SRH vs RCB Highlights: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their first IPL 2024 game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 25. However, little did the RCB fans know that it would take them exactly a whole month to register another two points.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) became only the second team to lose a match against RCB after the Red and Gold outfit put on a dominating show at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday.
RCB, electing to bat first, capitalized on a blazing knock by Rajat Patidar. The right-hander smashed a quickfire 50 off just 20 deliveries, propelling his team to an above par total of 206 runs. SRH’s batting, known for its firepower, seemed subdued. Openers didn’t provide a decent start, and the dismissal of key middle-order batsmen led RCB to clinch the match by 35 runs.
Virat Kohli and his classy strokes in the powerplay
Virat Kohli’s innings against SRH was a tale of two halves. He came out firing, looking in imperious touch. The SRH bowlers felt the brunt of his early aggression as he unleashed some delightful strokes. Boundaries flowed freely off his bat, with four fours and a six adorning his scoring sheet, all within the powerplay.
However, this early flourish proved to be short-lived. Following the powerplay, Kohli’s scoring slowed down considerably. He struggled to rotate the strike and eventually fell to an attempted big shot in the 15th over. While he did manage a fifty, his knock left many fans and pundits underwhelmed, especially considering his blazing start.
Rajat Patidar hammers one of the fastest fifties for RCB
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) batting innings needed a spark, and Rajat Patidar was the man to provide it. The aggressive 30-year-old batsman came out swinging, hammering a blistering 19-ball fifty. This phenomenal knock stands as the joint-second-fastest fifty ever scored by a batsman for RCB in the IPL. Patidar’s intent was clear from the very first ball, and he didn’t hold back against bowler Mayank Markande, even smashing four consecutive sixes in a single over.
Six and Out ft. Klaasen and Swapnil
All-rounder Swapnil Singh proved to be a valuable asset for RCB in his debut match. While his contribution with the bat was a quickfire 12 runs off just 6 balls, it was his bowling that truly stole the show. In the second innings, he dismissed the dangerous Aiden Markram early on, putting RCB in a strong position.
Later in the same over, when the swashbuckling Heinrich Klaasen tried to take him on by launching a big six, Swapnil held his nerve. He didn’t let the pressure faze him, and instead, bowled a clever delivery that resulted in Klaasen’s dismissal, solidifying RCB’s grip on the match.
