Glenn Maxwell’s first IPL half-century in five years salvaged Royal Challengers Bangalore’s innings as they managed to post 149/8 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2021 match on Wednesday night in Chennai.
Rashid Khan claimed the big wicket of AB de Villiers and Washington Sundar to finish his four overs at 2/18 while Jason Holder, out of quarantine and playing his season-opener, bowled the 20th over and conceded 13 runs in it along with picking 2 wickets to finish with 3/30.
With Devdutt Padikkal starting for the team after sitting out of the opener having recently recovered from COVID-19, he and Virat made 19 off 19 runs before he fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bangalore 19/1 in 2.5 overs.
At 91/2 in 12 overs, it looked like the RCB trio Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell -- both of who were batting at the crease -- and AB de Villiers would take the attack to SRH.
However, led by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid, SRH conceded just 19 runs in the next five overs while picking five wickets. Rashid took two wickets for seven runs in his two overs in that phase.
Virat scored 19 off 14 balls in the power-play phase, specially with his SRH tormentor Sandeep Singh not playing the match. After conceding 35 runs against KKR, Sandeep was dropped in Wednesday’s game despite his stellar record against the Indian skipper, having dismissed him seven times in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The RCB captain went onto make 33 off 29 balls, that included a 44-run partnership with Maxwell – the team’s highest – before falling to Jason Holder in the 13th over as RCB were reduced to 91/3 in 12.1 overs.
AB de Villiers could not replicate his form from the previous match getting out on 1 after facing 5 deliveries.
Maxwell then continued on and scored his first half century for RCB to get them closer to the 150-run mark.
The last and second last partnerships helped Maxwell switch gears at the end of the innings as he scored 27 off 15 with Kyle Jamieson and 13 off 5 with Harshal Patel.
Maxwell, who was the top-scorer for his team, was dismissed on the last ball of the innings. He hit three sixes and five fours after having walked in to bat at No. 4.
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