Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s quest for their maiden Indian Premier League win at their home ground this season continued as the heavens opened up with a vengeance to wash away all hopes of a victory over Rajasthan Royals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
The home side had given themselves a more than adequate chance for victory with an impressive 200/7 on the board before the rain played spoil sport as the match was called off by the officials without a bowl being bowled in the second innings.
(Photo: BCCI)
Both sides shared one point each from the tie. Earlier, AB de Villiers gave spine to the RCB innings, with a 45-ball-57 which included nine fours and one six, before Sarfaraz added the flourish at the end with an unbeaten 45 from 21 balls. Tim Southee returned the best figures of 2-32 for the away side.
Put to bat, Challengers attacked from the outset with Chris Gayle scoring 10 runs in first three balls of the innings before sending Southee’s fourth delivery into the hands of Deepak Hooda. Captain Virat Kohli (1) soon followed, edging Southee to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.
With RCB reeling at 19/2, De Villiers and Mandeep Singh added much needed composure to their innings as the duo kept the run rate ticking with minimal risks adding 74 runs off 53 balls in for the third wicket.
(Photo: BCCI)
The South African smashed two fours off Dhawal Kulkarni in the fourth over before dishing similar fate to James Faulkner, who went for three consecutive fours in his opening over as RCB zoomed to the 50 mark in just 5.4 overs.
The duo, seemingly growing in confidence, continued the onslaught picking apart Pravin Thambe for 15 runs in the seventh over before Stuart Binny got the Royals back into the game trapping Mandeep leg before in the 12th overs.
(Photo: BCCI)
But despite the setback, De Villiers stuck true to his belligerent self and ushered in his half century with the first six of the innings, two balls later, sending the ball sailing deep into the stands over long on.
(Photo: BCCI)
Dinesh Karthik then joined the party as he dispatched Binny over long on to mark his presence before sending two deliveries to the fence in the same over.
(Photo: BCCI)
But the partnership came to an end as a miscommunication between Karthik saw Di Villiers left with a little too much to do as was ran out by Hooda giving way to Sarfaraz with the score reading 124/4.
Scorecard
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle c Hooda b Southee 10, Virat Kohli c Samson b Southee 1, AB de Villiers run out 57, Mandeep Singh lbw b Binny 27, Dinesh Karthik run out 27, Sarfaraz Khan (not out) 45, David Wiese c Southee b Kulkarni 11, Harshal Patel (not out) 6
Extras (b5, lb3, w6, nb2) 16
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 200
FoW: 1-10, 2-19, 3-93, 4-124, 5-152, 6-184
Bowling: T Southee 4-0-32-2, D Kulkarni 4-0-36-1, J Faulkner 2-0-26-0, S Watson 3-0-27-0, P Tambe 3-0-39-0, S Binny 4-0-32-1
No Result
Here are the team line-ups
Check out: Points table