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Tag: RCB

  • Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal strike fiery half-centuries but CSK restrict RCB to 156/6

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Skipper Virat Kohli and young Devdutt Padikkal struck brisk half-centuries in an impressive 111-run stand before Chennai Super King pulled the strings to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 156 for six in an IPL game here on Friday.

    Kohli (53) and Padikkal (70) were going hammer and tongs after being asked to take first strike but once the partnership was broken by Dwayne Bravo, the RCB lost momentum and allowed CSK to wrest control.

    RCB managed only 45 runs in the remaining 6.4 overs after being in a position from where they could have pushed for a score in the vicinity of 200.

    Bravo’s bowling made a huge difference to the conclusion of the RCB innings as he conceded only 24 runs in his four overs and also added the wickets of Glenn Maxwell (11) and Harshal Patel (3).

    CSK had no dearth of quality bowlers with Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood opening the attack but Bangalore openers — Kohli and Padikkal — went about striking the ball cleanly.

    Kohli began with consecutive boundaries off Chahar but took a bit of time to find his rhythm.

    The skipper lofted the same bowler for a massive six on the on-side while Padikkal was fluent with his well-timed shots on the off-side.

    MS Dhoni shuffled his bowlers but none got the length that could either trouble the batsmen or stop the run flow.

    The young left-hander also used his feet well against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, sending the ball soaring over long-on.

    He completed his fifty with a crushing four off Chahar which also raised the team’s hundred.

    The breakthrough eventually came when Bravo sent back Kohli, who struck the ball clean and hard but was caught near the boundary ropes.

    That wicket stemmed the run flow and while trying to break the shackles, both AB De Villiers (12) and Padikkal became victims of Shardul Thakur.

    Maxwell was expected to go after the bowlers and he did that, striking a six off Bravo to raise the team’s 150 in the 18th over, but a late flourish eluded RCB.

  • Singapore batsman Tim David makes IPL debut as RCB bat first against unchanged CSK

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Hard-hitting T20 freelancer Tim David has become the first player from Singapore national team to make an Indian Premier League debut as Royal Challengers Bangalore were invited to bat by Chennai Super Kings here on Friday.

    David replaced pacer Kyle Jamieson and RCB also brought in Indian pacer Navdeep Saini in place of batsman Sachin Baby.

    CSK fielded an unchanged side.

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Debdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Tim David, Wanindur Hasaranga, Navdeep Saini, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

    Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

  • Clinical Kolkata Knight Riders outplay Royal Challengers Bangalore, win by nine wickets

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: An authoritative Kolkata Knight Riders bossed Royal Challengers Bangalore from the beginning to the end to record a convincing nine-wicket win in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.

    Showing serious intent after their mediocre outing in the first phase of the league earlier this year, the Knight Riders bowlers fired in unison to bundle out Royal Challengers Bangalore for a paltry 92.

    Then, the opening duo of Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer played some breathtaking shots and made light work of the chase of 93, completing the formality with as many as 10 overs to spare.

    The supremely-talented Gill got out for a 48 off 34 deliveries while Iyer, who could have been a successful management professional after finishing his MBA in finance and giving up a placement as a tax consultant, was looking good on a 27-ball 41 not out when the winning run was hit.

    The result will not just boost their morale immensely but also improve KKR’s net run rate going ahead.

    Opening the bowling, architect-turned-mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (3/13) did the star turn with three wickets in an excellent four-over spell.

    Star all-rounder Andre Russell (3/9 in three overs) also bagged three wickets, including AB de Villiers’ golden duck, while there were two for Lockie Ferguson.

    Devdutt Padikkal was the highest scorer with 22 runs in a forgettable outing in skipper Virat Kohli’s 200th game for RCB.

    Bowling the day’s second over, right-arm medium pacer Prasidh Krishna dealt RCB a big blow when he had Virat Kohli trapped in front of wicket with his fourth delivery that jagged in and hit him above the knee-roll.

    Having completed a double century of matches for RCB, Kohli went for a review but the ball-tracking technology confirmed that it was going on to hit the stumps.

    This was immediately after Kohli sent a Krishna delivery in front of square on the off-side for a lovely four.

    New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson replaced Chakravarthy and the gifted Devdutt Padikkal smashed the pacer straight over his head to get things moving for RCB.

    Krishna bowled back-to-back no balls (one front foot and one beamer) in the next over and while debutant Srikar Bharat failed to break the shackles, Padikkal capitalised on the extra delivery with a boundary.

    KKR skipper Eoin Morgan made another bowling change by bringing in Sunil Narine and while the Trinidadian spinner could not get a breakthrough in his first over, Ferguson succeeded in his second when he had Padikkal caught behind when the batsman tried to play the ball fine past the keeper despite hardly getting any room to execute the ramp shot.

    Russell ended Bharat’s stay in the middle as the pressure mounted on the batsman.

    And then came the biggest blow for RCB when Russell bowled AB de Villiers for a first-ball duck with a top-notch yorker targeting the leg-stump.

    RCB were in all sorts of trouble at 52 for four in the ninth over and it became only worse for them with the departure of Glenn Maxwell, who brought his own downfall with a needless heave against Chakravarthy’s tossed-up delivery, and Wanindu Hasaranga, the team’s another debutant, getting out cheaply.

    Both the batsmen were dismissed off successive balls on a surface that was on the slower side, something that Kohli talked about after opting to bat at the toss.

  • RCB win toss, elect to bat against KKR in Virat Kohli’s 200th game

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat against Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.

    KS Bharat and Wanindu Hasaranga will make their debut for RCB, while Venkatesh Iyer is set to play his maiden IPL game for KKR.

    Kohli is playing in a landmark 200th match for RCB, a team that he has been a part of since the beginning of the lucrative league in 2008.

    “More special than the 200th game is this uniform: we promised that we would be playing for the Covid warriors, with these jerseys being auctioned for people,” Kohli said at the toss.

    The Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (capt), Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna.

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Sachin Baby, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal.

  • IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore look to regain momentum

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The pandemic hampered sporting events all around the world and IPL 2021 was no exception. Its suspension was no-brainer with the virus breaching the bio bubble.

    Did the halt, which was a must then, rob Royal Challengers Bangalore of a golden opportunity to win their maiden title?

    Truth be told, IPL is an unpredictable beast and it could have been anybody’s game despite their impressive start with five wins from seven games. However, when they resume their IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on Monday, they will be expected to carry that momentum into the second leg in the UAE.

    Bangalore, who lie third on the table, need their heroes of the Indian leg to deliver once again. The new signings including Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, and others also need to contribute. The inclusion of the Lankan spinner in the UAE could be a trump card. There is no doubt Bangalore will be under pressure, especially after increasing hopes of ending their title duck with an impressive first leg, where many players delivered.

    ALSO READ | Virat Kohli to step down as RCB skipper after IPL 2021

    Maxwell looked in great form. He is the highest run-scorer for the team so far (223 from six innings). Their Achilles heel was also more or less sorted with Harshal Patel doing the job — the highest wicket-taker in the league with 17 scalps. At one point, it looked like whatever Kohli touched, turned into gold. The likes of AB de Villiers, Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson and Mohammed Siraj among others played their role to perfection. Suddenly, they were no longer a team dependent on Kohli and de Villiers only. Also, the opening pair of Kohli and Padikkal looked good. This ploy could hold even more importance in the UAE for the right-hander considering he will be up against the new ball, probably the best time to bat as the conditions could get tougher in the middle stages when the slower bowlers are in action. Also, there have been times when Kohli has not looked comfortable against the spinners in such conditions.

    Now, the big question remains if Bangalore can come up with a repeat performance. It is not going to be easy as the competition is only going to get intense with teams expected to go all out in the race to the play-offs. Despite their good start, Kohli is aware that no team can be taken for granted in this league.

    “Having played the game at this level for so long, you understand that whether you are seven wins in a row, you still have to start the eighth with the same kind of commitment and passion and professionalism. Whether you have no wins out of five, six games, like we have experienced as a team (in the past), you have to find that passion and motivation to change the result. You just cannot afford to take anything for granted – not wins, not losses. You should not be disheartened by losses and definitely not take wins for granted..,” said Kohli on Saturday.

    There will be newfound hunger for some of the players in the squad. Yuzvendra Chahal will have a thing to prove after his omission from the T20 World Cup, which will be Kohli’s last competition as captain in the shorter format. And winning a title like the IPL before his last jig as T20I captain would be a big statement.

  • Virat Kohli to step down as RCB skipper after IPL 2021

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Virat Kohli will step down as captain of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the ongoing season, the Indian batting maestro announced on Sunday, two days after deciding to quit national T20 captaincy following next month’s World Cup.

    The 32-year-old Kohli, one of the most decorated players of the franchise, will continue to be a part of the RCB squad.

    “This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me,” Kohli said in a statement issued by RCB.

    He added, “It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years.

    “It wasn’t an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise.”

    Kohli of late hasn’t been at his peak as a batsman in Tests, a format which he adores.

    For close to two years now, Kohli hasn’t scored a long-form century and made 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.

    While announcing his decision to quit national T20 captaincy, he had stated that he was taking the step to manage his workload better.”

  • Kohli and Royal Challengers Bangalore confident of carrying forward good IPL start

    Express News Service

    It has been a busy last couple of months for the Royal Challengers Bangalore management. 

    Around five players were unavailable for the tournament, increasing the necessity to find quality players for the second leg of the IPL, which resumes from Sunday. With Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera being two of those replacements, they have found players who have the much-needed experience of playing in similar conditions as in the United Arab Emirates.  It is not only about the surface, which will have more wear and tear as the competition gets along, but it is also about the heat and humidity. 

    The Sri Lankan duo has been born and brought up, playing in such conditions, which is only going to assist Bangalore. More importantly, leggie Hasaranga comes into the season with 11 wickets in his last six T20I games, and is known for taking wickets. Chameera is someone, who can be relied on during the death overs as he possesses good pace, slower balls and effective yorkers. If need be, he could be a great fit with Harshal Patel at the death. 

    ALSO READ | Five players to watch as IPL rivalries are revived “We have got a few replacements… Hasaranga and Chameera are two guys who have played so much cricket in Sri Lanka, and they know how to play in pitches like these. Their skillsets will definitely be of a huge help to us, playing in Dubai (UAE), understanding how hot and humid conditions can be and how the pitches will play out,” said skipper Virat Kohli during the launch of the team’s blue jersey, which will be worn in their first game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday to pay tribute to Covid frontline warriors.   Kohli got out of quarantine on Friday and stepped out for some practice sessions and was pleased to see the energy, with players giving it their all during training. Bangalore, who have never won the IPL, played some good cricket that helped them stay in the top half of the table for the majority of the first leg. They are currently placed third and it remains to be seen how the players fare in the crucial phase now. 

    The core set of players, including AB de Villiers, Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj, Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have already featured for the franchise in the UAE in the IPL 2020. So, they are aware of their roles. Glenn Maxwell, irrespective of the conditions, is a game-changer.  “We have had a good start in IPL 2021. That is certainly a motivating and driving factor, knowing that we can play a certain brand of cricket which we have shown in the first leg with strong consistent performances, every player chipping in somewhere or the other. The strength of the team is coming together in crunch moments, people standing up and making impact performances when needed for the team…” said Kohli. 

  • IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: RCB all-rounder Glenn Maxwell

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes having the Indian Premier League in the UAE will level the playing field “a fair bit” in the T20 World Cup to be held at the same venue next month.

    The IPL will resume on September 19 in the UAE after being suspended in May due to the second wave of COVID-19 in India, which led to multiple cases inside its bio-bubble.

    It will be followed by the T20 World Cup from October 17.

    “The tournament being in UAE probably levels the playing field a little bit,” Maxwell, who plays for Royal Challenger Bangalore in the IPL, told ‘icc-cricket.com’.

    “Probably makes it a little bit easier for there not to be as much of a home ground advantage. For the IPL to be there to have a lot of international players that are potentially going to be in that World Cup over there playing, I think it’s probably levelled the playing field a fair bit.”

    Australia’s top players, including Steve Smith, David Warner, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, have not competed in the last few months and will be back in action at the IPL.

    Maxwell said the IPL stint will help the preparation of the Australian players.

    “The fact we’ve got a lot of guys going over for the IPL as a preparation, get a few games in those conditions, it’s going to do wonders for our batters,” he said.

    “Our bowlers are going to be up and firing by the time the tournament starts. I can assure you everyone is looking forward to hitting the ground running over there.”

    Australia will have to battle it out against defending champions West Indies, world number one England and South Africa in a tough group in the Super 12 stage.

    With their key players missing, Australia suffered 1-5 series losses against the West Indies and Bangladesh but Maxwell has no doubts they’ll manage a better performance at the big competition.

    Talking about Australia’s chances at the World Cup, Maxwell said: “I think they’re very good. When this team comes together, I think we’ll slip straight back into us being in a great position.

    “We’re all looking forward to it. You look through our line-up, we’ve got a team full of match winners and guys that on their day can take the game away from the opposition.”

    Asked about the draw in the T20 World Cup, Maxwell said: “There are no weak teams in this World Cup and we know that. We know we’ve also got a very good chance of beating everyone on our day. Both groups are going to be tough, it doesn’t matter.

    “If we play our best, I feel that’s going to be good enough on the day. I think we’ll be focussing solely on what we can do every game and hopefully, that is good enough at the end of the day.”

  • Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers pleased after hitting century in warm-up game

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Ahead of the IPL 2021 resumption in UAE, Royal Challengers Bangalore had their first practice match in The Sevens Stadium on Tuesday evening to acclimatise to playing a full game in the hot and sultry conditions. The practice match turned into an edge-of-the-seat thriller with fantastic performances from both teams.

    RCB ‘A’ led by Harshal Patel won the toss and decided to bat against RCB ‘B’ — led by Devdutt Padikkal. The ‘A’ team put on a fantastic batting display and put up a total of 212 runs led by AB de Villiers, who ensured he continued his belligerent form. ABD plundered 104 off 46 deliveries, his knock laced with 7 boundaries and 10 sixes. The South Africa veteran was accompanied by Mohammed Azharudden, who smashed 66 off 43 balls, including 3 sixes and 4 boundaries.

    Speaking about his explosive century, AB de Villiers said on the latest episode of RCB ‘Bold Diaries’: “When we arrived and I got out off the bus, I thought it’s crazy that we’re trying to play a cricket game in the middle of the day. Luckily the breeze came up, I told my partner at the crease that it’s much better now and the pitch will get flatter. We had fun out there, I’m pleased with the runs on the board. It was very scratchy for the first 20 balls out there. I was very happy to get the runs. There’s nothing more valuable than just getting runs right in the middle.”

    The RCB ‘B’ team came out to chase a formidable total and performed exceptionally. KS Bharat led from the front and scored 95 runs to be the team’s leading scorer. Captain Padikkal complemented him well with a 21-ball 36. The contest turned interesting towards the end as Padikkal’s team required three runs off the final two deliveries. However, they finished the chase with a boundary and won the game by 7 wickets.

    Mike Hesson, Coach and Director of Cricket Operations was pleased to see the battle and expressed his views on RCB ‘Bold Diaries’, “Very good game. Some good performances from a number of guys. Both top orders played really well. The fact we got to see them put under pressure at the end was exactly what I wanted to see.”

    Batting consultant Sanjay Bangar was happy to see the explosive performances by both teams, “We were hoping it will be a close game, but we saw the magic of AB in the first innings and Azhar batted really well. The second innings effort was better than the first innings. Chasing down a score of 212 and that partnership between KS and Dev where they put up 70 runs in 6 overs. What was pleasing to see was that all of them were well-timed cricket shots. They weren’t looking to muscle the ball… A lot of positives from this game and I am pretty sure this will build their confidence going into the tournament.”

  • IPL: An old man like me needs to stay fresh, says RCB’s  AB de Villiers

    By PTI

    DUBAI: South African batting great AB de Villiers has called himself an “old man” who needs to stay fresh as much as he can to meet the demands of playing competitive cricket.

    The 37-year-old former South Africa skipper is in the UAE to represent his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in the remainder of the 14th edition of the lucrative league.

    In a video posted by RCB on Twitter, De Villiers was seen trying to hit the ball all over the park.

    “It was very good. The wicket was a bit sticky so it was quite tough actually. Bowlers bowled very well and it’s humid here, we are gonna sweat a lot which is good for losing a bit of weight but for an old man like me, I need to stay fresh as much as I can,” said De Villiers.

    The league, which was suspended in May owing to a COVID-19 outbreak in its bubble, resumes on Sunday.

    “It was a great session and was nice to see everyone out there. All the guys are looking very eager to get going. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s warm-up game,” added De Villiers.

    The Protea said he felt nice about reuniting with his RCB teammates after the first half of IPL, which was held in India.

    “Absolutely, I have missed the guys. I have caught up with a couple of individuals and I will get to meet up with the older guys over the next few days. I have covered a couple of guys tonight and it’s nice to hear all the stories and what they got up to in the last couple of months. There’s some interesting stuff that has happened and, it’s great to be together as a team again.”