CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) recovered from a poor batting display with a spirited bowling performance to beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 18 runs in the 43rd match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) played at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Monday.
The visiting team produced a magnificent bowling and fielding performance as they defended a modest 126 runs in an electric performance to move into fifth place of the IPL points table.
Chasing 127, Lucknow Super Giants were rocked early as they lost Kyle Mayers in the second ball of the innings. Krunal Pandya then released the pressure in style in the next over, cracking three consecutive fours off Mohammed Siraj to make it 16 off the third over.
Krunal though couldn’t continue for long as he chipped one straight into the hands of Virat Kohli at long off to give Glenn Maxwell a wicket in his first over.
Hazlewood struck in his next over, having Badoni caught at short extra cover as Kohli pulled off a very good reflex catch to reduce LSG to 21 for three.
Sri Lanka’s leg spinner Wanindu Hasarange made it three wickets in three overs for RCB as he had Deepak Hooda stumped with Karthik showing good presence of mind.
Nichoolas Pooran got off the mark with a huge six first ball, but it was RCB’s Powerplay all the way as LSG hobbled to 34 for four at the end of first six overs.
Earlier, Virat Kohli and Player of the Match Francois du Plessis got RCB off to a steady start, but LSG made sure they kept the boundary count in check as they conceded just three fours and a six in the Powerplay with RCB reaching 42 for no loss at the end of the first six overs.
Krishnappa Gowtham then provided a bit of relief, cracking a six and a four off Karn Sharma with LSG bringing up the fifty in the ninth over.
Things further slowed down as RCB went boundary-less for the next three overs. LSG reaped the rewards of building the pressure as Ravi Bishnoi had Kohli stumped trying to charge down the track but missing his swing.
Chief scores
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 126/9 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 31, Francois du Plessis 44, Naveen-ul-Haq 3/30, Ravi Bishnoi 2/21, Amit Mishra 2/21)
Lucknow Super Giants: 108 in 19.5 overs (Krishnappa Gowtham 23, Josh Hazlewood 2/15, Karn Sharma 2/20).
