IPL 2018, RCB vs KKR: M Ashwin dropping Chris Lynn is SK Turning Point of the match
Australian batsman Chris Lynn proved to be the difference between the two sides as the Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday (April 29).
The right-handed batsman smashed 62 unbeaten runs in 52 deliveries, to carry his bat through the innings and lead his team to victory in a crucial game. However, he was given a lifeline in the 4th over of the chase. Murugan Ashwin dropped a dolly to give Lynn a second chance in the innings and the latter grabbed it with both hands.
Considering how close the match went in the final overs of the game, the Australian's knock proved to be pivotal in getting them over the line in the last over. Hence, RCB dropping Lynn at 7 is the SK Turning Point of the match.
To commence with the proceedings, it was Dinesh Karthik who won the toss and decided to bowl first. The hosts did well in the first innings and put up 175 for 4, courtesy an unbeaten and classy half-century from their skipper, Virat Kohli. KKR started well in the second innings with their top three chipping in to put up 108 for 2 after the first 12 overs. They lost a couple of wickets after that but had enough firepower in their lower order to get the job done. Karthik's cameo at the end of the chase provided his team with the impetus they needed to get over the line, and Shubman Gill's composed finish in the final over of the game helped them get to the score of 176 for 4 with four wickets to spare.
RCB's biggest opportunity to make something of the game came in the form of that very catch that should have been taken to put pressure on the visitors in the powerplay overs. It proved to be a costly miss and ultimately, was the reason behind RCB's stinging loss.
"If we field like that, we don't deserve to win. We need to be hard on ourselves and be more brave with the ball and in the field, we need to correct those things going forward," said Kohli, in his post-match interview, clearly indicating how crucial that opportunity was in the context of the game and how costly it was to miss out on the same.
Royal Challengers Bangalore now find themselves in an unwanted but familiar muddle in the lower half of the points table. They have just two wins in seven matches, and are at the last position, winning the same number of games as Delhi Daredevils amd Mumbai Indians but with a poorer Net Run Rate. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have recovered well from the setback on Friday (April 27), to claim the fourth position on the table with 8 points in as many games.
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