Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs in Mumbai, with to Faf du Plessis‘ superb 64-ball 96 and Josh Hazlewood‘s IPL career-best four-wicket haul.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for RCB, as early strikes had put them in a vulnerable position at 7 for 2. Avesh Khan and Dushmantha Chameera both took advantage of the smidgeon of grass cover and pounded the ground aggressively, causing a few problems upfront. Chameera was also rewarded for his efforts, dismissing Anuj Rawat and Virat Kohli on consecutive deliveries. Rawat was knocked out with a brilliant catch by KL Rahul at mid-off. Kohli then steered a back-of-a-length pitch that landed high up on his bat to the backward point.
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Glenn Maxwell used his customary sense of adventure to put the pressure back on LSG for a spell. In the third over, he drove between the covers, whipped, and pulled Chameera, bringing RCB’s run-rate near to ten. Maxwell was about to hit top gear when he was taken out by Krunal Pandya. The energetic batter attempted a reverse sweep but couldn’t beat the defender at short third base, where Jason Holder made a nice catch with his long levers.
Essentially, RCB required a window of opportunity to locate the correct key. Ravi Bishnoi bowled a no-ball in the seventh over. Suyash Prabhudessai then smashed the free-hit over long-off for a six and a boundary. Even though Prabhudessai was bowled by Holder in the next over, the two strokes provided RCB some impetus. Du Plessis then found a competent companion in Shahbaz Ahmed, with whom he established a crucial 70-run stand for the fifth wicket.
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Du Plessis achieved 50 off 40 balls, and despite losing Shahbaz, he continued to use a dual rotation of strikes and strokes to increase the scoring rate. He blasted Krunal for a six and a four in the 15th over. He also took on Bishnoi, thwacking him for two boundaries in the 18th over, with the leg-spinner producing figures of 0 for 47 from four overs. Dinesh Karthik hoisted Avesh over long-off for a six at the other end. Du Plessis eventually fell four short of a century in the final over, holed out to deep backward square leg off Holder.
With the ground showing a hint of tennis ball bounce and no dew, RCB’s bowlers stood a solid opportunity of defending the score. When he removed Quinton de Kock with the one that nipped away at the seam, Hazlewood made the early incision. Manish Pandey was likewise sent back to the hut by the towering paceman.
Harshal Patel then claimed the prized scalp of KL Rahul, dismissing the LSG captain with a strangle-down leg. The first decision was not made public, but the RCB overturned it through the review mechanism. Krunal (42) and Marcus Stoinis (24) gave LSG some hope, but RCB won their fifth game of the IPL season. With 10 points on the board, RCB has risen to second place.
