Patidar’s fifty guides RCB to crucial win against DC
Delhi faltered in its pursuit of 188 with it getting bundled out for 140 in 19.1 overs in the face of a disciplined bowling performance from RCB.
RCB players celebrates after a wicket (PTI)
BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru earned a 47-run win over Delhi Capitals to keep its playoff hopes alive in the IPL here on Sunday. RCB’s fifth win on the trot moved it to fifth in the table with 12 points from 13 games. It will take on Chennai Super Kings in what will be both teams’ final league game on May 18. Delhi, on the other hand, slumped to sixth with a net run rate of –0.482.
Delhi faltered in its pursuit of 188 with it getting bundled out for 140 in 19.1 overs in the face of a disciplined bowling performance from RCB. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal stood out in particular taking three wickets for 20 runs. Stand-in skipper Axar Patel waged a lone battle, scoring 57 (39b, 5x4, 3x6) after a top-order collapse saw his team tottering at 30 for four inside the powerplay. Lockie Ferguson chipped in with two wickets for 23 runs.
Earlier, Rajat Patidar (52, 32b, 3x4, 3x6) and Will Jacks (41, 29b, 3x4, 2x6) added 88 runs off 53 balls during a breezy third-wicket stand as RCB overcame the early dismissals of skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli to have a strong middle passage.
Du Plessis’ slice off pacer Mukesh Kumar was gobbled up by Jack Fraser-McGurk near third man.
Kohli gave signals of another T20 masterclass while creaming 27 off 13 balls, including two sixes off Ishant Sharma and one off Khaleel Ahmed (2/31). But a waft outside the off-stump with little foot movement resulted in a simple catch to stumper Abishek Porel as Ishant indulged in a rather amusing block-Kohli celebration.
RCB, however, found Patidar in full flow once again. His first scoring shot was a magnificent cover driven four off Mukesh and he never let that early momentum fade.
The elegance soon gave away for brute force as Patidar brought forth his six-hitting abilities, hitting Axar Patel, stand-in skipper of Delhi Capitals in the absence of suspended Rishabh Pant, for two sixes and sending Kuldeep Yadav over long-on for a maximum.
The Capitals fielders too helped Patidar copiously. Shai Hope dropped the right-hander on 42 off Kuldeep and five runs later Axar grassed him off pacer Rasikh Salam.
At the other end, Jacks, who was given a reprieve on 19 by Axar off Kuldeep, displayed his untrammelled power and the left-arm wrist spinner was at the receiving end, watching the ball sailing over long-on twice.
BRIEF SCORES: RCB 187/9 in 20 overs (R Patidar 52, W Jacks 41) bt DC 140 in 19.1 overs (A Patel 57, Y Dayal 3/20)
