Royal Challengers Bangalore 180 for 0 (Padikkal 101*, Kohli 72*) beat Rajasthan Royals 177 for 9 (Dube 46, Tewatia 40, Siraj 3-27, Patel 3-47) by 10 wickets
Out of the four wins that RCB have registered in Vivo IPL 2021, the one against Rajasthan on Friday should sit at the top. Not a single wicket fell in the second innings as Virat Kohli and Co. registered a 10-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals. RCB have surpassed Chennai Super Kings once again to claim the top position on the points table with the 4 wins in as many games.
Rajasthan Royals did well to reach 177 in the first innings after losing 4 quick wickets inside the first 8 overs. However, their bowlers had no answers to the rampage caused by Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal in the second innings. The duo chased down the total in just 16.3 overs.
Here’s a look at three major talking points from the 16th match of Vivo IPL 2021:
Devdutt Paddikal- Virat Kohli put on a show at Wankhede
Ever since Devdutt Padikkal has joined RCB, the franchise looks a lot more strong and secure in the batting department. He enjoyed a wonderful season last season and continues to put on match-winning performances this year as well.
The southpaw scored his maiden century in IPL on Friday against RR, scoring 101 runs off 52 balls, including 11 fours and 6 sixes. It was a day to cherish Padikkal’s fluent stroke-play. He took the bowlers right from the onset of his innings. His lofted off-drive to over extra-cover for six off Mustafizur in the fifth over was certainly the shot of the night. Padikkal made a mockery of RR bowlers while picking the gaps with ease. His quickfire knock made sure Virat Kohli, who wasn’t timing the ball cleanly initially, take his team before he unleashes himself.
The RCB skipper also made a valuable contribution, scoring 72 off 47 balls. He looked patchy in the first half of the innings as he wasn’t quite able to time the ball too well. However, as the innings progressed, the skipper found his mojo back and picked the gaps with ease. The unversed, 181-run partnership between Virat and Padikkal is RCB’s highest opening partnership in the history of IPL.
Lack of Intent from Rajasthan in all departments
Rajasthan Royals already missing out on the services of Stokes and Archer and if the rest of the big names don’t play well, then it's gonna be trouble. The top four batsmen comprising Sanju Samson, David Miller, Jos Buttler and Manan Vohra were back in the hut in the first 8 overs.
On a batting paradise at Wankhede, it was a disappointing performance from the batsmen, to say the least. The emerging talent took them to a respectable total only to make one realize that the bowlers too lack the motivation to thrive.
Chris Morris erred in line and lengths, while the likes of Shreyas Gopal and Chetan Sakariya went for plenty. The body language on the field wasn’t too impressive either. Rajasthan ought to come up with better plans or they might face a similar result as last year.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – A different team this year?
These are still early days but RCB has made a solid case of qualifying for playoffs for the second consecutive time. There is no denying that they are playing even better than last year. The inclusion of players such as Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson and Harshal Patel to name a few have made them a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps, we have seen glimpses of Mumbai Indians in RCB, this year. It's not just AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli winning games for them. Every match has produced a different hero for them. Glenn Maxwell has gone all guns blazing this year. Jamieson is making a valuable contribution with the ball and has shown that he can hit big hits if need be.
Ever since Mohammad Siraj made his debut for India in Australia, his confidence has skyrocketed. The RCB fast bowler hasn’t been seen erring in his line and lengths. He has been bowling superbly in the powerplay overs and today was a perfect example of that. He made the vitals breakthroughs in the first six overs to put RR on the backfoot. If RCB continues to play like this, then this could be the magical year RCB fans hoping for.
Questions To Be Answered
- Young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal is yet to play first his first game for RR this year. Manan Vohra, on the other hand, hasn’t impressed at all with his performances. Should Jaiswal be still warming the bench or given a chance in the next game?
- Morris might have played the match-winning cameo against Delhi Capitals, but has been too expensive with the ball. Should Andrew Tye replace the South African all-rounder in the next game?
What lies ahead for both sides?
Post registering a 10-wicket victory over RR, Royal Challengers Bangalore have once again reached the top of the table with 4 wins in as many games. They will play their next game against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
Rajasthan Royals would look for their second win of the tournament when they will meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.
Records Broken 1.Devdutt Padikkal has become the third youngest to score an IPL hundred after Manish Pandey and Rishabh Pant.
2. Virat Kohli has become the first player in the history of IPL to score 6000 runs.
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