Ahmedabad: After a disappointing loss in the last game, Royal Challengers Bangalore returned in winning ways registering a narrow 1 run victory over Delhi Capitals in a thriller in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday (April 28).The two Delhi young guns Rishabh Pant (58*) and Shimron Hetmyer (53*) put up a brave fight at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad but were unable to get the team over line.
Winning by 1 run, we must talk about how this was an equally poised contest. But we’re glad we came on top. Cricket won again tonight! 🙌🏻
We move on to the next Challenge. 👊🏻#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 #DCvRCB #DareToDream pic.twitter.com/71q396R8EE
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 27, 2021
Earlier, AB de Villiers (75) and Rajat Patidar (31) sent RCB to 171/5 in 20 overs. In reply, Dehli at one stage were reeling at 92/4 in 12.4 overs while chasing an competitive 172 for victory when Hetmyer joined his skipper at the crease starting the fight back in a swashbuckling fashion.
However, with 16 needed off the penultimate over, Bangalore’s Mohammed Siraj bowled held his composure to clinch the victory helping his side climb to the top.
Earlier, Bangalore after being asked to bat, had once again a poor start seeing openers go home inside the powerplay. Glenn Maxwell(25), despite a good start followed them soon. AB de Villiers and Rajat Patidar joined hands first rebuilding for a brief before started accelerating the innings. However, the latter went home in the process for a well made 25 ball 31.
With wickets keep falling at the other end, de Villiers took the charge on his hands willowing a 42 ball 75 sending RCB to 171/5 in 20 overs. For Delhi, Ishant Sharma(1/26) and Axar Patel(1/33) were pick of the bowlers while Amit Mishra again proved useful with 1/27 in his three-overs.
Delhi’s chase got off to a stumbling as they too lost their top three cheaply. Skipper Pant though played a rather contrasting innings to his usual thanks to the resilient bowling of RCB bowlers especially, Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar in those middle overs. Marcus Stoinis (22), despite looking good at the middle was unable to capitalise on it.
With 79 runs needing of the last 8 overs, the Shimron Hetmyer clobbered the RCB bowlers all-around park of a 25 ball 53. The young Carribbean took Jamieson to cleaners smashing him 21 in the 18th over to close the gap down. However, Mohammed Siraj’s bowled some fiery yorkers in the last over denying Pant a sort of room to open his hands. Although the Delhi skipper a manage to squeezy in a couple of boundaries off the last two balls but it wasn’t enough for them.
Rishav’s captaincy should be put into question after not giving Amit Mishra another over despite his brilliant spell.His dependency on Stoinis too is not proved always useful as he was smashed by de Villiers quite comfortably in the last over the innings. RCB’s poor middle order form was again exposed badly in this game although de Villiers saved the game this around.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 171/5 in 20 overs(AB de Villiers 75 not out, Rajat Patidar 31; Ishant Sharma 1/26, Avesh Khan 1/24) beat Delhi Capitals(Rishav Pant 58 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 53 not out; Kyle Jamieson 1/32 Harshal Patel 2/37) by 1 run
