IPL 2018, RCB vs DD: Hits and Misses
The trend of bowling first continued as Virat Kohli won the toss and put Delhi Daredevils (DD) into bat first. Delhi lost a couple of early wickets and they struggled in the powerplays as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were excellent upfront.
However, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant put the Delhi innings back on track as the duo struck vital half-centuries. Iyer scored 52 but it was Pant’s 85 that helped DD get to 174 in their 20 overs. RCB, despite starting well once again, were found wanting at the death. They conceded 71 runs in the last 5 overs as they allowed DD to get to a competitive total.
In reply, RCB got off to a bad start as Manan Vohra was dismissed in the 2nd over for 2. Then Quinton de Kock was run out owing to a mix-up as it left RCB reeling at 29/2. But Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers steadied the ship as they shared a 63-run stand before a jaw-dropping catch from Trent Boult sent the RCB skipper packing.
But it was AB de Villiers who stole the show with a stunning masterclass. He scored a stunning unbeaten 90 to take RCB home with 2 overs to spare and get their second win of the season.
#5 Miss: Delhi openers
The Delhi openers Gautam Gambhir and Jason Roy have scored one fifty each in this tournament. But apart from that, they have been disappointing, both individually and as a pair.
Gautam Gambhir started the tournament with a good fifty but hasn’t quite found his rhythm. He has failed in the next 2 innings after that 55 he scored in DD’s opening game. In this game, he once again failed to get going. He struggled throughout his 10-ball innings and scored just 3 before he was dismissed by Umesh Yadav.
On the other hand, Jason Roy scored a match-winning 91 against Mumbai Indians in his debut game for DD. He scored just 1 against KKR. He struggled against spin as Yuzvendra Chahal bowled very well up front. The England opener was eventually dismissed for a laborious 16-ball 5 as Chahal cleaned him up with a straighter one.