Royal Challengers Bengaluru put up a near-perfect show in Hyderabad on Thursday. It helped them record their first away win this season, a 35-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chasing 207, regular fall of wickets dented Sunrisers’ chances. RCB opened the bowling with off-spinner Will Jacks to offset the two left-handed openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.
The plan worked well as Head was dismissed cheaply in the first over itself. Abhishek, after hammering 31 off 12 balls with three sixes and two fours, miscued a big hit against Yash Dayal to bring about his dismissal.
Thereafter, in the space of seven deliveries, Swapnil Singh claimed Aiden Markram leg before and followed it up with Heinrich Klaasen’s wicket. The backbone of Sunrisers batting was broken and they failed to cope up with the asking rate.
Pat Cummins blasted three sixes to race away to 31 off 14 balls but Cameron Green’s short ball ended his stay. Shahbaz Ahmed tried to put up a resistance but it was too late.
Earlier, RCB huffed and puffed to reach 206/7. The visitors began on a positive note reaching 61/1 in the Powerplay overs but failed to maintain the tempo.
Rajat Patidar played a flamboyant innings of 50 off 20 balls including five sixes and two boundaries but not all batters displayed the same fearless approach.
Virat Kohli will have to take much of the blame for failing to improve his strike-rate which has been the topic of much debate in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
The RCB opener made 51 off 43 balls at a strike-rate of 118.60.
He reached 23 off 11 balls (SR 209) balls but later failed to force the pace which affected RCB’s momentum.
They managed only 81 runs in the middle overs from the seventh to 15th. The last five over produced 64 runs.
Patidar’s explosive innings stood in stark contrast to Kohli’s measured approach as he was tied down by Jaydev Unadkat and Shahbaz Ahmed.
