Royal Challengers Bengaluru opened their points tally in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday (25 March), with a four-wicket triumph over Punjab Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Restricting Punjab to a score of 176/6, Bengaluru chased the total down in 19.2, courtesy of Virat Kohli’s 77 and brisk cameos from Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror,
Akin to what happened in the season’s curtain raiser, Bengaluru had a brisk start, albeit the scoring was done by Virat Kohli on this occasion. The first over off Sam Curran produced 16 runs, although Jonny Bairstow helped the hosts’ case by dropping the opportunity of dismissing Kohli.
But the team yet was again unsuccessful in capitalising on a good start. Faf du Plessis lost his wicket to Kagiso Rabada in the third over, while the South African speedster got the better of Cameron Green in his next over.
After a barren spell which invited much scrutiny and criticism, Rajat Patidar looked in slightly better touch in this game. His run-a-ball 18 involved a six and a four, though the manner of his dismissal – clean bowled by Harpreet Brar – will do very little to boost his morale.
The left-arm orthodox spinner bowled one of his more memorable and significant spells in IPL today, recording figures of 4-0-13-2. After dismissing Patidar, he also got the wicket of Glenn Maxwell. Bengaluru’s Aussie trio scored three runs apiece – adding only nine runs to the team’s cause.
Whilst all of this unfolded at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli remained firm as an epitome of equanimity. During his 49-ball stay in the crease, in which he accumulated 77 runs with the help of 11 fours and a couple of sixes, Kohli looked invincible. Except he was not, as corroborated by Harshal Patel, who dismissed the former Bengaluru skipper in the 16th over.
Anuj Rawat could not build on his valorous effort from the last match as he was only 11, and at that stage, Punjab Kings had the balance in their favour – having 47 runs to defend in 22 deliveries.
However, Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror’s cameos secured what was an incredible win for Bengaluru. The latter chipped in with an 8-ball 17, albeit the headlines will shower adulation towards the 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who, reportedly in his last IPL season, reinvigorated the match-winner in him by scoring a 10-ball 28.
Dhawan's 47, Shashank Singh's 21* Got Punjab to a Competitive Total
Earlier, Captain Shikhar Dhawan’s 45, along with Jitesh Sharma’s 27 and a late cameo from Shashank Singh (21 not out) helped Punjab Kings reach 176/6. On a pitch that had something for the bowlers to exploit, it meant that RCB bowlers ensured the PBKS innings never got going, though Dhawan and Jitesh threatened to go hammer and tongs, with Shashank eventually sizzling with a cameo.
For RCB, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell were excellent, while using the two-bouncer rule to good use by planning and executing the bumpers well to prise out the PBKS power-hitters, as they gave away only 48 runs in the last five overs.
Dhawan stepped up by driving Alzarri Joseph twice for boundaries, before lofting and cutting off Mayank Dagar and Maxwell for six and four respectively. On the other hand, Prabhsimran sliced, whipped and heaved with ease to collect a four and two sixes.
The 55-run stand for the second wicket was broken when Prabhsimran’s top-edge on the pull off Maxwell was safely pouched by wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat in the ninth over. Liam Livingstone tried to boost the scoring rate by hammering Maxwell for a six and four but ended up giving a top edge to Rawat off a short ball from Joseph.
On the very next ball, Dhawan danced down the pitch to loft off Maxwell, but holed out to long-on. Jitesh began well by slamming Dagar for back-to-back sixes over the bowler’s head and deep square leg. From the other end, Sam Curran was dealing with hitting fours off fuller deliveries, as he and Jitesh added 50 runs off 35 balls for the fifth wicket.
But Dayal broke the partnership with a well-directed one which Curran looked to pull but was cramped for room and gloved behind to Rawat, who jumped to get his right arm and complete the catch in thin air.
In the next over, Jitesh tried to slap a bouncer off Siraj on the off-side, but it went high in the air and Rawat took the catch. Shashank flicked and hammered Joseph for a brace of sixes in the final over, before slashing a four over short third man to take 20 runs off the final over and take Punjab past 170.
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