IPL 2022 | RCB vs KKR - Superstar of the Match

Whenever Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have played against each other, the fans have been treated to some nail-biting encounters. Match 6 of this edition's Indian Premier League (IPL) was no exception.

RCB skipper Faf Du Plessis won the toss and decided to field first. In the next three hours, the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai witnessed a low-scoring thriller, in which Bangalore somehow won the match by three wickets. 

Yesterday's match had some fine work with bat and ball; it witnessed a couple of awful performances, but let's not get into that; here is our 'Superstar'. 

Superstar of the Match

Kolkata's innings was rocked at the beginning of the innings, and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. KKR were struggling at 67 for 6 in the ninth over itself. And it was when Andre Russell walked out to join Sam Billings in the middle. 

Fans of Kolkata would have hoped and prayed that Russell plays another one of his 'Hulkurious' knocks. Well, Dre Russ did not last long, neither did Billings. But imagine what if KKR's Hulk would have stayed? This is what Russell could have done. 

Andre Russell vs RCB

Observation: The Jamaican likes the RCB bowling; it is more than evident. Before yesterday's innings, he hit a boundary every three balls against RCB at a serious strike rate of 215.11. 

Russell walked out to bat in the ninth over of the first innings. He had 11 overs in his hand. If the burly all-rounder had lasted longer and played about 40 deliveries, Russ could have scored about 86 runs. Meaning he would have wreaked havoc on the bowling attack of RCB, but that didn't happen. 

On the contrary, Harshal Patel bowled four consecutive dot balls to him and picked his crucial wicket on the fifth one. Russell went packing for just 25 runs off 18 deliveries.

Now let us look at Sam Billings's record in the phase he was batting yesterday. 

Sam Billings in Middle and Death overs

Observation: Billings walked out to bat in the seventh over of the innings and scored 14 off 15 deliveries. He had just settled down and could have batted further on, and then he could have taken KKR to a healthy total. But that did not happen as Harshal set the Englishman with three successive dots and scalped him early.  

The importance of the two wickets and the two maiden overs he bowled make Harshal's bowling effort invaluable. 

What else did Harshal Patel do? 

When the bowling all-rounder walked out to bat, RCB needed 18 runs off 13 deliveries in the second innings. Sherfane Rutherford's 28 off 40 deliveries have put them under real pressure. With the immense pressure on them, Harshal decided to put his hand up and take his team out of trouble. He scored a valuable 10 off six deliveries in the most crunch situation and took his team to victory. This all-round show makes Harshal Patel our 'Superstar of the Match'.