On the very same day, at the very same stadium, 18 years ago IPL made its debut as a league. This was also the first time the world was introduced to Virat Kohli, who has been playing with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since the first IPL.
After an initial downpour the match started with RCB, one of teams that had played the first IPL
match 18 years ago, were put into bat by the Punjab Kings (PBKS), in a rain-shortened encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Unfortunately for RCB the match ended the same way as had 18 years ago, with them losing the match.
All The Kings Men Could Not Put The Innings Together
In a match reduced to 14 overs per side due to rain, RCB faced early setbacks. Yuzvendra Chahal bowling against his former team RCB, delivered a stellar performance, taking 2 wickets for just 11 runs, including the crucial dismissal of Rajat Patidar. He was supported well by
Arshdeep Singh, Maco Jansen and Harpreet Brar. The RCB failed to take off and collapsed despite a resilient unbeaten 50 from Tim David, RCB managed to just about post a total of 95/9.
RCB’s innings saw its captain Patidar achieve a brilliant milestone of reaching 1000 runs in just 30 innings in IPL. He is currently second fastest to achieve this feat, overtaking the likes of Sachin Tendulkar. However his strike rate of 150 speaks volumes of his consistency, while
achieving this feat
PBKS’s Ruled The Match
Chasing a target of 96, PBKS approached the innings with composure. Nehal Wadhera anchored the chase with an unbeaten 33. RCB bowlers Josh Hazlewood (3/14) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/26) tried their best to defend the low total. Unfortunately the score ended up being too low to be defended, with PBKS winning the match with 11 balls to spare.
Looking Ahead
The win was significant for PBKS, as it showcased their ability to perform under pressure in a truncated match. This victory bolstered PBKS’s position in the standings taking them to the second position.
While RCB’s home woes continue, marking their third consecutive loss at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this season, saw them slip to 4th position in the standing. They nevertheless set a record.. 46th defeat at home!
The two teams are set to face each other again on Sunday, April 20, in Mohali. RCB, however, has maintained a perfect record in away games this season and will look to make up for this loss. PBKS on the other will look to build on their momentum.
