Together they bundled out Bengaluru’s team for 92 runs; Kohli missed his 200th IPL match; Gill and Venkatesh star in pursuit of Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match of the second leg of the IPL, registering a nine-wicket win in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
On a pitch that didn’t have any monsters, RCB inexplicably stumbled and folded for 92 runs. KKR made short work of chasing down the target in just 10 overs to reach the target.
KKR opener Venkatesh Iyer (No. 41, 27B, 7×4, 1×6) impressed with a brilliant drive from Mohammad Siraj in the opening over while making his IPL debut. Later in his knock, Venkatesh walked over to the track for Kyle Jamieson and smashed the pacer for a scintillating six.
Venkatesh’s opening partner Shubman Gill played a brilliant innings of 48 runs in 34 balls.
RCB captain Virat Kohli, playing his 200th IPL match, failed with the bat, dismissing pacer Pramik Krishna for five. Devdutt Padikkal (22, 20b, 3×4) could not go. The southpaw tries a quick delivery from Lockie Ferguson to the third man but ends it for ‘keeper Dinesh Karthik.
In a surprise move, RCB promoted wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat ahead of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers. The gamble failed, as Bharat struggled to pick up the pace. Padikkal and Bharat could not make use of the early fielding restrictions, scoring only 41 runs in the first six overs. Frustrated Bharat (16, 19b, 1×4) skids a short ball from Andre Russell to square leg.
De Villiers was sent back for a golden duck, courtesy a sharp yorker from Russell that went down the stumps. Maxwell was unusually unusual. Finger spinner Sunil Narine had tied Maxwell even as the Australian attempted to free up attempts at pointless switch hits. Maxwell scored 10 runs in 17 balls, swinging wildly on a length ball from spinner Varun Chakraborty.
The slow bowler trapped Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasranga on the pads on his very next ball.
Varun almost registered a hat-trick, but his fiery leg-before appeal against Jamieson was turned down. Varun and Russell took three wickets each.
Scorecard:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 92 all out in 19 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 22; Varun Chakravarthy 3/13, Andre Russell 3/9, Lockie Ferguson 2/24).
Kolkata Knight Riders: 94 for 1 in 10 overs. (Shubman Gill 48, Venkatesh Iyer 41 not out, Yuzvendra Chahal 1/23.
.