New Delhi: Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore won the game against Punjab Kings by 24 runs. RCB bowlers restricted PBKS to 150 after Mohammed Siraj picked a four-wicket haul. After the fifties from Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, RCB posted 174 on board while Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma’s knocks could not chase the score for the hosts.
Apart from the good bowling by RCB, the two runouts cost the game to PBKS. Wickets kept on falling at regular intervals and with lights getting dim, Punjab batters could not survive the test on a not-so-easy batting turf.
Siraj struck again with the new ball and trapped Atharva Taide on the second delivery. After Wanindu Hasaranga got Matthew Short off a googly, Siraj struck again to get PBKS’ new hope Liam Livingstone lbw. After being 27/3, Siraj and Hasaranga delivered by getting Harpreet Singh and Sam Curran run-outs to take the opponents to 76/5.
Prabhsimran Singh scored 46 off 30 before getting bowled by Wayne Parnell. Jitesh Sharma scored 41 off 27 before being the last wicket to fall.
Apart from Siraj’s four scalps, Hasaranga got two wickets and Parnell and Harshal Patel got one each.
RCB’s inning was also rather slow where Virat attacked during the powerplay and hit 29 off 19 while ending up with 59 off 47. Faf du Plessis played a crucial knock of 84 off 56 before PBKS struck with quick wickets during the death overs.
Harpreet Brar picked two consecutive wickets of Kohli and Maxwell, while Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis picked one each in the death overs. Sam Curran and Rahul Chahar were economical and helped to restrict RCB below 180.
Kohli led RCB as Faf suffered a niggle in the game against CSK and was not fit to field, while Sam Curran continued to lead PBKS in place of injured Shikhar Dhawan. The hosts also brought in Livingstone and Nathan Ellis while Kagiso Rabada missed the game.
