IPL 2020 | RCB vs RR Evaluation Chart: AB de Villiers' special powers RCB to a memorable win

IPL 2020 | RCB vs RR Evaluation Chart: AB de Villiers' special powers RCB to a memorable win

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AB de Villiers played a match-winning innings today

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IPL

With 35 needed off 12, no one would have given RCB much of a chance to win but then AB de Villiers smashed four sixes in last two overs to take the team over the line. Chasing 178, RCB needed 64 off the final five overs but Jaydev Unadkat's 19th over helped them win the encounter comfortably.

Rating charts

Powerplay exploitation

RR 9/10 - The ball was flying to all sides of the park as Rajasthan Royals finally unveiled Robin Uthappa as opener, who hammered his former side brutally. Thanks to Uthappa, RR added 52 runs in PP, which was great given the slowing nature of the pitch with the game slowing down. 

RCB 7/10 - Making 47 runs in first six overs chasing 178, on a wicket that will get slower, is not on. Finch showed elite intent, perished, Kohli batted as usual but Padikkal needs to come out his shell and start showing aggression as field restrictions are meant to be made use of. 

Middle-overs maneuvering

RR  8/10 - After losing Robin Uthappa and Sanju Samon off consecutive deliveries in the eight over, there were apprehensions as to how Smith and Buttler would go about but they did a good rebuilding job. RR got 67 from next 54 deliveries after powerplay overs and were 119 for 3, enough to go berserk at death.

RCB 6/10 - After starting slowly, RCB needed to take the middle-overs by storm, something they have been terrible at. Padikkal strangled the side with his slow batting, Kohli tried well, showed intent, there were good hits but then was dismissed on 43. RCB managed 67 runs for two wickets in middle overs, leaving too much for death. 

Death bowling 

RCB 3/10 - RCB were back to what they do the best at death - concede a bucket load of runs. As if we hadn't seen already how spinners have failed at death, in fact, Kohli had the first hand experience against MI, he bowled Chahal in a classic Kohli captaincy move in the 18th over, who gave away 19. RCB leaked 58 runs at death.

RR 3/10 - With 12.80 needed on each of the last five overs, RR didn't let RCB cross the required run-rate in first three overs with some impeccable yorkers and bowling. But then Unadkat gave away 25 runs off the penultimate over with some poor deliveries to leave RCB with 11 to win in final over. Not something they will be proud of.

Snapshots

Rajasthan finally get their opening combination right

In what was their fifth different opening combination in nine games, Rajasthan Royals openers Robin Uthappa and Ben Stokes were the first of the lot to go past the three-over mark in the competition for the side, which exemplifies their struggle at the top. Steve Smith and RR management took eternity but finally realized if Uthappa plays, he has to open and he outshone even Ben Stokes at the top. Robin ain't finished, or at least yet!

Get me those who said Samson is better than Pant

8, 4, 0, 5, 26, 25, 9 - well, this is how Sanju Samson's scores read after he started off with back-to-back fifties in IPL 2020. As talented as Samson is, at times you feel, he's more hyped than the real deal. His template is simple - start off the IPL with a few blazing knocks, get all the hype, fade by the time the second half starts, repeat the same. Today, he made 9 and got out just on the next delivery after dismissal of Uthappa, drawing the ire of Swann, who termed it a 'brainless shot' while former India batting coach, Sanjay Bangar labelled such cricket as the reason for him not being a regular for India yet.

About time RCB drops Aaron Finch 

Having a big reputation of wreaking havoc in T20s, Aaron Finch continues to grapple only to fail in the lucrative league. In a cut throat league like IPL, reputation can only take you thus far, at the end performance is what really matters. Finch looked in red-hot form as he smoked Archer for two sixes but then got out on 14. He now has 205 runs at 22.77 with a strike-rate of 114.52, this season, only once has he made a fifty. It's about time when Bangalore tries Josh Philippe or Moeen Ali as opener. 

Turning Point

With 35 needed off the final 12, it looked difficult for RCB to win even with AB de Villiers in the middle. But then ABD smoked Unadkat's most trusted slower off-cutter for a massive six on the first ball of the penultimate over mid wicket. From there on, there was no looking back for RCB as they went with the flow and did the unthinkable.

Match Frenzy O Meter - Entertaining

From Robin Uthappa's resurgence to Steve Smith's spin masterclass to Shahbaaz Ahmed's catch of the match to Tewatia-Uthappa mishap to Tewatia's stunner at boundary to Samson's reckless shot, there were a number of things that made the game ever so entertaining. 

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