Sunrisers Hyderabad played spoilsport once again. After eliminating Lucknow Super Giants in their previous they defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru, stopping them from going to the top of the points table. For a moment in the second innings, it looked like Phil Salt would guide RCB to a miraculous win, but once he was dismissed, SRH got back into the game. Eshan Malinga’s 16th and 18th overs went for seven runs each, where three wickets were also lost. RCB now need to win their last game and hope that either Gujarat Titans loses their last game or PBKS lose against both MI and DC to enter the top two position.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 179/6 in 17 overs. Need 53 runs in 18 balls. Krunal: 4* (3), David: 1* (1)
The game has completely turned on its head in the matter of only a few balls. After a two-wicket over from Eshan Malinga, Jaydev Unadkat struck on his second ball to dismiss Jitesh. Tim David, who seemed to have injured his hamstring in the first innings, came to bat at number eight. The Aussie batter is finding it pretty difficult to run between the wickets and was hobbling.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 174/5 in 16 overs. Need 58 runs in 24 balls. Jitesh: 24* (13)
Eshan Malinga nailed his yorker on the first delivery of the 16th over. However, the Sri Lankan pacer was pretty unfortunate to have the ball go to the boundary after smashing the pads of Patidar. He was once again right on the money but not with his bowling, but with his fielding. Patidar, after hitting a ball slightly to the left of the pacer, took off to steal a single. But Malinga turned back and inflicted a direct hit at the non-striker end to catch Rajat short of his crease. Once again, Malinga with a yorker got a timely wicket and dismissed Romario Shepherd for a golden duck on the final ball of the 16th over.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 167/3 in 15 overs. Need 65 runs in 30 balls. Patidar: 17* (13), Jitesh: 22* (11)
Nitish Kumar Reddy, bowling his second over, arrested the rate of scoring. The right-arm pacer gave only four runs in the over. It was the first over in the innings where not a single boundary was hit. Thanks to this quiet over, the asking rate has suddenly increased to 13 runs per over.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 163/3 in 14 overs. Need 69 runs in 36 balls. Patidar: 15* (10), Jitesh: 20* (8)
Another chance goes begging. Jitesh Sharma presented an opportunity for SRH to pick up another wicket, but Abhishek Sharma was not quick enough to reach the ball and ended up giving up a four. The wicketkeeper batter struck a six over the deep boundary on the next ball. In the 14 overs so far, there has not been a single over in which the Sunrisers have not conceded a boundary.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 138/3 in 12 overs. Need 94 runs in 48 balls. Patidar: 3* (3), Jitesh: 7* (3)
SRH are back in this game with a wicket each in the last two overs. After Nitish’s scalp, Pat Cummins brought himself back into the attack. The Australian pacer has dismissed the danger man, Phil Salt. Jitesh Sharma, captaining RCB tonight, smashed a six off the first ball he faced.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 127/2 in 11 overs. Need 105 runs in 54 balls. Salt: 62* (31), Patidar: 1* (1)
Redemption for Nitish Kumar Reddy. The SRH all-rounder had a pretty bad outing on the field in the first 10 overs. However, the right-arm seamer has provided Pat Cummins and the rest of the SRH side with some hope with a timely wicket of Mayank Agarawal. Regular RCB skipper Rajat Patidar came to the crease as an impact sub, replacing Suyash Sharma.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 118/1 in 10 overs. Need 114 runs in 60 balls. Salt: 53* (29), Agarawal: 10* (7)
Phil Salt, after being saved thanks to a no-ball, has made the most use of the second life. The English batter reached his half-century in only 27 balls, hitting a four off the fourth ball of the 10th over.
The batters from RCB are going at a better rate than the required rate. For the Sunrisers, picking up wickets is the only option to stop them from losing this game. RCB could be without the services of Tim David which means that they are a batter short in the lower-middle order.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 96/1 in 8 overs. Need 136 runs in 72 balls. Salt: 38* (21), Agarawal: 5* (3)
Phil Salt smashed the first ball of the eighth over down the ground to collect his third four of the innings. Mayank Agarawal made his way to the middle after coming to the RCB camp as an injury replacement for Devdutt Padikkal. The experienced right-handed batter struck a four to get his first runs in the season off the second ball he faced. Salt ended the over with another boundary, hitting a six over the long-off boundary.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 80/1 in 7 overs. Need 152 runs in 78 balls. Salt: 27* (18)
Harsh Dubey picked up Virat Kohli on the final ball of his first over. He has provided the Orange Army with a much-needed breakthrough. The left-arm spinner is playing only his second game and is the frontline spinner for SRH tonight. He started off his first over on a quiet note and gave away only a single run off the first three balls. However, Salt smashed him for a six on the fourth ball. Before Dubey got the better of Kohli.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 72/0 in 6 overs. Need 160 runs in 14 overs. Salt: 20* (15), Kohli: 42* (22)
It has been a wicketless power play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Eshan Malinga, bowling the sixth over, was welcomed into the attack with a six from Virat Kohli. Phil Salt smashed a four and a six in the over. The Sri Lankan pacer conceded 17 runs in his first over.
With Salt finding his groove as well, RCB have put themselves in a great position to chase their highest-ever total in the history of the IPL.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 55/0 in 5 overs. Need 177 runs in 15 overs. Salt: 10* (11), Kohli: 35* (20)
Virat Kohli seems to be in the zone where he chases down any total. The Indian batter is going all guns blazing while his partner on the other end is struggling a bit. Phil Salt smashed only his first four on the 10th ball he faced.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 42/0 in 4 overs. Need 190 runs in 16 overs. Salt: 4* (8), Kohli: 29* (16)
Phil Salt has been saved by three centimetres. The English batter struck a waist-high full-toss to the fielder at deep midwicket. However, a review from the umpires adjudged it to be a no-ball. Interestingly, Harshal Patel got the better of Salt on the free-hit delivery as well. The runs continue to flow with Kohli hitting a couple of fours on the trot in the over.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 30/0 in 3 overs. Need 201 runs in 17 overs. Salt: 3* (6), Kohli: 21* (12)
Nitish Reddy, the fielder, has had a horrible time in the third over. He was 11 meters in the boundary as he dropped Virat Kohli with the ball going over his head. Just a couple of deliveries, he tried to save a boundary but overran, and the ball went to the boundary fence.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 19/0 in 2 overs. Need 213 runs in 18 overs. Salt: 2* (5), Kohli: 11* (7)
Jaydev Unadkat came on to bowl the second over and was smashed by Kohli to the boundary fence. The left-arm pacer made a strong comeback in the rest of the over and gave away only five runs off the remaining deliveries.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru score 10/0 in 1 over. Need 222 runs in 19 overs. Salt: 0* (3), Kohli: 5* (3)
Virat Kohli got off the mark with a four over the third man fielder. He will be the key batter if RCB is to chase down this mammoth total. Meanwhile, Salt was struck on the helmet by a sharp bouncer from Pat Cummmins. The ball still went to the boundary fence as four more runs were added to the total.
Ishan Kishan has played a great knock to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a score of 231 runs. The RCB bowlers did not have any answer for his prolific batting as he remained unbeaten with a score of 94 runs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 188/6 after 17 overs. Kishan: 64* (36)
Romario Shepherd, after bowling a great first over, came back to bowl his second. Ishan Kishan shuffled outside off stump and scooped a low full-toss delivery over the fine-leg fielders. The right-arm pacer put Abhinav Manohar out of his misery as he was dismissed after playing a scratchy knock.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 168/5 after 15 overs. Kishan: 56* (32), Manohar: 1* (3)
Romario Shepherd, bowling his first over, is among the wickets with only his second ball. The right-arm seamer bowled a slower bouncer, which Nitish Kumar Reddy edged back to the short fine leg fielder. The pacer from the West Indies bowled a quiet over, giving away only four runs off the over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 164/4 after 14 overs. Kishan: 55* (31), Nitish: 4* (5)
Ishan Kishan struck a half-century and reached the milestone in only 28 balls. It is his highest score in the season after the century in the opening game against the Rajasthan Royals. He struck his fifth four of the game on the fifth ball of the over. Krunal Pandya, bowling at his ex-home ground, bowled an expensive spell. He gave away 38 runs in his four overs while picking up a solitary wicket.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 156/4 after 13 overs. Kishan: 48* (27), Nitish: 3* (3)
Time for some pace as Lungi Ngidi returns to the attack. The South African pacer was smashed for a four on the third ball of the over by Ishan Kishan. The left-handed batter is only two runs adrift from a fine half-century.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 147/4 after 12 overs. Kishan: 41* (23), Nitish: 1* (1)
Krunal Pandya, after being hit for two sixes in the 13th over by Aniket, has bounced back with a wicket of the right-handed batter.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 132/3 after 11 overs. Kishan: 33* (20), Aniket: 20* (7)
The scoreboard, courtesy of Ishan Kishan and Aniket Verma, has been ticking along at a fairly quick pace. Aniket, who is new to the crease, smashed Suyash for a couple of sixes and a four in his third over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 113/3 after 10 overs. Kishan: 31* (18), Aniket: 3* (3)
Krunal Pandya once again started his over on a timid note. However, Kishan struck a six on the third ball of the over, which was bowled pretty short by the left-arm spinner.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 103/3 after 9 overs. Kishan: 23* (14), Aniket: 1* (1)
Ishan Kishan struck a couple of fours on the first two balls of the ninth over by Suyash. Klaasen too flicked a delivery which was bowled down the leg side for a boundary. However, the young spinner made a solid comeback and dismissed the South African batter on the very next ball. Interestingly, it was Virat Kohli who was talking to Suyash before the wicket-taking delivery.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 89/2 after 8 overs. Kishan: 14* (11), Klaasen: 20* (11)
Krunal Pandya came into the attack to bowl the eighth over. The left-arm spinner gave away only five runs in the over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 84/2 after 7 overs. Kishan: 11* (8), Klaasen: 18* (8)
In spite of losing two wickets, Sunrisers Hyderabad are right on top of the Jitesh Sharma-led side. Klaasen, facing Suyash Sharma, flicked one delivery down the leg for a four before hitting him down the ground for a six.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 71/2 after 6 overs. Kishan: 9* (5), Klaasen: 8* (5)
Ishan Kishan struck his first boundary in the final over of the power play. Heinrich Klaasen ended the over with a huge six.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 57/2 after 5 overs. Kishan: 2* (1), Klaasen: 1* (3)
First, it was Abhishek Sharma, who was dismissed in the previous over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar accounted for Travis Head’s wicket in the fifth over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 54/1 after 4 overs. Head: 17* (8)
Lungi Ngidi replaced Bhuvneshwar in the attack. Once again, Head welcomed the new bowler with a four off the first ball. Abhishek carried on with his hard-hitting and struck his third six of the innings. The South African pacer made a strong comeback on the final ball of the over. After being hit for another four by Abhishek, he dismissed him to have the last laugh.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 39/0 after 3 overs. Abhishek: 24* (13), Head: 12* (6)
Abhishek has freed up his arms thanks to some poor bowling from the two Indian pacers. In the third over from Dayal, the Indian left-hander struck a four on the second ball before smashing a huge six down the ground on the fourth ball of the over.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 26/0 after 2 overs. Abhishek: 12* (6), Head: 12* (6)
For the second time in two overs, Head has smashed the first ball he faced for a four. Bhuvneshwar Kumar erred in his line and length thrice in the second over. He bowled a ball onto the pads, and Head flicked him. The right-arm pacer threw a delivery outside off and was struck for a four by Abhishek Sharma before he pulled him on the very next delivery for a six.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are at 8/0 after 1 over. Abhishek: 2* (3), Head: 5* (3)
Travis Head got off to the mark with a boundary on the offside facing Yash Dayal in the first over.
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Jitesh Sharma (C and wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Suyash Sharma
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
There will be a few quality players on display as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad. There were multiple reports that suggested that RCB would suffer a lot because of players' availability issues. While they would be missing the services of Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi will be there to replace him. With Jacob Bethell finding form and the absence of Devutt Padikkal, RCB could go in with an Indian bowling attack. The other overseas stars are already back in the squad and are expected to play in the clash tomorrow.
For SRH, the most positive news would be the return of Travis Head. The Australian batter missed out on the clash against LSG after being tested positive for COVID-19. Kamindu Mendis, who had to retire after injuring his hamstring would be expected to make way for Head.
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Abinav Manohar/Sachin Baby, Aniket Verma, Nitish Reddy, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga
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