Virat Kohli did the sensible thing after winning the toss and putting Rajasthan Royals into bat. RR are languishing at the bottom of the league’s table, and RCB at the top. With 3 wins, RCB was looking to reclaim the top spot that CSK took away after their win over KKR last night.
Kohli couldn’t have asked for a better start. Mohammad Siraj is a fast bowler that is maturing beyond his age. He keeps showing why Kohli reposed so much faith in his abilities. He opened well, never letting the dangerous Jos Butler getaway. Butler and Vohra were both back in the pavilion within 4 fours.
Butler scored just 8 while Vohra was out for 7. Sanju Samson continued with his string of poor performances getting out after scoring a couple of half-decent shots. The RR captain’s poor form continued as he got out for 21 off 18 balls. Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, and Rahul Tewatia tried to get a move on.
All got decent starts, but no one was really able to grab the game by the scruff of its neck and take RR post the 200 marks. Tewatia looked like he could take the game away from RCB. The prolific left-hander striking the ball right off the mete of the bat. However, his innings of 40 that included 2 sixes and 4 fours came to an end thanks to you guessed it, Siraj.
A match-winning CENTURY from @devdpd07 as #RCB win by 10 wickets.
Scorecard – https://t.co/ZB2JNOhWcL #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/sOIDIbRLch
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 22, 2021
The lanky fast bowler ending with 3 for 27 off his 4 overs. Kohli couldn’t have asked for more from the Hyderabad lad. In the end, RR could manage a decent 177 for the loss of 8 wickets off their 20 overs.
RCB started like a storm. Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli at one point looked like ending the game and chasing down 178 within 10 overs. Padikkal went berserk smashing sixes at will. Kohli was very comfortable watching the onslaught from the non-striker’s end. Padikkal going on to score a well-deserved century off just 50 balls. The swashbuckling opener smashing 6 sixes and 11 fours in a century for the ages.
Kohil started piling on the runs and remained not out on 72 runs off 47 balls. In a game that summed up the dominance of RCB with both the bat and the ball, this was a game that sent out a warning for the rest of the teams in the tournament.
Complete domination with both the bat and the ball makes RCB go to the top of the standings. If this was a game that required RCB firing on all cylinders, you bet they did. The game and the performance of RCB could be summed up in just one word- EMPHATIC!
