Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) set a competitive target of 172 runs for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Thursday. RCB skipper Virat Kohli was the highest run-getter from the team as he scored 48 runs. Chris Morris also delivered an impressive performance with the bat, scoring unbeaten 25 runs from just eight deliveries.
After opting to bat first, RCB got off to a good start as openers Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch struck regular boundaries. The duo formed a 38-run partnership before Arshdeep Singh got hold of Padikkal (18) in the fifth over. Soon after that, Finch (20) too was sent back to the pavilion by Murugan Ashwin.
Virat Kohli and Washington Sundar then took the field but their partnership did not last long as the latter was dismissed by Ashwin in the 11th over. Shivam Dube was the next batsman and he, along with Kohli, took the team over the 100-run mark.
Also read: IPL 13: Virat Kohli explains why AB De Villiers batted at No 6 against KXIP
Also read: England invited for ‘short white-ball tour’ to Pakistan in 2021
Dube scored 23 runs before Chris Jordan got hold of him in the 16th over and the dismissal brought AB de Villiers out on the field. However, de Villiers failed to impress as he scored just two runs before giving away an easy catch to Deepak Hooda off Mohammed Shami’s delivery in the 18th over. In the same over, Shami removed Kohli (48) as well, reducing RCB to 136/6.
Morris and Udana were the next batmen and both struck 24 runs in the last over to help RCB post a total of 171 runs on the board. For KXIP, Shami and Ashwin took two wickets each in the match. Bried scores: 171/6 [Virat Kohli 48 (39), Chris Morris 25* (8), Murugan Ashwin 2-23].
Also read: IPL 2020: Nortje and Rabada’s partnership is lethal, says Shikhar Dhawan
