Twitter Reactions: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli demolish Rajasthan Royals to record fourth consecutive win

The thunderous form of Royal Challengers Bangalore continues.

By Pratyay Tiwari

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Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli
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Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

The thunderous form of Royal Challengers Bangalore continued as they demolished Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets, chasing 178 with 21 balls left in the bank courtesy of a flawless, unbeaten 52-ball 101 from Devdutt Padikkal, and 47-ball 72 from skipper Virat Kohli.

Calling correctly at the toss, an unhesitant Virat Kohli opted to bowl first citing his team’s innate ability to chase any target and the chase-conducive Wankhede conditions. Having made a reputation with his effective new-ball bowling, Mohammad Siraj was sent to the fence twice by Jos Buttler in the opening over, but he came back to avenge the treatment, cleaning him up for eight runs in as many balls as he moved too far wide on the leg-side, leaving his stumps uncovered.

The Royals were pushed into a perilous situation in no time as Kane Richardson, who came in for Rajat Patidar, got Manan Vohra caught at mid-on, while Siraj pinned David Miller lbw for a two-ball duck with a ripper, which the batsmen reviewed to no benefit.

When Sanju Samson creamed Richardson through the covers for a boundary before picking one more in the same over, it once again seemed that tonight might be his night. He multiplied those hopes by depositing Washington Sundar for a maximum over midwicket. But all the build-up to fall on the next delivery as the ball stopped and turned a bit before he found Glenn Maxwell at midwicket to leave his side reeling 43/4.

Dube, Parag, Tewatia revive the Royals 

In a counterattacking 39-ball 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket, Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag staged a dominant fightback as they took the Challengers’ bowlers head-on. Dube displayed that early in his innings, smacking a couple of sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 17-run 9th over. He guided the pacers in the fine-leg and third-man region cheekily, while taking the spinners down the ground.

Parag, too, joined the party by hitting three fours off Harshal Patel, although the most highlighting stroke of his 16-ball 25 came just a ball before he found Chahal at third-man off Patel. The bowler delivered it fuller on the middle-and-leg stump line, only for Parag to smoothly helicopter him towards the long-on fence for four.

His end did not bring much respite to RCB, as Rahul Tewatia picked a six and four off Patel to start his knock in some blazing style. Dube, who hit five fours and two sixes in his 46 off 32, toe-ended a Richardson delivery to Maxwell, but Tewatia and Chris Morris ensured to power the team past 170.

The Challengers brought back things marginally towards the end as Tewatia ended his 23-ball 40 by holing out to deep midwicket off Siraj, while Patel sent back Morris and Chetan Sakariya off consecutive deliveries in the final over, though, RR made a brilliant recovery from 43/4, finishing 177/9.

Padikkal, Kohli boss the chase

Announcing intention early against his nemesis Shreyas Gopal, Kohli pumped him for a six over mid-on on the fourth ball he faced. While that made an impression that he will be driving the team ahead, he was soon forced to take the back-seat by a scorching Devdutt Padikkal. Five of the 12 balls he faced from the second over onwards were boundaries, each stroke more beautiful than the other, which included two consecutive fours off Morris’ first over.

He belted Mustafizur Rahman over long-off and deposited Sakariya over long-on for six as RCB finished the powerplay 59/0. The runs kept coming as easy as they come for the duo, and Padikkal brought up a 28-ball half-century with a boundary over extra-cover against Tewatia. He smothered back-to-back sixes off the same bowler in his next over and RCB went past 100 when Padikkal pulled Rahman for another six in the 10th over.

Having played second fiddle for half of the innings, Kohli flew off, picking three fours and a six over mid-off in the next couple of overs before bringing up his first fifty the season off 34 balls. He strapped another four to bring up 6000 runs in the IPL.

The duo sent Gopal for 17 runs in the 14th over, before a quiet over followed with Padikkal getting into the 90s. His wait ended as he drove Rahman past extra-cover to bring up his maiden IPL century off just 51 deliveries.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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IPL 2024Rajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bengaluru