RCB vs KKR Review – Kolkata continue their winning streak in Bangalore
The action continued in the Indian Premier League 2023 as Royal Challengers Bangalore hosted Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 36 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB’s stand-in captain Virat Kohli won the toss and invited KKR to bat first.
The Nitish Rana-led side got off to a flying start as Jason Roy (56 off 29) ripped apart RCB’s bowling in the powerplay and added 83 runs for the first wicket with N Jagadeesan. After losing their openers captain Rana (48 off 21), Venkatesh Iyer (31 off 26), Rinku Singh (18* off 10), and David Wiese (12* off 3) helped KKR post a massive 200/5 in the first innings.
In reply, RCB lost the big wickets of Faf Du Plessis (17 off 7) and Glenn Maxwell (5 off 4) inside the powerplay and were 58/3 after the first six overs. Virat Kohli (54 off 37) and Mahipal Lomror (34 off 18) kept RCB in the hunt with their 55-run stand off 34 balls. However, their back-to-back dismissals in the 12th and 13th over brought KKR back into the game.
Following their dismissals, no other batter could rise to the occasion for RCB and they could only manage to reach 179/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Varun Chakravarthy (3/27) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR while Suyash Sharma (2/30) and Andre Russell (2/29) picked up two wickets each. As a result, KKR won the match by 21 runs and ended their four-match losing streak.
Top Performers of the Match
Jason Roy
The KKR opener scored his second consecutive fifty of the ongoing season and played a sensational knock of 56 off 29 balls smashing four fours and five sixes in his innings. Roy got KKR off to a flier as he took on RCB bowlers during the powerplay.
Virat Kohli
After getting out on a golden duck in the previous fixture, Virat Kohli made amends with his brilliant knock of 54 off 37 balls and stabilized the RCB innings after Maxwell and du Plessis got dismissed inside the powerplay.
Varun Chakravarthy
The wrist-spinner came in to bowl at crucial junctures in the game and got the prized scalps of Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, and Dinesh Karthik. Chakravarthy finished his spell with 3/27 in four overs and bamboozled RCB batters for the second time in the tournament.
What’s next for both teams?
RCB will look to take revenge for their previous loss against LSG as the two sides meet once again on Monday, May 1 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. On the other hand, having returned back to the winning track, KKR will look to continue their winning momentum as they next face-off against Gujarat Titans on Saturday, April 29 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
