AB de Villiers in IPL 2016 (Source:@IPL,x.com)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) 2016 run to the IPL final remains one of their most emotionally charged campaigns in IPL history. Among the most iconic moments from that season was their clutch performance in Qualifier 1.
The match, played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, saw RCB pitted against Gujarat Lions, the table-toppers of that season. Gujarat, led by Suresh Raina, had been in dominant form. But on the night that mattered, the Lions were tamed early and it all began with the ball.
Early Blitz From RCB’s Bowlers
After losing the toss, Gujarat Lions found themselves in problem early on. RCB’s left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla wreaked havoc in the powerplay, claiming two crucial wickets and applying early brakes on the scoring. The Lions were reeling at 9 runs for 3 wickets inside four overs, with Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, and Suresh Raina all back in the hut.
Dwayne Smith, however, counterattacked with characteristic flair. Teaming up with Dinesh Karthik, he steadied the ship through an 85-run partnership. RCB’s bowlers, especially Shane Watson, was clinical with impressive figures of 4/29 as Gujarat finished with a modest but competitive 158 runs.
.jpg)
AB de Villiers' Knock Helped RCB After Early Collapse
If Gujarat’s top-order collapse had stunned the crowd, what followed in RCB’s innings was downright shocking. RCB batting lineup that included Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and KL Rahul failed under pressure. By the end of the powerplay, RCB were tottering at 29 for 5.
But then came the rescue act one that would go down as one of AB de Villiers' most iconic IPL innings. The star batter scored 79 runs off 47 balls at an strike-rate of 168.08. At the other end, the unlikely partner was Iqbal Abdulla, who had already done his bit with the ball. Together, the duo stitched an unbroken 91-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
 (1).jpg?type=mq "Jitesh Goes Past MS Dhoni")
 "Sakshi Sharma")
