pictures by Faheem Hussain / Sportzpics for IPL.

Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore celebrates the wicket of Macro Jansen of Mumbai Indians.

Washington Sundar and Virat Kohli, captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, running between the wickets

Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot

Virat Kohli, captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, plays a shot

AB de Villiers of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot

Macro Jansen of Mumbai Indians bowls

Captain of Mumbai Indians Rohit Sharma dives to field the ball

Jasprit Bumrah of Mumbai Indians bowls

Dan Chritian of Royal Challengers Bangalore bowls

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League began with an upset after Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore stunned defending champions Mumbai Indians by two wickets in Chennai.

Harshal Patel claimed 5-27 in the contest between the tournament's perennial underachievers and its most successful team, Mumbai managing a modest 159-9 after being put into bat.

Patel then sealed the nervy contest for Bangalore by taking a single off the last ball following AB de Villiers' dismissal for 48 in the final over.

Earlier, Chris Lynn's quickfire 49 and Suryakumar Yadav's breezy 31 had set up a perfect stage for Mumbai to launch a late assault.

Patel then claimed three wickets in four balls and eventually registered the first five-wicket haul against Mumbai to restrict the champions to a below-par total.

Bangalore skipper Kohli came out to open, a role the India captain wants in the T20 World Cup later this year, and made a fluent 33.

Glenn Maxwell contributed 39 but it was de Villiers' whirlwind knock that put Bangalore on the verge of victory.

"There's a reason why Mumbai have won this trophy five times, there's a lot of aura around them," de Villiers said of the opponents.

"But that was the challenge, to beat the champions and get a lot of confidence. We did well tonight."

The Covid-19 pandemic had forced the previous edition of the league to be staged in the United Arab Emirates, where Mumbai Indians won their second successive title.

The league returned to India but a second wave of infection in the country ensured this year's tournament would be played across six venues, initially without spectators.