Bowlers Royal Challengers Bangalore were not the best in their first four games of Pepsi IPL 2015. However, on Friday presented at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad in style, the table constraint-early Rajasthan Royals to a modest 130, after which their batsmen chased careers in 16.1 overs. Nine-wicket victory was the second victory of the tournament RCB – which came on the back of three straight defeats, while RR was defeated for the second time in seven starts. RCB’s victory – nine wickets and with 23 balls to spare – was the most convincing pursuit race of the season.
RCB captain Virat Kolhi won the toss for the fourth time this season, gave his players the first use of the court and responded brilliantly to the creation of the party. Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson, as they have many times this season, got the hosts to a solid start, adding 36 runs before the former was dismissed from the last ball of the fifth time. Rahane made 18 with two boundaries helped six, when he was trapped LBW by an off-cutter Harshal Patel.
Watson welcomed the leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal – which was introduced in the attack in the sixth – with six and put it away for a limit of two balls later, but died the next installment when he pulled a long hop straight to midwicket man. Captain RR made 26 of 22 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six.
Having seen the back of two batters as RR, RCB did not ease the pressure thereafter. Players hit areas of law and consistent hitters forced to take risks. That formula worked well for RCB as they kept picking up wickets at regular intervals. Karun Nair run out attempting a difficult second term, while the two young men – Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson – had their woodwork reorganized by Iqbal Abdulla and Chahal, respectively, who tried to play through the dashed line.
Steve Smith would be the top scorer of the RR; He made 31 of 28 balls and hit two boundaries before becoming the sixth man in the eighteenth over. RR their allotted twenty overs finished at 130 for 9 – his lowest total of the season. There was only one envelope in the entries in the RR batsmen could score 10 or more, and support the opening of 36 runs was the highest of the innings. There were only ten boundaries and three sixes in RR tickets to go with 44 balls point.
For RCB, players were sensational. Mitchell Starc, with figures of 3-22, end the most successful player of the match bowling, and was ably assisted by young Harshal Patel (2-23) and Chahal. Iqbal Abdulla played an important role in the flow plugging or racing, bowling ten balls of points in his four overs, while finishing with one of 28 figures.
RCB had a mixed day in the field, but there was one act in the field that stood out – catches by Dinesh Karthik dismiss James Faulkner. The Australian walked to the side and tried to pick out the fine ball on the leg side. But Karthik was alert to a possible opportunity, he quickly moved to his left, he dived full length and came up with the ball at arm’s length.
Cut to pursue, RCB were given a good start by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. The Jamaican, who the previous game was lost, scored 20 of 16 balls, and participated in the opening of an alliance 36-term before it was foxed by a slower delivery from Shane Watson and first topped the wicket-keeper. Kohli and AB de Villiers, who was promoted to bat at number three, completed the honors in clinical fashion with a 98-run unbeaten partnership; RCB captain was unbeaten on 62 from 46 balls, while de Villiers made 47 from 34 balls.
Rajasthan Royals 130-9 in 20.0 overs (31 Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc 3-22) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 134-1 in 16.1 overs (Virat Kohli 62 *, Shane Watson 1-23)
