Rajasthan Royals (RR) traveled to Bengaluru to participate in the green game against hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 11th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.
Rajasthan Royals lost the toss and were asked to bat first by Virat Kohli. RCB brought in Pawan Negi in place of Sarfaraz Khan, while RR remained unchanged.
D’Arcy Short’s painful IPL experience got a bit better as he managed to score 11 runs in this game before getting out to Chahal. Rahane hurt his knee and as a result, went after the RCB bowlers, making 36 off 20 balls with a career-best T20 strike rate 180. Chris Woakes sent him back, caught by Umesh Yadav. Sanju Samson, however, had created a foundation for himself to launch and first with Ben Stokes, who made 27 and then with Jos Buttler, who made 23 off 14 balls; took RCB bowlers to task.
Samson hit 92* off 45 balls with 10 sixes and 2 fours as RR scored a mammoth 217/4 in 20 overs.
Last match’s hero Umesh Yadav went for 59 runs in his 4 overs and Woakes went for 47 runs and picked 2 wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal was brilliant with the ball, picking 2 wickets for 22 runs.
RCB had a big task in front of them and needed a quick start from openers Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock. McCullum perished, caught by Stokes off Gowtham, after hitting a four; while De Kock hit 26 off 19 balls with 4 fours, before Short had him caught by Unadkat.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers then got together and looked dangerous. Kohli reached 57 off 30 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes, before he was caught by Short off Gopal. Gopal also accounted for AB de Villiers who made 20 runs.
Pawan Negi went for 3, but Mandeep Singh (47* off 25 balls; 6x4s, 1x6s) tried his best to keep RCB in the chase, with the help of Washington Sundar.
But the asking rate was too high and with 48 runs needed in last 12 balls, Sundar (35 in 19 balls; 3 sixes, 1 four) took things in his own hands and smoked Stokes for a four and a six off the first two balls of the 19th over.
BRIEF SCORES:
RR 217/4 (S SAMSON 92*; Y CHAHAL 2/22) defeated RCB 198/6 (V Kohli 57; S GOPAL 2/22) by 19 runs
