Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Mandeep Singh had admitted Sunil Narine’s fifty proved the difference between the two sides on Sunday.
Having lost the toss and made to bat first, Virat Kohli and men had struggled to make quick runs in the power play overs. Brendon McCullum was dismissed at a crucial juncture. South African batsman AB de Villiers looked in full flow in his fast-paced innings.
However, he and Virat Kohli got dismissed on successive deliveries by Nitish Rana. Mandeep Singh managed to put out a show in the final overs to ensure Royal Challengers got to a respectable 176/7 in their 20 overs.
But Kolkata Knight Riders’ ploy to use Sunil Narine at the top had once again benefited the underdogs. The Windies bowler had once again scored his fifty in just 18 balls and shattered RCB’s hopes of winning the match.
“The turning point was Narine’s innings. If you get a good start like that in the first six overs, half the job is done. There was not much left for others to do once Narine batted like that,” Mandeep said at the post-match press conference.
Nitish Rana Also Turns The Game
Former Mumbai Indians’ batsman, Nitish Rana had tested his arm out against RCB. The young cricketer created havoc by picking out both AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli on successive deliveries.
“We lost two big players in crucial junctures and off successive deliveries. We were maybe 10-15 runs short,” Mandeep said.
“I think it was a decent and fighting total. But had we scored 15-20 more, it would have been tougher for the opposition,” the former Kings XI Punjab player added.
On the other hand, many thought Royal Challengers had missed the trick by going in with five bowlers into the match. When asked about his opinion, Mandeep Singh said the management might consider Negi as an option in the next game.
Asked if Royal Challengers made a mistake by taking five bowlers in the game, Mandeep said:
“We have five bowling options, may be the management will think of (Pawan) Negi as another option next time. But as I said he sealed the game in the first six overs. Otherwise, we did a good job at bowling.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore will next face Kings XI Punjab in Bangalore on Friday.
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