Only last week Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis praised Dinesh Karthik’s cool head in the death overs, comparing the wicketkeeper to MS Dhoni. Against Rajasthan Royals, on Wednesday, the 36-year-old honoured his captain’s words and played a match-winning knock for RCB. 

The Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated the Rajasthan Royals by four wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. 

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Karthik, sent to bat when the team was 87/5, stitched a 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed to take the team home. The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper scored an unbeaten 44 runs off 23 balls with the help of seven boundaries and one six. Ahmed made 45 runs off 26 balls. He hit four boundaries and three maximums. 

For Rajasthan Royals, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult came back with two wickets each. Navdeep Saini dismissed one batsman. 

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After a 55-run opening stand between Faf du Plessis (29) and Anuj Rawat (26), RCB saw wickets fall in quick succession. 

Virat Kohli (5) was run out and the likes of David Willey (0) and Sherfane Rutherford (5) could not contribute significantly. 

In the first innings, Jos Buttler hammered half a dozen sixes in his unbeaten 70 as Rajasthan Royals grafted their way to 169 for three. The Englishman, fresh off a hundred in the previous game, had to work hard in his 47-ball knock on a slow Wankhede pitch. He had the support of Shimron Hetmyer (42 not out off 31) at the other end as the duo shared an unbeaten 83-run stand off 51 balls.

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Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 29) started playing their strokes after the Powerplay and shared a 70-run stand to give the innings a move on.

For RCB, Wanindu Hasaranga (1/32), Harshal Patel (1/18) and David Willey 1/29 took a wicket each.

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Brief Score: Rajasthan Royals: 169 for 3 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 70 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 42 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 1/32, Harshal Patel 1/18, David Willey 1/29) Royal Challengers Bangalore: 173 for 6 in 19.1 overs (Dinesh Karthik 44 not out, Shahbaz Ahmed 45; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/15)