Virat Kohli’s special helped RCB beat Punjab Kings this time, but Chennai Super Kings had previously managed to catch them.
After PBKS defeated Delhi Capitals in the season opening, the hosts’ job was to make improvements at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. PBKS chose to bowl first, and they finished with 176/6 owing to two fantastic spells from Mohammed Siraj (2/26) and Yash Dayal (1/23).
After that rummy nabob, Kohli took over and struck a 49-ball 77, foiling a valiant attempt by Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror to take RCB to 178/6 in 19.2 overs. This season, it was the home team’s sixth straight win in a row.
If Punjab had acted sooner, it might have been able to avoid a very different situation. On the first delivery of the innings, Sam Curran got hold of Kohli’s outside edge, but Jonny Bairstow could not stop the ball from slipping past him at second slip. When Kohli struck a 20-ball 21 against CSK after a two-month break from professional cricket, he was nearly at his best.
The former captain of India and the Royals did a great job in the opening half of his innings driving covers. The way he would move out to strike the ball early and with momentum against pacers was what caught my attention.
After Kagiso Rabada’s brilliant opening effort, in which he dismissed Cameron Green and Betway App captain Fat du Plessis, Kohli was given another opportunity when Rahul Chahar failed to hold on to a difficult chance at mid-wicket. The 35-year-old persisted halfway through RCB’s innings and managed to get them to 85/2.
With eight wickets Dafabet Apk remaining and 92 to win in ten overs, the hosts had the upper hand. At that moment, though, Punjab was able to reenter the game because to a brilliant bowling performance from Harpreet Brar, who had returned to the attack. With figures of 2/13, the left-arm spinner dismissed Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar (for the fourth time).