IPL 2018, RCB vs DD: AB de Villiers scoring 18 runs in one over is the SK Turning Point of the match
The Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled off a convincing 6-wicket victory against the Delhi Daredevils at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Saturday (April 21). It was a terrific chase by the hosts, wherein they managed to get to a strong total despite Virat Kohli falling relatively early in the innings.
The RCB skipper won the toss and decided to ball first on a batting-friendly wicket. The visitors put up a fighting total of 174-5 after 20 overs, courtesy a blistering 48-ball 85 from Rishabh Pant.
RCB started off in a nightmarish fashion, losing their openers, Manan Vohra and Quinton de Kock, for cheap scores. Kohli, though, looked on song and it seemed like he would take the hosts to victory with another significant effort in a chase. However, the right-handed batsman was dismissed for 30 in 11th over of the game.
That's when AB de Villiers took the matters in his hands, and ultimately, ensured that the Challengers clinched their second win of the season. With a blistering knock of 90 off just 39 deliveries, he took the winds off the sails of the DD bowling attack.
The SK turning point of the match came when the right-handed batsman played the primary role in blasting as many as 18 runs in the 13th over of the game. DD had made a comeback in the two overs preceding that, wherein they picked up Kohli's wicket in the 11th over and conceded just 5 runs in the 12th.
Hence, when Harshal Patel came in to bowl the 13th over, it was imperative for the hosts to make something out of it, so as to keep the pressure of the chase at bay. De Villiers stepped up, and slammed two sixes and one four in the over, while also reaching his half-century midway through it.
After that, it was all just about going through the motions for RCB. The South African stayed put until the end of the chase, and his batting on the day was a spectacle of the highest order.
He is usually criticized for crumbling under pressure, but instead, put tremendous pressure on the DD bowlers on the day. He stayed put even after Bangalore lost Corey Anderson for a cheap score while guiding his team to the target with Mandeep Singh, who made a valuable contribution with his unbeaten cameo on the day.
The Kohli-led side will now take on the Chennai Super Kings for a high-octane encounter at home on Wednesday (April 25). Delhi Daredevils, on the other hand, will host the table-toppers, the Kings XI Punjab, on Monday (April 22).
Gautam Gambhir will want to get the most out of his players before it is too late in the tournament, as his team is not being able to concoct a winning formula at the moment.
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