IPL 9, Match 39: KXIP v RCB - 5 Talking Points

In a match which had more twists and turns than a roller coaster, Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore held their nerve to stay alive in the race to qualify for the playoffs, courtesy of a close 1 run victory over Kings XI Punjab. After posting 175 on the board, majorly due to AB de Villers’ excellent 65, RCB were humbled by some excellent strokeplay by Murali Vijay. But Watson’s brilliant death bowling helped them claw back into the match and snatch a crucial victory.

1. Rahul, Kohli start off brilliantly:

Any score might have been low under the lights of Chinnaswamy. However, things are entirely different at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. With straight boundaries at around 80m from the crease, any score above 160-170 is defendable. RCB needed an excellent start after being put into bat first on a decent wicket, and KL Rahul and Virat Kohli provided just that. While the duo started off steadily, Rahul upped the ante with a huge 20-run over against Stoinis. With 56 runs at the end of the powerplay for the loss of no wickets, RCB were well set for a sub-200 score.

2. Cariappa causes mini collapse, AB, Baby stabilize:

Things were nice and pretty till the introduction of KC Cariappa. The off spinner bagged the openers within a span of 2 balls. To make things worse for RCB, Shane Watson was flummoxed by an arm ball which kept a fraction low. Bangalore lost 3 wickets within a span of 2 overs, and things were starting to look shaky for the visitors. However, a patient AB de Villers got a steady partner in Sachin Baby; the duo started the rebuilding process to take RCB to a safe target.

3. AB fires, RCB set a defendable target:

After a lean patch, AB came back to his destructive best during the final overs of the RCB’s innings. After starting off slowly to adjust to the pace of the pitch, the South African unleased his wide array of shots as the innings progressed. He was especially severe against Sandeep Sharma, who was in the receiving end of a couple of ABD scoops. While the pacer eventually had the last laugh, the damage was already done. His 35-ball 64, in addition to Baby’s patient 29-ball 33, was enough to drive RCB to a defendable 175.

4. Vijay starts off fluently, but KXIP lose regular wickets:

On a decent batting pitch, the target was very achievable for KXIP, especially considering RCB’s relatively inconsistent bowling attack. KXIP openers started off well, with their captain Vijay playing at his fluent best. While Hashim Amla got out trying to accelerate the scoring on his behalf, W Saha’s promotion to no.3 restored the passive-aggressive balance in the batting combination. However, Yuzvendra Chahal’s introduction brought RCB back into the game. The leggie bagged two consecutive stumpings, of Saha and David Miller. The scoreline read 88 for the loss of 3 wickets, with about 85+ runs needed from 9 overs.

5. RCB fend off Vijay’s blitzkrieg, Stoinis to bag the match:

The man Stoinis, despite not middling the ball well, was able to rotate the strike and give Vijay the strike. Once Vijay went past his half century mark, he unleashed an array of orthodox and unorthodox shots which left RCB at his mercy. Just when he looked to take KXIP home, the captain misjudged a pull, which directly went into the hands of Chahal. While Marcus Stoinis and Farhaan Behardien kept the run rate ticking, Shane Watson’s incredible penultimate over left KXIP with 17 to get in the last over. Just when Stoinis looked to take KXIP over the ropes, Jordan held his nerves well in the last three balls, giving just 4 runs away. Stoinis, who was required to score just 6 in 3 balls, couldn’t put away a couple of full tosses, as the home team eventually succumbed to a 1 run defeat.

How did the match pan out? – IPL 9 Match 39 Review: RCB stay alive with a thrilling last ball win over KXIP