IPL 2021: Match 43, RR vs RCB – Who Said What

The Royal Challengers Bangalore strolled home with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals on the back of an aggressive 30-ball 50 from Glenn Maxwell and 35-ball 44 from Srikar Bharat after the bowlers restricted the Royals to 149.

Royals made a rollicking start, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Evin Lewis smashing each of the RCB bowlers without exception before losing their way entirely. The duo added 77 in just 8.1 overs for their opening stand before Dan Christian removed Jaiswal for 31 to break the stand.

Skipper Sanju Samson looked fluent in his 15-ball 19, hitting a couple of sixes but once Shahbaz Ahmed sent him back, the Royals slipped into a bottomless pit. From 100/1 close to the halfway mark, they could manage only 49 in the last nine overs at the loss of 8 wickets. RCB used as many as seven bowlers but the picks were Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel, who returned with 2/18 and 3/34, with Patel bagging all three in the final over of Royals’ innings. Meanwhile, Ahmed, who bowled only two, claimed 2/10.

Out for the chase, RCB flew off the blocks quickly, with both Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal getting into their groove in no time. The 48-run opening stand was broken by Mustafizur Rahman, who cleaned up Padikkal for 22 off 17 only an over before Riyan Parag sent back Kohli (25 off 20) with a sensational direct hit. However, at the other end, Srikar Bharat was in his elements, timing the ball without much fuss.

After Kohli’s departure, Bharat and No. 4 Glenn Maxwell ticked off 69 runs off the target before the former was dismissed by Rahman. Bharat struck three fours and a six in his 44-run knock, while Maxwell, coming on the back of a half-century against Mumbai Indians, smashed six fours and a six to notch up his second consecutive fifty, taking his team beyond the line with AB de Villiers at the other end. RCB are now only two points behind Delhi Capitals’ tally of 16, while Royals find themselves at seventh spot with eight points in 11 games.

Losing skipper Sanju Samson:

We got a really good start, our openers played really well, but we couldn’t capitalize on it. Think the middle-order needs some confidence, it has been a hard one week for us, we need to put up a good fight. The wicket was a bit two paced, so the batters couldn’t time the ball properly, they kept mistiming it. I’m happy with the intent put in by the bowlers. We don’t have anything to lose and that gives a lot of freedom to go out and express ourselves. Funny things can happen in IPL, we need to keep believing till the last match we play.

Winning skipper Virat Kohli:

We have come back strongly in two games back-to-back with the ball which is great. It means we are heading in the right direction. We came back and dominated. 175 would have been competitive. With the kind of bowling attack we have, we need a couple of breakthroughs and things will open up. We knew if we held to our patience, we’ll get mistakes from the batsmen and that’s what happened. Lewis’s wicket was the game-changing moment. We have gotten the rewards because we have been confident. Through the middle overs, our bowling has been amazing. With the bat as well, we have been getting good opening starts. That’s been the focus with Dev and myself – to get good starts. Everything is coming along nicely and people are making contributions at the right time. We were blown away in game one, we took it as a positive. You need to be up with the pace in this tournament. We are getting into the groove at right stage of the tournament.

Player of the Match Yuzvendra Chahal:

Two left-handers were batting so Virat planned to go with the medium-pacers. I have watched his (Lomror) videos, he’s very good on the leg-side. If he comes down, I will bowl wider. With Livingstone, I bowled a little bit slower. In the first half of IPL, I didn’t get wickets in the first three-four matches. After the break, I backed myself. I bowled well in the SL series and I got my confidence back. I wanted to maintain that momentum here.