The 46th match of the IPL 2018 saw Delhi Daredevils (DD) play Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. DD, who has been eliminated from the race to playoffs, was looking to play party pooper for RCB’s chances of making it into the top four.
Virat Kohli, RCB captain won the toss and decided to bowl first in this must-win encounter for them. Sarfaraz Khan made it back into the playing XI for RCB. DD gave debuts to Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane, South Africa’s Junior Dala, and India’s U19 star Abhishek Sharma.
DD’s opening didn’t click today as Shaw (2) and Roy (12) were dismissed by Chahal for just 16 runs on the board. Captain Iyer (32) and Rishabh Pant (61 from 34 balls 5x4s, 4x6s) added 93 runs for the 3rd wicket. Pant was in his devastating form and clobbered the RCB bowling to all parts of the ground.
However, when he and Iyer fell with the score reading 120, DD must have hoped for someone to give them the last overs impetus. They got it in form of the 17-year-old Abhishek Sharma, who smacked 46* off just 19 balls on his IPL debut, hitting 4 sixes and 3 fours in the process. Vijay Shankar supported him with 21 runs in 20 balls, as DD put up 181/4 in 20 overs.
Chahal was the best RCB bowler with figures if 2/28 and Moeen Ali too returned figures of 1/25 in his 4 overs.
RCB knew they had to somehow chase down that target with a good net run rate to keep themselves in the race of playoffs. However, both their openers Parthiv (6) and Ali (1) went back into the hut for the score of 18 runs. Ali became the first IPL victim of Nepal’s Lamichhane, caught by Shaw.
Then came Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers together and added 118 runs for the third wicket. Both looked in ominous form before Amit Mishra removed Kohli for 70 (40b, 7 fours, 3 sixes). But De Villiers was batting at the other end and that gave strength to RCB hopes of a win.
De Villiers didn’t break those hopes and helped RCB cross the line by remaining unbeaten on 72* off 37 balls with 6 sixes and 4 fours.
RCB beat DD by 5 wickets and continue to keep themselves alive for the top four finish.
BRIEF SCORES:
DD 181/4 (R PANT 61; Y CHAHAL 2/28) lost to RCB 187/5 (AB DE VILLIERS 72*; T BOULT 2/40) by 5 wkts
