Match Details

PBKS vs RCB 48th Match, IPL 2021

team important image
PBKS
158-620.0
RCB won by 6 runs
RCB
20.0164-7
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18th Over:
2
1
0
1
6
0
 
= 10
Last Over:
0
1
4
0
wd
1
1
 
= 8
This Over:
W
2
1
2
6
1
 
= 12
PBKSPBKS - 2nd Innings
SessionOpenPASS
6 Over 4749
10 Over 7981
15 Over 122113
RCBRCB - 1st Innings
SessionOpenPASS
6 Over 4655
10 Over 8469
15 Over 107109
20 Over 160164

Commentary

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Highlights
Overs
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6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
This is Arijit Kundu bringing you the coverage alongside co-commentators, Md. Farzan and Karthik Raj. Hope you've liked the coverage from us and now make sure to switch the tabs and tune to the coverage for KKR vs SRH. 
Glen Maxwell(Man of the match): "Came in at a nice time to bat. Lucky to hit the first couple of risks out of the middle. I feel like the last two years of IPL I have batted nicely. To have it set up by the openers today gave us some time to get an idea of the wicket. Coming into RCB they wanted me to do the exact same role (as with Australia). This (Sharjah) is probably the most difficult to adjust to. The spinners get it to skid on which means you have to be sharper at the start of your innings."
Virat Kohli (Captain-Royal Challengers Bangalore): "Feels amazing. After 2011, we haven't done it with games to spare. Eight wins out of 12 games is a great campaign. We have two more opportunities to finish in the top two. Should give us motivation to play even more fearlessly. When you don't have any wickets on the scoreboard, you can take more risks. Which myself and Dev [Padikkal] have to. 15-20 runs on this ground can be crucial. We have to plug those areas. As a side, we have had an endeavour to improve, whether in losses or wins. We knew the wicket would get slower and slower. KL and Mayank batted really well, but we knew we were just two wickets from coming back into the game. (On the bowlers) The resurgence of Siraj, ever since he has done well in Test cricket. Harshal's inclusion has been outstanding. Yuzi has chipped in, as has Shahbaz. Garton has come in. If the players don't step up, then the campaign goes off track."
Man of the match: Glenn Maxwell.
Yuzvendra Chahal(after the game): "(What he has done in UAE) I just believe in me. That's what I was missing in the first half. I have just backed my strength and just varied my line today. On this wicket, 160 is a very good score. We knew if we got early wickets, we could get them. In the middle overs, we decided to go more for dot balls. (On Mayank) He's a great batsman and it's always challenging to bowl to him. I didn't want to give him loose balls. Wanted him to hit boundaries if he could. We had a good momentum. After the first two games, we have bounced back well. Batting, bowling and fielding. We are just focused on taking it game by game."
KL Rahul (Punjab Kings captain): "I wouldn't say I haven't enjoyed wearing it (the Orange Cap) but I would have been happier if we had qualified. It was a score that was par. Maybe 10-15 runs extra. When a guy like Maxwell comes in with that sort of form, it makes it difficult. But with the bat, the last couple of years have been disappointing. If I have to be honest, our batting has let us down. I'll be lying if I say it doesn't play on my mind that I play a role that the team demands. It's not something that I enjoy, but when you lead the team, you have to accept the responsibility. In T20, the top two or three do score a bulk of the runs. You won't have people in the middle order scoring 500-600 runs. But we have missed someone in the middle who scores those 30-40 quick runs. Shahrukh and some of the other Indian young guys have been going well."
Things came down the wire to 27 required from the last 2 overs with one over of Siraj and Harshal to bowl the 19th and 20th over. Siraj bowled brilliantly as he gave just 8 runs off the 19th over and made things easy for Harshal Patel.

Patel needed to defend 19 runs off 6 balls and he got rid of the swashbuckling Shahrukh Khan in the first ball in the form of a runout. Soon, Harpreet Brar and Moises Henriques failed to chase down the target as they fell short of 6 runs in the end. It was a commendable victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore as they beat Punjab Kings by 6 runs and book their tickets for the Playoffs.
Arriving to chase an above-par total, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul gave a fascinating start to Punjab Kings. Both the batters played out all the variety of bowlers that were being brought to attack by Skipper, Virat Kohli. They pocketed 49 runs of the powerplay, hitting Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton for a couple. KL Rahul survived an lbw within the powerplay but was the first one to be dismissed when he shimmied down the track to hit a tossed-up delivery from Shahbaz Ahmed and got caught by Harshal Patel at short 3rd man. 

Nicholas Pooran was sent up the order, ahead of Aiden Markram again. Once again he failed to show some spark. Chahal got rid of him. 

Just when Aiden Markram and Mayank Agarwal were looking good and ticking things over, Chahal got rid of the dangerous Mayank Agarwal with a flighted leg break. Soon in the same over he knocked the timber of Sarfraz Khan as he failed to read the turn. 
Fortunately, Glenn Maxwell didn't get bogged down as he smashed Harpreet Brar for a couple of maximums in the very next over. The all-rounder Moises sneaked in another economical over but RCB properly stepped on the accelerator as the Big Show took on Ravi Bishnoi successfully. After a pretty sedate start, AB de Villiers also got into the action as the RCB star duo got 17 runs off the 17th over bowled by Mohammad Shami.

KL Rahul's move to bring back Ravi Bishnoi worked as he only conceded eight runs in the 18th over. However, De Villiers started the penultimate over superbly by smashing a six off Arshdeep Singh before falling prey to a runout by Sarfraz Khan. Eventually, Mohammad Shami dismissed Glenn Maxwell but Shahbaz Ahmed struck the very next delivery out of Sharjah. Shami did come back strong by sending back Shahbaz and George Garton off consecutive balls as RCB finished with 164-7.
Earlier in the game, RCB had won the coin flip and opted to bat first. RCB got off to a great start with Devdutt Paddikal charging the wrist spinner and Virat Kohli taking against the seamers. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal helped the team post 55-0 after the Powerplay.

However, the introduction of Harpreet Brar brought down the run-rate by a considerable margin. Yet, the best bowling change turned out to be Moises Henriques as he sent Virat Kohli and Dan Christian back to the hut back-to-back deliveries in his very first over. In his next over, Moises also got the edge over Devdutt Padikkal's late cut and RCB slipped to 73-3 after 12 overs.
That is it from the game as Royal Challengers Bangalore finally breaks the streak of loss against Punjab Kings. Another close game in Sharjah and this time Virat Kohli8 and co. pocket two points and assure their place at the playoffs. 

Tragedy for Punjab Kings as their middle and lower order batters couldn't capitalise on the great start provided by the openers of Punjab Kings.
OVER 20
Punjab Kings
158/6
Harpreet Brar
3(2)
Moises Henriques
12(9)
Harshal Patel
0-27(4.0)
19.6 H Patel to M Henriques
1 A single to finish off the innings and the match. Low full toss hit straight to mid wicket for a single. With that, RCB win by 6 runs and book a berth in the playoffs. 
19.5 H Patel to M Henriques
6 SIX!! This was required much before for the Kings. Full length on the stumps and Henriques lofts it over midwicket to clear the ropes for a maximum. 
19.4 H Patel to M Henriques
2 YORKER! Henriques taps it towards mid wicket and the batters push for a couple of runs. 
19.3 H Patel to H Brar
1 Slower and wide outside off played towards deep backward point for a single. 
19.2 H Patel to H Brar
2 Full length delivery and Brar hit it down the ground to pick up a couple of runs. 
Commentary