The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured an exciting victory in the final over against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to kickstart their 2024 IPL campaign at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 25. In a nail-biting match, RCB found themselves needing 10 runs from six deliveries when Dinesh Karthik executed a remarkable six, leaving even Virat Kohli astonished.
Karthik, the wicketkeeper-batsman, skillfully shifted his position to hit a back-of-a-length delivery from Arshdeep Singh, employing a scoop shot to propel the ball over the fine-leg boundary for a six. Kohli rose from his seat gradually to see if the ball would clear the boundary for a six, then proceeded to exchange high-fives with captain Faf du Plessis.
You can watch the video here:
Six by Dinesh Karthik and reaction by #ViratKohli𓃵 as seen in this video is treat to RCB fans #RCBvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/bdqMMVDdPD
— Mr A. (@ten_kim10661) March 26, 2024
The six narrowed down the required runs to four off five balls, and then a wide reduced it further to three off five. Karthik sealed the victory with a straight boundary. Entering the game with RCB needing 47 runs from four overs, the experienced player once again demonstrated his ability to finish matches, scoring an unbeaten 28 runs off just 10 balls.
“I wasn’t entirely in charge, but I was making progress”- Dinesh Karthik
Although Dinesh Karthik acknowledged not having full control during his consecutive important innings at the start of the 2024 IPL, he believes he is gradually regaining his top form.
In RCB’s first match against the Chennai Super Kings, the 38-year-old displayed an impressive performance, scoring an unbeaten 38 runs off 26 balls. After a disappointing 2023 IPL season with an average of under 12, Karthik’s return to form is a significant relief for RCB.
During the post-match presentation, he stated:
“I wasn’t completely in control but getting there. We needed that (knock from Lomror), Anuj batted well last time but when Mahipal walked out.. he took the pressure off me. I had to wait to play the scoop.”
In the first half of the match, the RCB bowlers put up an impressive performance, limiting PBKS to a below-average total of 176/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
RCB’s successful pursuit of this target was largely thanks to Virat Kohli’s stellar innings of 77 runs off 49 balls, which included 11 boundaries and two sixes. Kohli’s exceptional batting earned him the Player of the Match award for his significant contribution to the successful run-chase.
RCB really needed a win after losing their first game to CSK. Beating PBKS moved them up to sixth place on the points table. Next, they’ll play against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at their home ground on Friday, March 29th.
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