IPL 2019: Match 17, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Lesser Known Stats

Destruction is too small a word to describe what Andre Russell did on Friday night against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The hosts must have felt they had the game in their bag when KKR needed 53 runs from the last 16 balls. Russell faced nine of the next 12 balls including a no-ball scoring 47 runs as they finished the chase with five deliveries to spare. The Russell blitz ensured Virat Kohli (84) and AB de Villiers (63) efforts came on the losing side.

Here are the lesser known stats recorded during RCB’s yet another defeat in this season:

The unlucky “205” for RCB:

The total of 205 is the highest the Royal Challengers Bangalore has achieved more than once in the IPL. They made 205/6 in the IPL on four instances with the first of them being against Kings XI Punjab in 2011 the only time they won after making 205. RCB defeated the Kings XI in Bangalore by a huge 85-run margin in that match. During the 2012 edition, RCB finished with 205/8 in their 20 overs in the game at Chepauk against the Chennai Super Kings.

The Bangalore franchise were on their way to a victory as CSK needed 43 from the last two overs. The 19th over bowled by Virat Kohli fetched 28 runs and eased the chase for the hosts. Once again, RCB finished with 205/8 against CSK this time in Bangalore during the 2018 edition. CSK needed 67 from 26 balls during that game but ended up chasing down the target with two balls to spare.

A big chase without a big total:

The Kolkata Knight Riders finished with a total of 206/5 where Andre Russell top-scored with an unbeaten 13-ball 48. The total of 206/5 is now the highest total in the IPL without any individual scoring a fifty. The previous highest total without an individual fifty in the IPL was recorded by Mumbai Indians when they made 202/7 during their unsuccessful chase against the Chennai Super Kings in 2008.

If KKR had at least one more run to chase, Russell could have equalled the record of fastest fifty in the IPL held by KL Rahul in 14 balls. The chase of 206 is also the 2nd highest successful chase in Twenty20 history without an individual fifty. Tamil Union CAC chased down the target of 210 against Chilaw Marians CC during the 2016 Sri Lanka Domestic T20 where they had a highest individual score of 49*.

A first for Kohli:

Virat Kohli has his share of struggles against the spinners in the recent past while playing the IPL. Since the start of 2018, Kohli got out to the spin bowlers on ten instances ahead of the game against KKR. The chinaman Kuldeep Yadav claimed Kohli’s wicket caught and bowled and became first of his type to dismiss Kohli in the IPL. Until the return catch Kohli handed to Kuldeep, he scored 90 runs from 57 deliveries against the left-arm wrist spin in the IPL without getting out.

Yet another big finish:

Till the end of the 2018 IPL, only once a team had successfully chased down 50 or more runs in the last three overs. During the 2012 season, Chennai Super Kings chased down the 50 runs they needed from the last three overs against RCB. The game is well-known for Albie Morkel striking 28 runs during the penultimate over bowled by Virat Kohli.

However, the Russell mania in this season witnessed this feat being achieved twice. Against the Sunrisers, the Knight Riders chased 53 runs in the last three overs that too with two deliveries to spare. In this game against RCB too, KKR needed 53 from the last three overs. In fact, they needed 53 from 16 balls at one stage but it took only 11 balls for them to score those runs.

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