AB de Villiers’ stellar knock help RCB beat KKR by 82 runs

Challengers Bangalore exhibited an-round performance as they registered a win against KKR by 82 runs on Monday. With the win, RCB now sits at third position at the half-way stage with 5 wins in 7 matches.

In pursuit of 194-run total set by RCB, Kolkata Knight Riders looked clueless on a sluggish surface of Sharjah. New opening pair of Tom Banton and Shubman Gill couldn’t get them off to a great start. Debutant, Tom Banton just couldn’t get going and struggled to find boundaries and was eventually cleaned up from a perfect delivery by Navdeep Saini. Shubhman Gill looked good for his 35, but unfortunately, got run-out in the 10th over. KKR couldn’t score at even 6-run per over in the first half of the innings.

The pressure to score at a faster rate got to them as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. The spinners couldn’t get the batsmen free their arms and get set in the middle. The trio of Karthik, Morgan and Russell could muster just 25 runs together as KKR could managed only 112 in 20 overs.

Earlier, AB de Villiers’ masterclass performance powered RCB to a formidable 194-run total in the first innings. Openers, Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch led the foundation, having started fiercely in the powerplay overs.

Both showed great intent and looked to score boundaries right from the first over of the innings. RCB raced to 67 in just 7.4 overs, before Devdutt Padikkal became the first player to depart. The southpaw scored 32 before getting out while trying to play a big shot. Run-rate saw a slight dip in between as Virat Kohli struggled to get out and KKR also fetched the crucial wicket of Aaron Finch.

Little did they know what was to follow. The man from South Africa, AB de Villiers showcased a superclass performance at Sharjah Cricket Team. AB de Villiers didn’t spare any seamer as he amassed 73 runs off 33 balls, which included 5 fours and 6 sixes. AB de Villiers’ knock helped RCB put on a mammoth 194-run total in the first innings which eventually proved too much for KKR.