Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) completed their fifth win in seven games, thrashing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 82 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday, 12 October.
From 111/2 in 15 overs, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli smashed 83 runs in the last five overs to help RCB post 194/2 in their first game at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium this season.
Then a clinical bowling performance by RCB – who brought in Mohammed Siraj in place of Gurkeerat Mann to have an extra bowler – restricted KKR to 112/9 in their 20 overs.
With this win, Virat & Co replace Dinesh Karthik’s KKR at the third spot in the standings.
RCB’s Innings
Choosing to bat, openers Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal got RCB off to a decent start, posting 47/0 in the Powerplay overs. On a day when KKR’s fielding was lackadaisical, Finch was handed a second life after being dropped by Nagarkoti at 19.
The opening duo stitched a 67-run stand before Andre Russell gave KKR a breakthrough by cleaning up Padikkal for 32 (off 23 balls) – his 300th wicket in T20 cricket.
Finch was denied his second half-century of the season by Prasidh Krishna, who castled the opener for a 37-ball 47. Captain Kohli added 27 runs with Finch and then notched an unbeaten 100-run partnership with AB de Villiers – the star of RCB’s innings.
From 111/2 in 15 overs, De Villiers and Kohli smashed 83 runs in the last five overs.
ABD scored quickfire half-century off just 23 deliveries. The former South African cricketer's 33-ball 73* featured six sixes and five boundaries. Kohli, on other hand, hit just one boundary and remained unbeaten on 33* (off 28 balls).
KKR’s Innings
Despite the short boundaries at Sharjah, none of the KKR batsmen could fire like De Villiers did for RCB.
All the bowlers picked up at least a wicket each. Yuzvendra Chahal returned with figures of 1/12 in four overs while Washington Sundar (2/20) and Chris Morris (2/17) picked up two scalps apiece. Udana, Siraj and Saini also got a wicket each.
Opener Tom Banton, making his IPL debut in place of Sunil Narine who was reported for bowling with a suspected illegal action, was castled by Saini for 8. His fellow opener Shubman Gill then added 28 runs with Nitish Rana before Washington Sundar sent the latter packing for 9 (off 14 balls).
KKR lost three wickets in the gap of 11 balls and were reduced to 64/5 in 11.1 overs, still needing 131 runs from 53 balls.
Gill faced 25 deliveries but could manage just one six and three boundaries before getting run out for 34 – the highest score of the innings. Dinesh Karthik (1) and Eoin Morgan (8) followed him back to the hut in the next two overs.
Andre Russell (10-ball 16) smashed a six and two boundaries off Isuru Udana on the first three balls of the 14th over but was caught out on the fourth by Siraj. Rahul Tripathi scored a 22-ball 16 before Morris took a stunning catch to dismiss him.
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