Rajat Patidar’s explosive half-century and a collective effort from the spinners led Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 35-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2024 game on Thursday, ending their six-match losing streak. Patidar’s innings of 50 off 20 balls was a stark contrast to Virat Kohli’s 51 off 43 balls as RCB posted 206 for seven after electing to bat. For a team that has crossed the 250-run mark thrice in the season, the target was very attainable, but the in-form SRH batting line-up could not perform well on this occasion and ended at 171 for eight in 20 overs. Finished.
It was a much-needed result for RCB, who had lost seven of their first eight matches. The defeat was SRH’s third in eight matches.
Given the effectiveness of the spinners in the first innings, RCB opened the bowling with part-time off-spinner Will Jacks. The English player gave RCB a huge lead by getting the devastating Travis Head (1 of 3) caught at third man.
Head’s opening partner Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13) kept the home crowd entertained until his effort was edged out by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.
Left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, who is making his debut for RCB, took two wickets in his very first over by dismissing the dangerous South African pair of Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen. While Markram missed the full toss and was adjudged LBW, Klaasen was caught at mid-on after mis-timing a lofted drive, leaving SRH at 56 for four in five overs.
Leggie Karan Sharma then closed the door for the opposition by dismissing Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad.
Earlier, Patidar had done most of the work in the 65-run partnership with Kohli, with the focus being on giving his partner the strikes, an approach which was questioned by Sunil Gavaskar on air.
Cameron Green (37 not out off 20 balls) and Swapnil Singh (12 runs off 6 balls) struck on time in the death overs to take RCB past 200.
Kohli and Faf du Plessis (25 off 12) hit the SRH bowlers hard, including opposition captain Pat Cummins, who conceded 19 runs in his first over.
However, after scoring 43 runs without loss in the first 18 balls, RCB could only reach 61 for 1 by the end of the powerplay.
Du Plessis was deceived by a slow short ball from T Natarajan and was caught by Aiden Markram at mid-off. Will Jacques (6 off 9) went for a powerful slog sweep off a flighted delivery from leg spinner Mayank Markandey but could not make contact to be bowled, leaving RCB at 65 for two in seven overs.
Then Kohli and Patidar together took the inning forward.
After the powerplay, the spinners were successful in putting pressure on the batsmen. As Kohli went for the strike rotation in this difficult phase for RCB, Patidar broke the shackles by hitting four consecutive sixes off Markandey in the 11th over.
The first two hits were down the ground, before Patidar read Markande’s googly and sent it over mid-wicket. The fourth and final six came on a wide and looped delivery which Patidar sent over extra cover.
There was such a contrast in the styles of approaches that Patidar took 19 balls to reach his half-century, while Kohli, the IPL’s leading run-getter, took 37 balls.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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