Royal Challengers Bangalore rode on an AB De Villiers show as the beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in match 33 in Dubai. This win takes RCB to 12 points alongside Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. They still stay third on the points table, however very close to finalising their playoffs berth. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, lost their sixth game, alongside Kings XI Punjab. More about the RCB vs RR match report in detail below.
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bat first. Robin Uthappa (41 off 22) was back up opening the batting for the Royals providing them a quick start. The pair of Uthappa and Ben Stokes (15) added 50 for the first wicket inside 5.1 overs. Sanju Samson came into bat at number three and scored just nine which included a six. However, it was Steve Smith (57) and Jos Buttler’s (24) that pushed the Royals total 150 as Rahul Tewatia (19 off 11) took them to 177/6 after their 20 overs.
Chris Morris took 4 for 26 with the ball taking the key wickets of Buttler, Stokes and Smith. Chahal, as economical as ever took two for 34, which included the wicket of Robin Uthappa who was particularly aggressive in the partnership with Stokes.
Also Read: AB de Villiers Is The Most Impactful Player In The IPL- Virat Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore Ride an AB De Villiers Show
178 looked like a stiff target to chase, but AB De Villiers made a light work of it by scoring 55 off 22 balls which included six sixes. He took 25 off the 19th over from Jaydev Unadkat to turn the match around in RCB’s favour. They needed 25 off the last two and with De Villiers smacking the ball to all parts, Archer couldn’t defend 10 in the final over.
Devdutt Padikkal (35) and Virat Kohli (43) made key contributions and in the process laid the perfect platform for ABD’s counterattack.
There were a lot of discussions after De Villiers walked out to bat at number six which RCB lost to KXIP. He made up for the loss by making another match-winning contribution for the Royals.
Rajasthan bowlers slowed the run-rate in the middle-overs but that onslaught from De Villiers turned the match around for RCB giving them their sixth win of their campaign.
What Was The Turning Point In The Game?
Jaydev Unadkat’s 19th over which went for 25 runs was the turning point in the RCB vs RR contest. AB De Villiers broke the shackles in that over and brought his side back into the game. The spinners had done well to crop the pressure up in the middle-overs, however, that one over changed the course of the game.
AB De Villiers was the Man of the Match for his breathtaking innings. This was his second such innings in three games barring the blip against KXIP.
I’m proud of my performances. Want to perform for my team. want to show owners I’m here for a good reason. Family watching, fans, all those things play a big part. Never think about it like that. I try to stick to my gameplans. It’s a cat and mouse game. Honestly, I didn’t hit any one of them in the middle, but close enough to the middle” said De Villiers.
Also Read: IPL 2020: I Didn’t Hit Even One Six Off The Middle: AB de Villiers
