Shining half-centuries by Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli give Royal Challengers Bengaluru a huge win by eight wickets
UPDATE – Mon 03 Apr 23 12:17am
Photo: IANS
Bangalore: Half-century, Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli marked Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) eight-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2023 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday Happy Returns held.
When RCB took to the pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium after 1247 days, the team’s cheers filled the field. To RCB’s credit, RCB did not disappoint as the bowlers picked up wickets in strong play and mid-offs to keep Mumbai at 171/7, despite a brilliant 84 from young Tilak Varma, not only That’s just 46 balls.
In response, du Plessis and Kohli displayed majestic batting skills and shouted Mumbai’s bowling attack to lure the home fans. Du Plessis took 73 off 43 balls, including five fours and six sixes, while Kohli took 82 off 49 balls with no strikes and six fours Balls and five sixes chased 172 balls in 16.2 overs to end their IPL 2023 season with a successful start.
To defend 171, Mumbai brought in Jason Behrendorff as an impact player in place of Suryakumar Yadav to share the new ball with Arshad Khan. After a cautious start, Du Plessis danced across the pitch, reducing his swing by hitting a four and two sixes on either side of the wicket outside Behlendorf.
Jofra Archer brought Kohli down on the first ball of the game. Corley followed, putting a turn between the back point and the diminutive third, a quarter and hitting a six from long range. Kohli and du Plessis drew a line each between Piyush Chawla and Archer, bringing their opening partnership to 50 in Game of Thrones.
Du Plessis continued to be unstoppable — against Cameron Green, he drove offside twice and finished the game with six runs, scoring 17 at the end of the eighth. He welcomed out-spinner Hrithik Shokeen with consecutive sixes over the middle and long wickets, first taking him to 50 off 29 balls.
Kohli then danced across the pitch, knocking down Chawla for six and coming up with an opening century in the 11th inning before reaching his 50 in 38 balls. He then welcomed Behrendorff to pull four through the horns before du Plessis pulled and flicked for four and six.
Kohli knocked down Archer and Arshad for six through the legs to keep Mumbai under the pump. They broke through when du Plessis held on for the long haul, breaking a 148-run opening partnership. After Dinesh Karthik hit three balls, Glenn Maxwell hit a six off extra cover and a fine leg, Kohli hit a four and a six to complete Bengaluru’s chase with 22 balls remaining.
Earlier, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley and Karn Sharma starred as they dropped Mumbai’s score from 48/4 to 123/ 7. But Varma stood tall and impressed everyone with his skill and temperament as he hit nine boundaries and four sixes in 182.6 for Mumbai as Mumbai scored 69 in their last five games. point.
Ishan Kishan’s attempt to get away from Siraj gave the diminutive third man the lead. Cameron Green gets knocked out by Topley yorker. Siraj could have allowed Rohit Sharma to be caught by a sharp bouncer but he collided with Dinesh Karthik as neither man could hold the catch.
But Rohit, who had earlier survived a direct hit attempt, was unable to take advantage of the two breaks and cut behind the Akashic abyss. Suryakumar Yadav had a start but ended up cutting straight to Michael Bracewell’s post.
Despite wickets falling here and there, Varma continued to play forward. He started with a long drive over six runs that hit the center of the bat. When Harshal Patel casts the leg, he pulls over the short leg at the top of the bounce.
Varma has been impressive against off-spinners. Reverse swept Bracewell for four points. He welcomed Glenn Maxwell dancing around the course with a long shot over six before pulling a four on the back foot through the middle wicket.
Varma also talks to T20 rookie Nehal Wadhera after each ball and gives advice. The effect was on display when Wadhera pulled and batted Karn Sharma for six straight shots, including a 101-metre drive.
But Kahn had the last laugh as Vardhela dropped the ball into a long shot in the 14th over. Two passes later, Tim David tried to get away from Kahn but lost his middle stump. With Hrithik Shokeen brought down by Faf du Plessis’ athletic catch near Harshal, Varma continued his run to pull Karn down with a good leg at a quarter.
He hit his 50 off 32 balls with a stunning undulation in the deep square leg, hitting six balls. When Harshal gave some width, Varma freed his arm to slice open a quarter point. He then lifted Siraj high and pulled to the boundary line at the 19th, giving the fast bowler four wide.
Varma squared Harshal into the gap for four in the final, then heli-shot to send a fuller bowl over six in the final, hitting 22 in the final.
Brief score: Mumbai Indians are 171/7 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 84 not out; Karn Sharma 2/32) 172/2 in 16.2 overs to Royal Challengers Bangalore (Virat Kohli 82 not out, Faf du Plessis 73; Arshad Khan 1/28, Cameron Green 1/30) Eight wickets.
