IPL 2018, RCB vs KXIP: AB De Villiers' back-to-back sixes are SK Turning Point of the match
The Royal Challengers Bangalore got the first victory of their IPL 2018 campaign against the Kings XI Punjab when they took the match home by four wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday (April 14).
The win was powered by an exceptional bowling performance by Umesh Yadav in the first innings of the game, followed by impressive batsmanship from AB de Villiers to break the back of the target during the chase.
The South African batsman made 57 runs off 40 deliveries in a knock that included two boundaries and four mammoth sixes.
It was two of those sixes that changed the momentum of the game and made it all to easy for the home side to stroll to the target.
They came against Afghanistan's Mujeev Ur Rahman, who had bowled brilliantly up to then. However, the mastery of De Villiers' proved to be too much for charm of the youngster's bowling.
When the 17-year-old came back to bowl the 17th over after having troubled and dismissed Virat Kohli earlier in the game, he was smashed for two consecutive sixes off the last two deliveries of his spell.
They came from the able willow of De Villiers and tilted the scales in the favour of the hosts. The first shot came off a full delivery that was deposited over long-off by the Proteas batsman.
Then, the right-hander decided to go to the opposite side, as he smashed a short delivery over long-on to turn the game on its head and write RCB's name all over it.
De Villiers could not remain unbeaten through the chase, but he ensured that he brought the match in the grasp of his side before falling to Andrew Tye in the second last over of the game.
After he hit those two sixes, RCB required just 22 off 18 deliveries to get their first positive result of the tournament. Ultimately, they chased the target of 155 in 19.3 overs.
The Kohli-led side will now face Rajasthan Royals at the same venue on Sunday (April 15). It will be an interesting encounter, as both the sides lost their first game but managed to turn their fortunes in the second.
KXIP, on the other hand, will take on the mighty Chennai Super Kings in the evening game on the same day. It will be a challenge for Ashwin and Co., as the Men in Yellow have won both their matches in the tournament so far.
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