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Tag: Royal Challengers Bangalore

  • We have got rewards because we have been fearless: Kohli after win against Royals

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said impressive middle overs bowling and staying fearless during the game’s crucial moments contributed to the team’s fine run in this edition of the IPL.

    RCB rode on an all-round performance to beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets here to boost their prospects of a top-two finish in the league phase.

    “We’ve got the rewards because we’ve been fearless and confident in the moments that the game can go either way,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

    “Couple of important things are clicking: middle-overs bowling is one. If you take wickets you can change the game.”

    “And batting also, we’ve got a few good opening starts. Devdutt and I have focused on giving the team good starts so that the middle-order with AB, Bharat and Maxwell can make more. Boys have stepped up, so that’s been key for us.”

    Following their seventh win this season, RCB were placed third in the standings with 14 points, and Kohli was particulary pleased with the way his bowlers have fought back in the last two matches.

    “We have come back strongly in two games back-to-back with the ball, which is a great sign. We know if you can hold your nerve with the ball you’re going in the right direction. In both games the opponents were 56/0 in the powerplay, but in both games we took wickets to ensure the opposition does not get away.

    “We knew that with the kind of bowling attack we have, things can open up when we take wickets.”

    “As batters you can’t take too many risks when you’re searching for two points too, so we went to look for mistakes from their batters. (Evin) Lewis hit a few sixes and it was courageous from Garton and the others,” the Indian captain signed off.

    Yuzvendra Chahal, who was named Man of the Match for his measly spell in the middle overs after RR had got off to a brisk start, said he got his confidence back during the limited overs series in Sri Lanka.

    “In the first half of IPL, I didn’t get wickets in the first three-four matches. After the break, I backed myself. I bowled well in the Sri Lanka series and I got my confidence back. I spoke to players and family on what I am doing wrong. I wanted to maintain that momentum here,” Chahal said.

    RR skipper Sanju Samson admitted that his side failed to capitalise on a fine start as his openers added 77 runs in quick time, only to see the team being restricted to 149 for nine in the end.

    “We got a great start, couldn’t capitalise. Middle order needs some confidence. We went in with intent, the wicket was two-paced and our batters kept mistiming it. To be honest, it’s been a hard one week for us, we need to put in a fight as a franchise,” Samson said.

    “Happy with the effort and intent with the bowling. We don’t have anything to lose. That kind of mindset brings a lot of freedom, have seen some funny things happen. Need to keep on believing and fighting till the last match,” he added.

  • IPL 2021: All-round RCB thrash Rajasthan by seven wickets, keep top two hopes alive

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore dished out a clinical display with both bat and ball to record a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday, boosting their prospects of a top-two finish.

    Chasing 150, RCB completed the task with as many as 17 balls to spare.

    Star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell blazed away to an unbeaten 50 off just 30 balls, while Srikar Bharat played sensibly for his 44 off 35 deliveries.

    RCB needed 71 runs in the back 10 after the RR bowlers checked the flow of runs following the dismissals of Virat Kohli (25) and Devdutt Padikkal (22).

    Kohli and Padikkal gave the team a brisk start as RCB scored nine runs per over in the power play.

    The Indian captain got three boundaries in the first over though he was lucky with the first one that flew over the slip cordon off a leading edge.

    However, both got out after settling down with Kohli falling to a fine direct hit by Riyan Parag after he had made a diving stop.

    Earlier, RCB staged an excellent comeback as Rajasthan Royals blew away a blistering start to finish at 149 for nine.

    Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed (2/10) and leg-break bowler Yuzvendra Chahal (2/18) triggered the slide after RR were cruising at 100 for one in the 11th over.

    Pacer Harshal Patel (3/34) came close to picking a hat-trick in successive matches, in the final over, but Kartik Tyagi denied him that as RR lost eight wickets for 49 runs.

    Evin Lewis top-scored with 58 off 37 balls, but he was guilty of throwing away his wicket at a crucial juncture, and so was skipper Sanju Samson (19), whose adventurism did not help his team.

    Asked to take first strike, RR saw off two quiet overs before Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal (31) decided to cut loose at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

    From eight for two in two overs, RR were cruising at 39 for no loss at the end of fourth before racing past the fifty-run mark in the next over, with Lewis being the aggressor.

    Jaiswal played the day’s first scoring shot when he hit Mohammed Siraj through the cover and in the next over, he clobbered Glenn Maxwell for a huge six over long on.

    Lewis took over after that, smashing debutant English left-arm pacer George Garton for two sixes and a four as RR picked 18 off the over.

    Garton was coming back into the attack after being strangely taken off despite a very economical first over.

    Lewis hammered another six and a four against Harshal Patel, as RR crossed the fifty in the fifth over.

    India pacer Siraj came back to bowl a tight sixth over but Jaiswal got two boundaries off Daniel Christian to record RR’s best opening partnership of the ongoing season, even as Kohli kept switching his bowlers frequently.

    Maxwell kept things tight in the next over, giving away just four runs, before Jaiswal smoked Christian for a maximum over extra cover.

    However, Christian had the last laugh as Jaiswal mistimed and failed to clear Siraj at mid off.

    It swung a bit early on but the fast bowlers didn’t get much purchase from the pitch as the innings progressed.

    Lewis continued in same vein and hit Harshal Patel for two successive fours before in-form skipper Sanju Samson went inside out to clobber leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal over extra over for a six.

    Garton, who was taken to the task by Lewis in his second over, came back strongly to exact revenge when he had the big-hitter from Trinidad sky one for wicketkeeper Bharat Srikar to complete a high catch.

    Samson pulled Garton over deep square leg for a six but RR lost the plot after that, the slide starting with the wicket of Mahipal Lomror off Chahal.

  • Axe on Ishan Kishan worrying sign for India ahead of T20 World Cup

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Just moments after Mumbai Indians suffered a comprehensive defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, Virat Kohli put an arm around Ishan Kishan’s shoulder. He then offered a few consoling words to the sobbing youngster with the gaze of the prying television cameras for company.

    Kishan had cut a disconsolate figure for a majority of Mumbai’s innings that day, following another low score with the bat. He, perhaps, knew what was coming: an exclusion from the playing XI for Mumbai’s encounter against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.

    Since the resumption of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 23-year-old has been having his travails in a below-par middle-order that is searching desperately for runs and confidence.

    Scores of 11, 14 and 9 from Kishan’s blade have been underwhelming of course, and such returns tend to go unpunished only when your team is winning. That luxury isn’t available to Mumbai at the moment, given that they have not won since landing in the Middle East and are languishing in the bottom half of the table.  The rest of the middle-order – comprising Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya — isn’t exactly coming up with earth-shattering performances either, but the axe was always likely to fall on the Jharkhand left-hander first. 

    In eight matches this IPL, which includes the India leg, he is averaging a paltry 13.37 with just 107 runs in eight games. It is pertinent to note that Kishan was dropped after the first five games in India too.

    While a few games without runs need not necessarily be judged harshly, the upcoming T20 World Cup – with Kishan part of the 15-member India squad — dictates the current situation. In a team where there is no dearth of competition for places, it is perhaps inevitable that every innings will be viewed with a microscopic lens. While the squad was announced on September 8, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allows for further changes to be made until October 10. The changes need not be necessitated by injuries only, with selectors allowed to revise their assessments qualitatively.

    It is understood that the Indian selectors don’t deem it necessary to make any changes, but the possibility of another contender making a strong case in the coming days is likely to keep Kishan on tenterhooks. The southpaw must be even more frustrated by his present run considering the purple patch that he had hit in the UAE last season. Having not started the season as first choice, he forced his way into the team and made one of the middle-order spots his own by sheer weight of runs — ending the campaign as the fifth highest run-getter with 516 runs at an average of 57.33.

    What Kishan’s dropping has done is also give a gentle nudge to Suryakumar. The 31-year-old is averaging 17.18 this season and must be looking over his shoulder at the present moment. On Tuesday, he worryingly fell for a first-ball duck, bamboozled by a Ravi Bishnoi googly. Such a build-up is far from ideal for India’s lofty aspirations at the T20 World Cup. Both Surya and Ishan are considered X-factors in the shortest format and allow India to have the kind of free-flowing approach that they desperately need to match up to the likes of England and West Indies. With a few games still left in the IPL, Kohli & Co will be casting a keen eye on how Surya and Ishan fare.

  • Axe on Ishan Kishan worrying sign for India

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Just moments after Mumbai Indians suffered a comprehensive defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, Virat Kohli put an arm around Ishan Kishan’s shoulder. He then offered a few consoling words to the sobbing youngster with the gaze of the prying television cameras for company.

    Kishan had cut a disconsolate figure for a majority of Mumbai’s innings that day, following another low score with the bat. He, perhaps, knew what was coming: an exclusion from the playing XI for Mumbai’s encounter against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.

    Since the resumption of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 23-year-old has been having his travails in a below-par middle-order that is searching desperately for runs and confidence. Scores of 11, 14 and 9 from Kishan’s blade have been underwhelming of course, and such returns tend to go unpunished only when your team is winning. That luxury isn’t available to Mumbai at the moment, given that they have won just one game since landing in the Middle East. The rest of the middle-order – comprising Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya — isn’t exactly coming up with earth-shattering performances either, but the axe was always likely to fall on the Jharkhand left-hander first. In eight matches this IPL, which includes the India leg, he is averaging a paltry 13.37 with just 107 runs in eight games. It is pertinent to note that Kishan was dropped after the first five games in India too.

    While a few games without runs need not necessarily be judged harshly, the upcoming T20 World Cup – with Kishan part of the 15-member India squad — dictates the current situation. In a team where there is no dearth of competition for places, it is perhaps inevitable that every innings will be viewed with a microscopic lens. While the squad was announced on September 8, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allows for further changes to be made until October 10. The changes need not be necessitated by injuries only, with selectors allowed to revise their assessments qualitatively.

    It is understood that the Indian selectors don’t deem it necessary to make any changes, but the possibility of another contender making a strong case in the coming days is likely to keep Kishan on tenterhooks. The southpaw must be even more frustrated by his present run considering the purple patch that he had hit in the UAE last season. Having not started the season as first choice, he forced his way into the team and made one of the middle-order spots his own by sheer weight of runs — ending the campaign as the fifth highest run-getter with 516 runs at an average of 57.33.

    What Kishan’s dropping has done is also give a gentle nudge to Suryakumar. The 31-year-old is averaging 17.18 this season and must be looking over his shoulder at the present moment. On Tuesday, he worryingly fell for a first-ball duck, bamboozled by a Ravi Bishnoi googly. Such a build-up is far from ideal for India’s lofty aspirations at the T20 World Cup. Both Surya and Ishan are considered X-factors in the shortest format and allow India to have the kind of free-flowing approach that they desperately need to match up to the likes of England and West Indies. With a few games still left in the IPL, Kohli & Co will be casting a keen eye on how Surya and Ishan fare.

  • IPL 2021: Kohli completes 10,000 T20 runs, Maxwell smashes 56 as RCB post 165/6

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Glenn Maxwell finally came good with an attacking 56 after skipper Virat Kohli’s second consecutive half-century, taking Royal Challengers Bangalore to a par-score of 165/6 against Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

    Kohli, who completed 10,000 runs in T20 cricket, scored 51 off 42 balls with three fours and three sixes but it was Maxwell who justified his expensive price tag with a 37-ball blitzkrieg before Jasprit Bumrah brought MI back in the game.

    Maxwell’s innings had six fours and three sixes as he showed true destructive potential with switch hits, lap shots and flicks during the final overs when he launched into MI pacers Adam Milne (1/48 in 4 overs) and Bumrah (3/26 in 4 overs) with utter disdain.

    Such was the ferocity of Maxwell’s hits that even the normally calm MI skipper Rohit Sharma looked helpless before Bumrah removed both Maxwell and AB de villiers (11) off successive deliveries which at least helped them save 20 to 25 runs in the final two overs.

    At the onset, Kohli hit the very second ball of the match from Trent Boult (1/17 in 4 overs) for a six.

    It was an inswinger which the RCB skipper flicked and Rahul Chahar at deep mid-wicket got his palms but couldn’t latch on to it.

    The normally dependable Devdutt Padikkal (0) had an off-day as Bumrah bowled a beauty which pitched on length and moved away taking the outside edge into Quinton de Kock’s gloves.

    Kohli found a confident partner in Bharat (32 off 24 balls) as they quickly added 68 runs for the second wicket.

    Bharath for good measure swept Rahul Chahar against the turn for two sixes while Kohli also imperiously pulled Bumrah for a six over deep mid-wicket.

    However Bharat couldn’t convert his start as Chahar bowled one straight and full and the batter didn’t get the required elevation being holed at long-off boundary.

    Once Bharat was out and Maxwell came in, RCB despite some great shots couldn’t force the pace as Kohli and Maxwell added 50 runs in seven overs which can never be termed scoring at a great clip.

    Maxwell did entertain the crowd with a switch hit six off Chahar.

    Kohli also got a reprieve when he tried to cut Chahar and Hardik Pandya at point made a mess of an easy catch by trying to dive when all he required was to move a few paces to grab a regulation catch.

    It was a day when the Indian captain was expected to convert his half-century into a big score but he failed to control the pull shot to a delivery from Adam Milne that had extra bounce and substitute fielder Anukul took a great catch running from mid-wicket boundary.

    Once Kohli was gone, Maxwell once again upped the tempo with the former Proteas skipper AB de Villiers also hitting a six over long-on off Bumrah.

    Maxwell picked Milne’s knuckle ball for a second switch hit six and then for good measure used his pace to hit a switch lap shot as RCB crossed the 160-run mark.

  • Mumbai hopeful of Hardik’s return against RCB on Sunday, says Zaheer

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations, Zaheer Khan on Saturday exuded confidence that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be fit to play in their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore after missing the title holder’s first two games in the second leg of the ongoing Indian Premier League.

    MI did not have the best of starts in the second phase of the tournament, losing their first two games against Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

    But Zaheer is optimistic about Hardik’s return in the playing eleven in their next game on Sunday.

    “Well, we have a practice session today lined up, so after we finish the press conference we are going to go there and will take an informed call on that. He (Hardik) has started practicing, that’s what I can share with you guys right now. So, we are hopeful that he (Hardik) will be fit and available. That’s what we are hoping,” the former India pacer said at the pre-match conference.

    MI head coach Mahela Jayawardane had said that the Baroda all-rounder missed the game against CSK due a little niggle.

    He also the missed the next game against KKR.

    According to Zaheer, every team has become smart in their preparations and the five-time champions MI very well know how to perform under pressure.

    “As you know, IPL is a very highly competitive tournament, so teams are always trying to have a one up on each other and they are getting smart in their preparation and these days every team is analysing every other team. So we have to stay on the top.”

    “The focus has always been on us, this team has been so successful because we have been focusing on our processes, our strengths and our players who are taking the field. And these are the players who have got us the championship, so we have that kind of approach and we have had quite a lot of good conversations around those things,” he said.

    “When it comes to the back-end of the tournament, the pressure is (high), this team certainly knows how to perform under pressure,” added Zaheer.

    MI middle-order has misfired in the first two games since the IPL’s resumption.

    “When you look at the scorecard, you will say ya (laughs), there is a concern.”

    But Zaheer stressed that it was just a matter of time.

    “But I don’t see it (the middle-order form) as a concern. It is just about finding that rhythm. You have seen in this format and this tournament particularly that once you get on a roll, you can win a couple of games together,” he said.

    “This team has been so successful because of certain processes in terms of form, it is always just one innings away, be it a batter or a bowler and for you to win games of cricket, everything has to come together,” he explained.

    Zaheer said they got good starts in the last two games but weren’t able to finish off things.

    “So far, we have been getting good starts, we have been having those platforms, (we are) not being able to close in those situations, so the focus will be on that going forward. It is just about everything coming together and we just need that one game and that one game I am certain has to be the next game,” he said.

    “Because we are getting in that business end of the tournament where every game is going to matter and every game is going to bring in more pressure. When we have such a successful background to look at and such experienced players to fall back on, we are looking forward to the challenge and we are looking forward to the opportunity we have right now, going forward to make history.”

    “It is just a matter of time before we turn things around,” Zaheer signed off.

  • Testing time for India stars as out of sync RCB face rusty Mumbai Indians

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be aiming to up their captaincy quotient and raise their respective team’s performance by a few notches when Royal Challengers Bangalore lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians in an IPL game, here on Sunday.

    India’s outgoing T20 captain and the one who will replace him, both have endured crushing defeats.

    It puts them on a slippery slope as the tournament approaches its business end.

    RCB are still in top four with 10 points from nine games while MI after their back-to-back defeats have slumped to sixth spot with eight points from nine games.

    The fact that bulk of India’s top-order batters, who are currently under-performing, are from these two sides, sticks out like sore thumb.

    Going into the World T20, Kohli, Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are some of the batting mainstays.

    Also there is Hardik Pandya, who is not being picked by Mumbai Indians as he is perhaps not 100 percent fit to carry his all-round duties which includes four overs of brisk fast-medium bowling.

    But if Hardik is batting fit and still the burly and bordering on sloppy Saurabh Tiwary is preferred, then it does seem a bit baffling as the Baroda all-rounder purely as a batsman is miles ahead of the Jharkhand man.

    Kohli showed some form en route his half-century against CSK at Sharjah but the overall form has been scratchy and his MI counterpart also didn’t completely look in his elements during the previous game against KKR.

    The more worrying factor will be Surya’s lack of form which might be a result of lack of game time, having sat through two Tests in England.

    He is suddenly looking a lot rustier than usual.

    It was no different for Ishan also as the trio needs to fire to be in good head space before the T20 World Cup on same tracks that are expected to get slower.

    One can only hope that their form doesn’t desert them when they need it most in the “Desert Nation”.

    Interestingly, both RCB and MI have lost their two matches on resumption to same opposition — KKR and CSK.

    What’s more disconcerting has been the patchy bowling efforts from both sides save an odd bowler.

    For Mumbai, it is Jasprit Bumrah, who has looked head and shoulders above the rest of the pack while Yuzvendra Chahal with wiry little frame is carrying the burden of an entire below-par bowling attack.

    No support for either of the two from the other bowlers have not helped their cause either.

    RCB’s case is a bit trickier as they have now lost seven matches on the trot in the UAE.

    Five of those defeats came in the last edition.

    RCB’s bowling attack, in terms of quality, is a bit wafer-thin as the likes of Harshal Patel don’t have the wherewithal to perform match after match.

    In case of Navdeep Saini, a success-rate of just about “half wicket per IPL game” (17 scalps in 30 matches) gives a picture of why Kohli can’t always rely on him.

    Wanindu Hasaranga was taken after just two good matches against a second string Indian side in Sri Lanka and even if one goes by his ICC rankings, there are enough quality players who would see his spell through.

    In batting, it’s more about Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal who put on 111 for the first wicket only to find that others weren’t good enough to add even 50 runs.

    They have a keeper in Kona Bharath, who is primarily a red-ball specialist.

    Against the CSK, Harshal Patel, who had some sporadic experiences of batting for Haryana, was sent ahead of him.

    That only speaks of skipper’s lack of trust having sent him up the order.

    Glenn Maxwell as usual is the “big buy” which more often than not goes waste and Tim David not being the man for slow tracks is also hurting RCB chances.

    Squads:

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Navdeep Saini, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Rajat Patidar, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Akash Deep, AB de Villiers.

    Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain) Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, Adam Milne, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult.

  • MS Dhoni’s CSK humble Virat Kohli’s RCB with all-round show, claim top spot

    By PTI

    SHARJAH: Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical all-round show to humble Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets and claim the top spot in the IPL pecking order here on Friday.

    RCB skipper Virat Kohli (53) and young Devdutt Padikkal (70) struck brisk half-centuries in an impressive 111-run stand but CSK pulled the strings to restrict them to 156 for six after electing to bowl.

    The in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad came good again with a quick 38 while Faf du Plessis made 31 at the top to lay a strong foundation for CSK to chase the modest target in 18.1 overs.

    The win took CSK to the top spot with 14 points.

    They overtook Delhi Capitals, who also have 14 points, but the yellow brigade has better net run-rate of 1.185, compared to 0.613 of the Delhi team.

    While it was the second consecutive win for CSK, the RCB now have lost both the games post the league’s resumption.

    Gaikwad and Du Plessis added 71 runs in 8.2 overs and later Moeen Ali (23) and Ambati Rayudu (32) also got starts but could not convert those into big knocks.

    Suresh Raina (17) and skipper MS Dhoni (11) ensured that there was no twist in the tale, taking the side past the finish line.

    Neither Mohammed Siraj nor Navdeep Saini could trouble the CSK openers.

    Whether the ball was pitched up, short or bowled at good length, Gaikwad and his Protea partner treated them with equal disdain.

    Gaikwad punched the ball hard and even reverse swept with ease before Kohli pulled off a stunning low catch off wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

    Realising that spinners may turn the game around, Kohli handed the ball to off-spinner Glenn Maxwell and the Australian responded with the wicket of du Plessis, who was guilty of playing a loose shot.

    However, Rayudu and Moeen did not show any respect to the slow bowlers.

    They worked the ball around to keep the scoreboard moving and also got the big shots.

    Earlier, Kohli and Padikkal went hammer and tongs after being asked to take first strike but once the partnership was broken by Dwayne Bravo, RCB lost the momentum.

    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.

    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.

  • 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