Virat Kohli setting the base, the middle-order batters chipping in and Dinesh Karthik making the finishing moves – seems like the old good RCB days. All of these turned into reality on Monday night when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were chasing 177 against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match no. 6 at Chinnaswamy Stadium. For those who were left dejected with Kohli’s dismissal on 77, Karthik’s spirited 10-ball 28 lifted their moods as RCB registered a stunning 4-wicket victory to get their first points this season.
Kohli looked red-hot when stepped out to bat at a jam-packed Chinnaswamy. After being dropped on zero, he collected 16 runs off the opening over then kept the scoreboard ticking with his artistic stroke play, taking the PBKS bowlers to the cleaners upfront. The former RCB skipper notched up his first fifty this season off just 31 deliveries, completing a record 100 fifty-plus scores in the shortest format of the game.
The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar continued to remain silent but hardly anybody paid heed to those dismissals as Kohli was on song. His batting was poetry in motion, as fearless as ever. But came the 16th over the lone Odyssey of Kohli ended when his slash off Harshal Patel’s slower ball on off-stump failed to generate enough power and distance to clear Brar at deep third man.
Follow all the action from IPL 2024, including the IPL 2024 Schedule and IPL 2024 Points Table. Also, check Players vying for IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap
RCB needed 47 from 24 balls from that point Dinesh Karthik (28 not out off 10 balls) and ‘Impact Player’ Mahipal Lomror (17 not out, 8 balls) carried them past the rope with some sensible cricket. Karthik team’s designated finisher showed that he can seamlessly switch from microphone to willow as he walloped Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh with minimum fuss to finish it in style.
Earlier, the pragmatism of captain Shikhar Dhawan was the bedrock on which Punjab Kings built their 176 for six. Dhawan (45, 37b), Jitesh Sharma (27, 20b) and Prabhsimran Singh (25, 17b) were the main contributors for the Kings after RCB opted to bowl first. For the hosts, Mohammed Siraj and Maxwell took two wickets apiece. In fact, the RCB bowlers, especially impressive left-arm seamer Yash Dayal (1/23), did well to tie him down with deliveries that darted into him from just short of good length.
(With Agency Inputs)
Comments
0 comment