IPL 2021, RCB vs RR: 3 reasons why the Rajasthan Royals lost
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) continued their brilliant start to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a comprehensive win over the struggling Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The shift from Chennai to Mumbai was expected to disrupt RCB's rhythm. But the manner of their win only got more clinical, as they crushed RR by 10 wickets.
Batting first, RR started disastrously as three of their top four batsmen fell with just 18 runs on the board. Though they recovered due to the efforts of Shivam Dube and Rahul Tewatia among others, they could not muster up a total that would challenge RCB's batting might.
As it turned out, RCB needed no more than two players - who were yet to find their best form in the tournament - to polish off the runs with more than three overs to spare.
Here are the top three reasons why RR lost to RCB on April 23.
#3 RR's top-order collapse against pace
With Jofra Archer not available due to injury and Ben Stokes back home, RR's hopes primarily rested on the duo of Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler. While the Englishman has often carried the RR batting lineup in the past, he was unable to score against RCB as he missed a length ball from Mohammed Siraj to lose his stumps.
Skipper Samson rebuilt slowly, and even smashed the first ball from Washington Sundar for six, but perished off a soft dismissal next ball. Manan Vohra couldn't make a meaningful contribution yet again, and a sharp review by RCB had David Miller on his way back for a duck. It meant the lower-middle order had too much to do, and while they shone, it was not nearly enough.
#2 Insipid finish for RR after middle-order show
Shivam Dube rode his luck to pile on a decent score in quick time, and was looking to pick up his maiden IPL fifty when a toe-ended slog off Kane Richardson found a fielder in the deep. The incoming Chris Morris couldn't repeat the heroics he displayed against the Delhi Capitals, and soon Rahul Tewatia too was dismissed in the penultimate over.
Although there was an unexpected six by Shreyas Gopal to boost RR's morale heading into the innings break, the team managed merely 49 runs from the last five overs on a fantastic pitch for batting. The team looks desperate for the return of Jofra Archer to shore up their death-overs batting apart from bowling at all stages of the game.
#1 RCB's ruthless opening partnership
RR entered the second innings of the game with a plan in mind.
Having brought in Shreyas Gopal specifically due to his favourable match-up against RCB skipper Virat Kohli, Samson threw the ball to the leg-spinner to kick off proceedings. The highest run-getter in IPL history looked scratchy for his first three balls, but he stepped out and smashed a six down the ground to give a sign of what was to come.
Until the end of the innings, where he rapidly accelerated, Kohli was merely a sideshow. Devdutt Padikkal showed a tremendous amount of courage, coupled with effortless timing and the ability to find the gaps, in a fantastic maiden IPL hundred that countered all RR had to throw at them.
RCB crossed 100 before the tenth over, and finished the game with a canter due to their tremendous opening partnership.