IPL 2021: PBKS vs RCB - Who won yesterday’s match?
Punjab Kings (PBKS) stunned Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with a professional all-round show on Friday, clinching Match 26 of IPL 2021 in Ahmedabad by 34 runs.
All-rounder Harpreet Brar was the standout performer for PBKS. After scoring a quick 25 not out off 17 balls, Brar decimated RCB by dismissing their three superstar batsmen - Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers. PKBS captain KL Rahul shone with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 91 off 57 balls as his team posted 179 for 5, batting first.
RCB lost Devdutt Padikkal (7) early in their chase of 180. After slicing Riley Meredith for a six over backward point, he fell on the very next ball, cleaned up as he tried to cart the bowler for another big one. RCB only managed 36 in the powerplay overs, as PBKS kept things tight.
On the first ball of the seventh over bowled by left-arm spinner Brar, RCB captain Virat Kohli chipped down the track and lofted one over the bowler's head for a maximum. Kohli had a close shave when he inside-edged a ball from Ravi Bishnoi onto his boots before it popped up to the wicketkeeper.
Brar then broke through be cleaning up Kohli (35). The RCB captain went down the track to a back-of-a -ength delivery but did not get to pitch of the ball and was beaten all ends up.
Next ball, Brar had two in two, as he sent back Glenn Maxwell (0) with a ripper. A length delivery pitched on middle and off stump gripped off the surface and ripped past Maxwell’s outside edge to hit the off stump.
Brar was not done yet. He added the massive scalp of RCB’s consistent match-winner AB de Villiers, who chipped one straight to a gleeful PBKS captain KL Rahul at extra cover. Brar ended with excellent figures of 3 for 19, which included a double-wicket maiden.
Rajat Patidar (31) threw his bat around and found a few boundaries before slogging Chris Jordan to long-on. PBKS leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi then dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed (8) and Daniel Sams (3) off consecutive deliveries. Ahmed hit one to deep midwicket, while Sams was bowled by a googly.
Harshal Patel (31 off 13) had some fun at the end, with the result of the match becoming a formality long back.
KL Rahul special lifts PBKS to 179 for 5
PBKS captain KL Rahul smashed an unbeaten 91 off 57 balls to take his team to a competitive 179 for 5 after they were sent into bat first by RCB.
PBKS were 99 for 1 in the 11th over, but a middle-order collapse saw them slump to118 for 5 in the 15th over. Rahul and Harpreet Brar (25 not out off 17) then featured in a rollicking 61-run unbroken stand for the sixth wicket as PBKS finished on a high.
Earlier, PBKS had to leave out Mayank Agarwal from their playing XI, as he was unfit. Prabhsimran Singh opened the innings with KL Rahul but did not last long. Singh (7) was the first wicket to fall, top-edging a cross-batted swipe off Kyle Jamieson to extra cover.
Chris Gayle came in and crunched five fours off Jamieson. The tall RCB fast bowler bowled in the slot to Gayle, and the Universe Boss dispatched all but one of the deliveries in that over to the fence.
Yuzvendra Chahal was introduced in the attack, and Gayle clubbed him for two sixes - the first one was lofted down the ground past long-off, while the second one was also pummeled over the bowler's head.
In his next over, Chahal suffered at the hands of Rahul as well. The PBKS captain scythed one past deep point for four and slog-swept the next over deep midwicket for a six. Chahal’s figures after two overs read 0 for 28.
Gayle was looking set for a quick half-century when he perished for 46 off 24. The RCB batsman was caught off-guard by a well-directed short one from Daniel Sams and only managed to glove one behind the wickets.
At the other end, Rahul raised yet another half-century but kept losing partners. Nicholas Pooran registered his fourth duck of the season when he fended a short ball from Jamieson to backward point.
Deepak Hooda (5) miscued a pull off Shahbaz Ahmed and was caught at deep backward square leg. Chahal, though, had something to cheer about when he crashed through Shahrukh Khan’s defence with a googly.
It seemed as if PBKS would end up with yet another underwhelming total. However, Brar and Rahul lifted them with some fine hitting towards the end. In the 18th over bowled by Harshal Patel, Brar slammed a four over mid-off and slashed a six over midwicket.
Virat Kohli showed faith in Patel and gave him the crucial last over. The RCB bowler did not live up to his captain's expectations, though, and was clobbered for 22 runs. Rahul slammed two fours and scooped a six over fine leg, while Brar swung the last ball over square leg for another maximum.
IPL 2021: PBKS vs RCB - Man of the Match
Harpreet Brar had an outstanding game for PBKS. After a crucial cameo of 25 not out off 17 balls, Brar dismissed RCB's big three of Kohli, Maxwell and De Villiers in quick succession to put PBKS firmly on top.
KL Rahul led from the front again for PBKS, scoring a brilliant 91 not out off 57 balls. Even with wickets falling at the other end, Rahul held the PBKS innings together and batted till the very end, finding the boundaries at will.
Chris Gayle chipped in with a swift 46 off 24 balls, while PBKS leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi also impressed with figures of 2 for 17. However, for his all-round show, Harpreet Brar was adjudged the Man of the Match.