RCB outplays Sunrisers to stay alive in IPL Playoffs
Bengaluru, May 18: Royal Challengers Bangalore kept themselves alive in the race to the VIVO IPL 2018 Playoffs after they register a commanding victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad by 14 runs in a run-feast at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Notably, RCB scored 218-6 after being given the chance to set a target. SRH fell short in their chase.
Having opted to field first, SRH made a steady start as Sandeep Sharma dismissed Parthiv Patel in the first over and Rashid Khan dismissed Virat Kohli in the fifth over. AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali then took control of proceedings and put the SRH bowlers to the sword de Villiers continued to go on to score his fifth half-century of the season, while Moeen Ali, playing his first home game for RCB, scored his first IPL half-century. The third-wicket pair added 107 runs in 9.3 overs and lifted RCB to 145.
The finishing touches were applied by Colin de Grandhomme scoring 40 runs from 17 balls and Sarfaraz Khan 22 from 8 balls as they added 34 runs in the 2.1 overs they were together at the crease. 44-2 at the end of the first six overs, RCB added 105 in the middle nine overs and added a further 69 runs in the last five overs.
For the Sunrisers, Rashid Khan was the most impressive bowler who got 3 wickets, while Sandeep Sharma got 1 wicket and Siddarth Kaul snatched 2 wickets shared the rest of the spoils. Basil Thampi, who replaced the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the XI, had a disastrous outing as the Kerala pacer went for 70 runs in his four overs.
In their run-chase, the Sunrisers’ got off to a solid start with their openers Alex Hales and Shikhar Dhawan adding 47. Once they were dismissed, it was left to Kane Williamson to pilot the chase. The SRH captain found an able partner in Manish Pandey, and the duo stitched together a 135-run partnership that kept their team in the hunt. SRH needed 49 off the last three overs, which came down to 35 off the last two and 20 off the final over.
Williamson was dismissed off the first ball of the final over, and Manish Pandey and Deepak Hooda could thereafter only add five. For RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal was the best bowler; where the rest of his teammates were taken to the cleaners, the leg-spinner returned impressive figures of 1-28. Mohammed Siraj, who bowled a very good twentieth over, and Moeen Ali picked up a wicket each.
It has to be documented that both sides grassed several chances in the field as at least seven catches were put down in the match including two by Virat Kohli. But, Rashid Khan and AB de Villiers took two sensational catches which would feature among the best in the competition. Rashid’s one-handed effort ended de Grandhomme’s vigil, while de Villiers’ one-handed leaping catch resulted in the dismissal of Alex Hales.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 218-6 (AB de Villiers 69, Moeen Ali 65, Colin de Grandhomme 40, Rashid Khan 3-27) beat
Sunrsiers Hyderabad 204-3 (Alex Hales 37, Kane Williamson 81, Manish Pandey 62*) by 14 runs.
Man of the Match:
AB de Villiers, for his 69.