Bengaluru: A remarkable bowling performance from Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal during the final overs enabled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to clinch a narrow victory over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 11 runs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, pulling off a win from a seemingly losing position.
This triumph marks RCB's first home victory following three consecutive losses. Noteworthy contributions came from Virat Kohli, who scored 70 runs, and Devdutt Padikkal, who added 50 runs after RR opted to bowl first, leading the home team to a total of 205/5. Although each RR batsman managed to get off to a decent start, they fell short by 11 runs when they required 18 runs off the last two overs, thanks to the stellar efforts from Hazlewood (4/33) and Dayal (1/33).
Currently, RCB holds the third position on the points table, having achieved six wins and three losses, totaling 12 points. In contrast, RR finds itself in eighth place with only two wins and seven defeats, marking their fifth consecutive loss.
As RR aimed to chase down 206 runs, the opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi provided the essential momentum right from the start.
Jaiswal initiated the innings with a six off the first ball and followed up with two fours and a six off Yash Dayal in the second over, contributing 18 runs to the team total. Vaibhav also hit a six against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while Jaiswal ended the fourth over with three consecutive fours off Josh Hazlewood.
After Vaibhav hit a six, Bhuvneshwar quickly dismissed him on the subsequent delivery for a total of 16 runs from 10 balls, which included two sixes. At this point, RR stood at 52/1 in 4. 2 overs.
In the last over of the powerplay, Jaiswal effectively worked Hazlewood, managing two quick fours followed by a six. Yet, a misjudged pull shot resulted in him being caught by Romario Shepherd at midwicket. Hazlewood celebrated, having sent the left-handed batsman back for 49 runs off 19 balls, featuring seven fours and three sixes. RR's score then read 72/2 in 5. 5 overs.
Completing the powerplay, RR concluded at 72/2, with skipper Riyan Parag (0) and Nitish Rana (6) at the crease.
In the following over, Parag and Rana aggressively took on Shepherd, scoring 15 runs, with the captain leading the charge. Parag continued to attack Suyash Sharma's spin, resulting in 12 runs off his initial over.
RR crossed the century mark at 100 runs in 8. 1 overs.
Krunal Pandya came into the attack and claimed his first wicket at Chinnaswamy for RCB, bowling out Parag for 22 off 10 balls, which included two fours and two sixes, with Jitesh Sharma taking an impressive catch behind the stumps. This left RR at 110/3 in 9. 1 overs.
After 10 overs, RR's score stood at 113/3, with Dhruv Jurel (2) and Nitish Rana (23) unbeaten.
The spin combination of Suyash and Krunal effectively limited runs in the subsequent three overs, yielding just 19 runs. The mounting pressure led to Nitish's dismissal, as he fell for 28 runs off 22 balls, including three fours and a six, leaving RR at 134/4 in 13. 3 overs.
At the end of 15 overs, RR reached 148/4, with Dhruv Jurel (24) and the newly arrived Shimron Hetmyer seeking to chase down 58 runs in the final five overs.
Hazlewood revitalized the match as Hetmyer was dismissed by Jitesh, scoring just 11 runs. The score for RR stood at 162/5 after 16. 3 overs.
Nevertheless, the duo of Shubham Dubey and Jurel refused to give up, reducing the target to 18 runs with 12 balls remaining. Jurel struck two boundaries and a six, while Shubham added a six of his own.
In the following over, Hazlewood swung the match in favor of RCB by claiming a vital wicket, Jurel, who made 47 off 34 deliveries, including three fours and three sixes, and Jofra Archer, who was out for a golden duck on consecutive balls. At this point, RR was at 189/7 after 18. 4 overs, needing 17 runs in the final over.
Yash Dayal began the last over by taking the crucial wicket of Shubham, who scored 12 runs off 7 balls, as he was caught at deep midwicket by Salt. RR then was at 189/8 in 19. 1 overs.
RCB maintained their surge at the end by running out Wanindu Hasaranga, who managed only one run. RR was at 191/9 in 19. 3 overs.
In the earlier innings, Virat Kohli broke his home ground half-century drought, scoring an impressive 70 runs from 42 balls against Rajasthan Royals (RR), leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a strong total of 205/5.
This innings marked Kohli's fifth fifty in nine matches for the season, bringing his overall runs to 392, placing him second in the Orange Cap standings. His performance included eight fours and two sixes, setting a positive tone for RCB after being invited to bat by RR captain Riyan Parag.
Partnering with Phil Salt at the start, Kohli propelled RCB to a vigorous beginning. The pair accumulated 59 runs during the powerplay and completed their fifty partnership in a mere 4. 4 overs. However, Salt was dismissed shortly after, scoring 26 runs off 23 balls, leaving the score at 61/1.
Kohli then teamed up with Devdutt Padikkal, forging a strong 95-run partnership. Eventually, Kohli was out off the bowling of Jofra Archer in the 15. 1 over after a dominating innings. Padikkal, appearing to be in excellent form, was dismissed soon after, having scored 50 runs from 27 balls, which included four boundaries and three sixes.
The rapid departures of Kohli, Padikkal, and RCB captain Rajat Patidar, who managed only a single run, resulted in three wickets falling in quick succession as RCB slipped to 163/4 after 16. 5 overs.
Nonetheless, Tim David and Jitesh Sharma provided vital momentum at the end with some explosive hitting. David made 23 runs off 15 balls before being run out on the final delivery, while Sharma remained not out on 20 runs from just 10 deliveries, hitting four boundaries to help RCB surpass the 200-run mark.
For Rajasthan, Sandeep Sharma stood out with bowling figures of 2/45, while Jofra Archer and Wanindu Hasaranga each took one wicket.
Brief Scores: RCB: 205/5 (Virat Kohli 70, Devdutt Padikkal 50, Sandeep Sharma 2/45) beat RR: 194/9 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 49, Dhruv Jurel 47, Josh Hazlewood 4/33).
