The Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their good run in IPL 2021 and etched another win in the competition after beating Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Dubai on Wednesday night. Chasing 150, the RCB went over the line in the 18th over.
Opener Devdutt Padikkal and captain Virat Kohli gave a brisk start to the Bangalore side after the two left-right batting duo put 48 on the board for the first wicket before Padikkal was cleaned up by Mustafizur Rahman for 22 off 17.
Kohli was then joined by Striker Bharat in the middle and the two batsmen could only manage to add 10 runs in the score before Kohli was run out by Riyan Paragraphed for a 20-ball 25.
But Bharat and Glenn Maxwell steadied the ship for the side and stitched a stand of 69 runs for the third wicket. Bharat eventually departed for 44 off 35 while Maxwell remained unbeaten at 50 off 30 deliveries to take RCB home. Mustafizur picked up a couple of wickets for RR at the cost of 20 runs in three overs.
Earlier, RR who were put into bat by Kohli too had an aggressive and a steady start as Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal put 77 runs on the board for the first wicket in less than nine overs. While Jaiswal struck 31 off 22, Lewis went on to notch up a fifty before he was out.
Lewis’ broke the shackles and RR began to lose wickets at regular intervals to get restricted to 149/9 in 20 overs. Yuzvendra Chahal and Shahbaz Ahmed scalped a couple of wickets apiece while marshal Patel picked up three wickets for 34 runs in 4 overs.
RR captain Sanju Samson admitted that the batting unit wasn’t able to capitalise on the start it got.
“We got a really good start, our openers played really well, but we couldn't capitalize on it. Think the middle-order needs some confidence, it has been a hard one week for us, we need to put up a good fight,” he said during the post-match presentation.
RCB skipper Kohli lauded the bowling efforts and hailed the way the side made a comeback in the match.
“We have come back strongly in two games back-to-back with the ball which is great. It means we are heading in the right direction. We came back and dominated. 175 would have been competitive. With the kind of bowling attack we have, we need a couple of breakthroughs and things will open up,” he said.
Experts Opinions
Journalist Ayaz Memon criticised RR’s batting performance. “With top order clicking, stroll in the park for RCB , Chasing target of 149 can be tricky, RCB batsmen fully in control. RR were on the backfoot after disappointing batting performance ran out of options swiftly in bowling too,” he tweeted.
Commentator Harsha Bhogle came up with an innovative way to praise RCB’s win. “It is now just a statistical possibility that they won't make it. I think RCB supporters can celebrate,” he wrote on Twitter.
Former India bowler RP Singh lavished praise on Harshal Patel for being among the wickets in this season. “Harshal Patel once again outstanding in last over. Patel is now in great league of Indian bowlers who have taken more than 25 wickets in a season,” he tweeted.
RR will now play CSK in Abu Dhabi on Saturday while RCB will be up against Punjab Kings in Sharjah on Sunday.