NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally gave their home fans something to cheer about, edging past Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs in Match 42 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Heading into the match, Virat Kohli had been consistently scoring but struggling to go big at home. That changed in style on Thursday night as the former captain played a composed-yet-explosive knock of 70 off 42 balls — an innings marked by calculated aggression and clinical shot-making.
Put in to bat after losing the toss again, RCB had a jittery start. Archer’s express pace had the crowd holding its breath early on, and Phil Salt got a life after a dropped catch. But Kohli soon took charge, capitalizing on Deshpande’s pace to get things going with two elegant boundaries in the fifth over. RCB reached a solid 59/0 by the end of the powerplay.
Kohli brought up his first half-century at home this season in 32 balls, showcasing his range with a flick through mid-wicket and a classic drive through cover. Devdutt Padikkal added to the pressure with a fluent 50 off just 27 balls, while impactful cameos from Tim David (23 off 15) and Jitesh Sharma (20* off 10) pushed RCB to a competitive 205/5.
Rajasthan responded with fire. Yashasvi Jaiswal launched into the chase, hammering 49 off just 19 deliveries to take the Royals to 72/1 in the powerplay. However, Krunal Pandya’s canny spin removed Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana to dent the middle order, even as Dhruv Jurel fought back with a gritty 47.
The match hung in the balance when Shubham Dubey hit back-to-back boundaries off Yash Dayal, reducing the target to 18 off 12 balls. Then came the game-changing spell from Josh Hazlewood.
Having gone for 26 in his first two overs, the Australian pacer returned with a vengeance. In the 17th over, he gave away just six runs. Then in the 19th, with Rajasthan at 188/7, Hazlewood delivered a masterclass:
- Ball 1: Full toss — single.
- Ball 2: Slow bouncer — dot.
- Ball 3: Yorker — Jurel edged behind to Jitesh.
- Ball 4: Cutter — Archer mistimed to cover.
- Balls 5 & 6: Two dots to Hasaranga.
Hazlewood’s final two overs cost just seven runs and brought two wickets, finishing with figures of 4/33.
Needing 17 off the final over, Yash Dayal held his nerve again, mixing yorkers and slower deliveries to concede just six runs and seal a thrilling victory for RCB.
With this win, RCB keeps their playoff hopes alive — and their fans buzzing.
