RCB Lost to Pbks by Five Wickets | Courtesy – BCCI/IPL
The pitch at the chinnaswamy stadium, which is usually a batting paradise, turned into a scrappy, slow-burn contest that underlined how far far this framed venue has shifted from A Two-Hour Rain Delay Sliced The Game Down to 14 overs per side, and while the Shorted Format often Promies Fireworks, Chiursday Evening Delivered a Nervy Low-Specorer with EVY EVERRR WHERER WHERER MISTIMED PULL and Flat-Batted Slap Felt Like a Risk Worth Regretting.
Earlier, it had looked like rcb might not even touch the 50-r mark. After losing the toss and being asked to bat, their innings unravelled into a procession of Misjudged Strokes, Tight Bowling, and the weight of the Pitch ‘Awkward Bounce.
The rot began early. Arshdeep singh, coming into the match with just two power-Play wickets all season, found his rhythm right when punjab Needed Him to. Phil salt, trying to manufacture a pull off a rising length ball, top-edged straight to square leg. Moments Later, Arshdeep Pulled His Length Back and Found the splice of Virat Kohli’s Bat as he Attempted to Charge Him-Marco Jansen Completing a Comfortable Catch at Mid-on.
With that two wickets, arshdeep leapfrogded piyush chawla to become Punjab’s Highest Wicket-Taker in IPL History, His Tally Now Standing at 86.
RCB’s Troubles only Deepened as Rajat Patidar’s Aggressive Intent Yielded Just A Four And A Six Before He Became Yuzvendra Chahal Chahal Chahal Chahal Chahal’s Four Clear the infield. The ploy to send in impact player manoj bhandage backfired spectacularly – He was pinned lbw by a skiddy jansen delivery before he could even get gold going.
By the 12th Over, RCB was nine down down with just 63 runs on the board. Harpreet Brar Pickled Off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal Off Consective Deliveries to Leave the HOSTS GASPING. Tim david, who had come in with no momentum to ride on, refused to back down. He Took Calculated Risks Against Bartlet and Brar, Piercing Gaps and Muscling Boundaries to Lift His Side to 95.
For a brief moment, it seemed that david’s heroics might just be enough.
Punjab’s Chase Began on a Poor Note. The very first boundary came off Arya’s outside edge, frying over the slip cordon. Prabhsimran singh (13) survived a scare next ball, Miscuing a flick that dropped safely. When he is finally found some timing, Carting Bhuvneshwar Over His Head and Through Extra Cover in the Same over, it felt like Normal service was returning.
Josh hazlewood, who released the stickiness of the surface, made life even harder. His height, combined with a nagging length and steep bounce, denied batters the freedom to slap or pull. Priyansh Arya (16), having top-edged a pull for six, attempted to flat-bit another and ended upering catching practice at mid-off.
Hazlewood then delivered a brutal one-to-to-two in his second over. First came a rising ball angled across shreyas iyer (7), inducing an upper edge that jitesh sharma did brilliantly to pouch, leapping and arching behind the stumps. Then, Inglis (14) – Tempted by a Slightly Shorter Ball – India for a Cut and Found Deep Third. From 46 for 2, Punjab was Suddenly Wobbling at 52 for 4.
In this Sea of Uncertainty, Nehal Wadhera Stood Tall. The left-hander wasn’t flashy, but he undersrstood the moment. Against suyash sharma, who was getting significant Drift and Variation, Wadhera tried a reverse sweeep that wasn’t timed well but found the gap anyway.
When the legspinner erred with a loopy full-toss in the middle, wadhera launched it over cow corner. Even as suyash tightened up and hazlewood conceded just two from his final over, the left-hander waited for his moment.
With 32 needed from 24 balls, wadhera pounced. A wide, overpitched ball was smashed over long -off. Then a full leg-break from Around the wicket turned viciously past bat and keeper for four bys. When the ball was overpitched again, wadhera drilled it through the covers. The pressure has lifted the target with touching distance.
There was a brief flicker of hope for rcb when shashank singh, trying to go over the top, holed out at long-on off Bhuvneshwar. The crowd found its voice again as the equation dropped to 15 from 15. But wadhera, smiling and unShaken, tucked one Fine for for four four stroking anothr through
It was left to marcus stoinis to seal the deal. Staying Leg-Side of the Ball, He Muscled A Short Delivery Over Midwicket to Close out the Chase with 11 Balls to Spare.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 95/9 in 14 overs (Tim David 50 Not Out, Rajat Patidar 23; Marco Jansen 2-10, Yuzvendra Chahal 2-11) Lost to Punjab Kings 98/5 in 12.1 Overs (NEHAL WADHEARA 333 33 33 NOT OOTUT, Priyansh Arya 16; Josh Hazlewood 3-14, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 26) By Five Wickets
