Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured their first victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with an exciting four-wicket win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Monday, March 25.
During RCB’s chase, star batsman Virat Kohli engaged in banter with left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar on the field. In the 13th over of the run chase, RCB needed 74 runs from the last eight overs with Kohli and Glenn Maxwell at the crease.
As Brar rushed through his over, Kohli, standing at the other end, was captured on the stump mic saying, “Ruk jaa usko, saans to lene de (let him breathe),” which provoked laughter from Maxwell.
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Despite the light-hearted exchange, Brar remained focused, as he managed to get Maxwell out on the very first ball of the over. The Punjab spinner continued his success against Maxwell, dismissing him for the fourth time in the IPL.
RCB secured their inaugural victory of the season
A comparable event occurred during the season opener when RCB faced off against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This time, Kohli was overheard saying the same thing to Ravindra Jadeja when he came in to bowl against Cameron Green.
Meanwhile, Brar’s bowling figures of 2/13 were the highlight of the day. He also dismissed Rajat Patidar and effectively restricted RCB’s scoring rate. However, he received little support from the other PBKS bowlers.
However, Kohli’s outstanding innings of 77 runs off 49 balls shifted the momentum in RCB’s favor, earning him the Player of the Match award for his stellar batting performance. In pursuit of 177 runs, Kohli remained at the crease until the 16th over before being dismissed by Harshal Patel.
Dinesh Karthik (28* off 10) then delivered the finishing touches as RCB successfully chased down the target with four balls remaining. Following a loss to CSK in the opening game, the Bengaluru-based team secured their maiden victory of the season.
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