RCB vs RR: Top-order takes RCB to the tabletop

The first of the doubleheaders in this season of IPL took place between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. Winning the toss and opting to bat is the mantra for victory in this season. But that did not stop RCB from dismantling the Royals after losing the toss. They reduced RR to a below-par total and chased it comfortably thanks to the young batting sensation Padikkal and the chase master Virat Kohli.

#1 Top 3 back in the hut

In the absence of Stokes, the RR’s batting heavily depends on the top 3 – Butler, Smith, and Samson. But the RCB bowlers were right on the money from the word go. Udana drew the first blood by dismissing Smith courtesy his slow ball variation. Saini and Chahal picked up wickets on the first deliveries of their respective first overs. By the end of the powerplay, the Royals were three down and there was no going back from there.

#2 Ship steadied by U-19 sensation

After witnessing the youngsters from SRH doing it against CSK yesterday, it was time for the kids from the Royals to shine on the big stage. Mahipal Lamror playing his first game of the season took up the responsibility and stitched a decent partnership with Uthappa and Parag and helped storm the middle overs from the RCB spinners.

#3 Decent finish by the heroes of Sharjah

After Lamror’s dismissal, Tewatia and Archer were at the crease. Still the heroics of these two players at Sharjah etched in our minds, much was expected of them to deliver. Even though they could not emulate the same, they were able to hit a few lusty blows and help RR put up a decent total on the scoreboard for the RCB team to chase.

#4 Heavenly knock from God’s own countryman

Devdutt Padikkal continued his good form by notching up his third fifty from four innings in this season. He oozed class and temperament throughout his innings, and his ability to find gaps would have impressed his Captain at the other end. Though lacked a little bit of energy at the end, he made sure that his team was in a winning position when he was dismissed. He has surely solved the RCB’s batting woes of over reliance on Kohli and ABD this season.

#5 The Run Machine is back

After a dull start to the season, Virat was back to his usual self in the game against RR. Taking time to build his innings, he ensured that he was there till the end for his side. He found the gaps, hit timely boundaries, and made Padikkal run a lot. His running between the wickets was extraordinary given the conditions on offer in the hot afternoon in Abu Dhabi. So, with Kohli amongst runs, RCB batting now looks more dangerous than ever.

With this victory, RCB has got now 3 wins out of the 4 games that they have played. This is the start that Kohli would have dreamt off in his quarantine days before onboarding the airplane to UAE. With Morris waiting in the sidelines getting ready to be match fit, the RCB outfit looks more settled than ever.

Who knows, 2020 has brought us many unexpected things, maybe one for RCB too, the cup which they are yearning for more than a decade now. If RCB can sustain this winning momentum, the RCB fan can truly cry out the ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’ chant this year.

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About the Author

The post is written by Aravind. Aravind is a graduate from IIM Visakhapatnam and an avid cricket enthusiast. He follows the game with great passion. More than mere watching, he likes to analyze the game deeply and write blogs