It was once again a ‘win the toss and chase’ mantra for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli. It turned out to be a forgettable day for the bowlers. But one spinner shined at his home ground, playing for a different franchise- Shreyas Gopal.
The 24-year-old all-rounder Gopal didn’t get time to bat but turned the game on its head with the ball in hand. Not every day you get both Kohli and AB de Villiers, but it was that kind of a day for the Karnataka-born cricketer.
The Rajasthan Royals (RR( side made a mockery of RCB bowlers and posted 217 for four on the board. Sanju Samson continued his good run.
The right-hand batsman was seen dealing in sixes. Samson hit just two boundaries compared to his 10 sixes. He remained unbeaten on 92 off just 45 balls and got ample support from Englishmen Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.
Stokes was undone by Yuzvendra Chahal as he failed to convert a good start once again.
The southpaw made 27 off 21 balls. Buttler on the other hand, batted at a strike rate of 164.28, making 23 off 14.
Gopal’s twin blow hurts Bangalore:
Chahal was the most successful bowler for RCB, finishing with figures of 2/22 from his four overs.
However, chasing a mammoth target of 218 to win the game, Quinton de Kock stepped up the escalator and he found support from skipper Kohli.
A 77-run stand for the second wicket in just 35 odd balls made Ajinkya Rahane and his side sweat a bit. De Kock was caught in the deep and Kohli followed him soon.
Bangalore’s net run-rate would have taken a beating but Mandeep Singh’s unbeaten 47 off 25 balls and Washington Sundar’s 19-ball 35 ensured that home team finishes at 198 for six.
Shreyas Gopal was the pick of the bowlers, and he could have got one more wicket to his name, had Buttler caught De Kock early in the innings.
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