RCB vs RR | 3 Stars and Flops as rain played an absolute dampener at Chinnaswamy
The incessant rains played spoilsport as the match eventually ended in a draw after being curtailed to 5-over a side. The high-voltage extravaganza witnessed some nerve-wracking hitting from Virat Kohli and awe-inspiring bowling from Shreyas Gopal, but unfortunately didn't conclude a result.
Could RCB have got off to a better start than this? Well, watching Kohli-de Villiers wreak havoc at the top, render batting a joy to behold. The duo milked 23 runs off the first over and batted as if there was no tomorrow. RCB needed to win this game by a massive margin, and the duo was on a mission from the outset at Chinnaswamy. However, another disheartening batting collapse didn’t give them fruitful dividends as the star-studded side posted a modest 62 in five overs. Shreyas Gopal and Oshane Thomas stood out with the ball and received good support from Jaydev Unadkat and Riyan Parag.
Sanju Samson and Liam Livingstone looked determined in the run-chase and were well on track to gun down the total in five overs. The duo started off on a brisk note, especially Samson, who showed his class with watertight technique and computed belligerence. In the pen-ultimate over, however, the rain gods denied any mercy as the game was eventually abandoned with both teams sharing the spoils.
Stars
Virat Kohli: It was a difficult pick between Kohli and Sanju Samson for this spot, but RCB’s blistering strike-rate and the fact that the match didn’t conclude a result worked in his favour. With just five overs to bat, Kohli went full monty from the outset and garnered runs with brute force and finesse. Watching him bat in such a calculated manner is something every coach will have in his manual for the budding cricketer. He is a splendid combination of elegance and craftiness, and his 25-run innings off 7 deliveries corroborates the belief.
Shreyas Gopal: There was no reason for the leg-spinner to not be under immense pressure. After all, he had to bowl to Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who were waiting to feast on him. However, Gopal returned unscathed. After leaking runs initially, Gopal returned from the dead and not only put brakes on RCB’s run but also broke their spine by bagging a match-winning hat-trick. He swung the pendulum in Royals’ favour in mere three deliveries and testified the fact that T20 is a game of glorious uncertainties.
Oshane Thomas: Predominantly acknowledged as a batsman-dominated game, cricket only got more murderous for the bowlers after the match was reduced to five-over a side. The batting side had complete licence to go manic and squeeze as many runs as possible while the bowlers could not afford to step a foot wrong. It demanded extreme composure and subtlety to pull things back in this kind of a situation and Oshane Thomas executed it with some finesse. The Caribbean was trusted with the final over and he lived up to the expectations by conceding just six runs and scalping two wickets.
Flops
Varun Aaron: It was no less than a nightmare for Varun Aaron as he entered the hungry lions’ cage unarmed. Yes, Kohli and De Villiers can haunt you with the bat at will, and when it’s a matter of just 30 deliveries, the situation for a bowler is just frightening. However, Aaron didn’t do anything exceptional and kept pitching in their zone. His only aim was not to concede boundaries, and although he induced couple of edges, the ball was there to be hit.
Marcus Stoinis: On a night, where Stoinis could have emerged as a protagonist within an over, he only managed a golden duck to gift Gopal a match-winning hat-trick. With two star batsmen back in the hut, RCB needed Stoinis to slow down the game and play out the over with astutely, but it wasn’t to be. His dismissal dented RCB’s quest for a maverick total and gave Royals the psychological advantage.
Kulwant Khejroliya: On a batting paradise, a bowler with his pace needed to spring something spectacular out of his sleeves to triumph. Unfortunately, Khejroliya did that in patches and paid the price by conceding 17 runs while defending 63. His over oscillated between mediocrity and occasional sparks of brilliance, but he never posed a threat with the leather. Samson had no trouble whatsoever in taking a predictable bowler for cleaners.
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