Royal Challengers Bengaluru scored 182/6 in 20 overs, where as Kolkata Knight Riders scored 186/3 in 16.5 overs.
So, finally Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 7 wickets.
Sunil Narine commemorated his 500th T20 match by tormenting Royal Challengers Bengaluru with a remarkable innings, smashing 47 off just 22 balls.
Venkatesh Iyer then stepped up, following Narine’s lead, to achieve a half-century with 50 runs off 30 deliveries.
Despite Virat Kohli’s resilient 83* off 59 balls, guiding RCB to a total of 182 for 6, KKR managed to chase down what appeared to be an above-par target at the halfway mark, doing so with 3.1 overs to spare.
What characterized KKR’s PowerPlay?
KKR’s PowerPlay was defined by their aggressive batting, particularly Sunil Narine’s dominance.
Phil Salt initiated the chase by aggressively attacking Mohammed Siraj, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the 18-run opening over.
Narine then took charge, capitalizing on Alzarri Joseph’s attempts to bowl short and fast.
Despite Joseph’s efforts, Narine managed to clear the boundaries even with mistimed shots due to the small dimensions of the Chinnaswamy stadium.
Despite being beaten for pace occasionally, Narine still struck two sixes in a 14-run over from Joseph.
He further capitalized on a slower delivery from Siraj in the fifth over, dispatching it for a six over deep square leg.
The onslaught continued in the final over of the PowerPlay, bowled by Yash Dayal, where Narine smashed two fours and two sixes, accumulating 21 runs.
Consequently, KKR raced to a formidable total of 85/0 in just 6 overs.
What unfolded next?
After Mayank Dagar dismissed Narine with a full delivery, and Salt was caught at deep square leg off RCB’s impact substitute Vijaykumar Vyshak, it seemed like RCB might have found a way back into the game.
However, Venkatesh Iyer’s entrance ensured that KKR maintained the momentum established by the openers.
He aggressively attacked Dagar, hitting a six down the ground, and then managed a boundary off Vyshak to keep RCB under pressure.
When Faf du Plessis reintroduced Joseph into the attack, it only further favored KKR.
Venkatesh continued his onslaught by smashing a short of length slower delivery for a six over midwicket, followed by a well-placed cut shot for four, and then a pulled six over fine leg.
A fortuitous boundary off the top-edge concluded a 20-run over.
By the time Yash Dayal dismissed Venkatesh, he had scored a brisk 30-ball 50, firmly steering KKR towards victory.
Despite Vyshak’s effective use of change of pace, RCB found themselves with limited options to reverse the course of the game from this juncture.
How did RCB begin?
Impressive. Virat Kohli aggressively took on Mitchell Starc during the PowerPlay and formed a partnership with Cameron Green, who confidently struck two boundaries and a six off Narine in the sixth over.
Despite Faf du Plessis departing early, RCB managed to accumulate 61 runs in the PowerPlay, laying a solid foundation for further consolidation during the middle overs.
KKR’s Slow Bowling Strategy Pays Off
Facing two power-hitters in the middle, KKR opted for slow bowlers to unsettle RCB’s rhythm.
Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy played his role effectively, maintaining a tight line and conceding just six runs in his two overs, even bowling one during the PowerPlay.
Despite Narine facing disdain from the batsmen, Andre Russell’s ability to vary his pace and hit the pitch hard proved crucial in restricting RCB’s progress.
Russell removed Green with a seemingly innocuous delivery but then tightened his grip on the game, ending with figures of 2 for 29.
His change of pace troubled even Kohli, as evidenced by 11 dot balls in his four overs.
Varun Chakaravarthy, initially held back for the arrival of Glenn Maxwell, made an immediate impact by repeatedly deceiving Kohli and conceding only three runs in his opening over.
Was there a turnaround?
To some extent.
Maxwell and Kohli initiated a recovery in the following over, aiming to pull RCB out of the post-PowerPlay slowdown.
They capitalized on runs off Harshit Rana and Narine, with Maxwell even benefiting from two dropped catches.
However, Starc, Russell, and Harshit delivered three impressive overs at the death, filled with variations in pace, conceding just 19 runs.
Although Kohli struggled slightly in the middle overs, he accelerated against Starc in the final over, smashing a six.
Dinesh Karthik then took on Russell in the 19th over, hitting a couple of sixes to propel RCB forward after a period of stagnation.
Starc, however, ended with figures of 0 for 47 as RCB managed to score 29 runs off the last two overs, pushing them past the 180-run mark.
Nevertheless, this proved inadequate in the end.
What’s on the horizon?
RCB enjoys a three-day hiatus before welcoming Lucknow Super Giants on April 2.
Meanwhile, KKR heads to Vizag for their clash against “hosts” Delhi Capitals on April 3.
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