IPL 2024: RCB silence SRH’s big-hitting batters to end six-match losing run

New Delhi: For once, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bludgeoning batters choked to allow Royal Challengers Bengaluru to lift their sagging spirits with a 35-run victory on Thursday that snapped their six-match losing streak in IPL 2024 match.

Having posted scores of over 250 three times already in the tournament, the home team were expected to chase down RCB’s 206/7 that they put up after winning the toss and opting to bat.

But they began losing wickets from the very first over, as Travis Head (1), Abhishek Sharma (31), Aide Markram (7), Heinrich Klaasen (7) and others were all dismissed while attempting big shots.

SRH were never really in the hunt in the run chase, managing only 171/8 after Rajat Patidar’s 20-ball 50 gave impetus to RCB to go past the 200-run mark after Virat Kohli seemed to have lost steam in the middle overs.

Patidar scored bulk of the runs in his 65-run stand with Kohli (51 off 43). It served as the backbone on which their innings stood.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Kohli had raced to 32 off 18 balls in the first six overs of the powerplay. But once the field restrictions eased, He struggled to score freely off the SRH spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Mayank Markande.

After the Powerply, Kohli failed to score a single boundary, having hit four boundaries an a six in the six initial overs.

But as Sunil Gavaskar pointed out on commentary, batting with a strike rate of 118 in the 15th over after opening the inning is way short of what RCB expects from Kohli.

They were off the blocks quickly, with skipper Faf du Plessis (25 off 12) batting with determination. But his and Will Jacks’ (6 off 9) dismissals jolted them.

Patidar thumped leg-spinner Mayank Markande for four consecutive sixes in the 11th over as he reached his fifty in 19 balls, but fell in the very next ball.

Kohli, in contrast, lost momentum and reached his half century in 37 balls, to extend his lead at the top of the run-scoring charts with 430 runs in nine games, at an average of 61.43 and a strike rate of 145.76.

It was RCB’s second win in nine games that tied them in four points with Punjab Kings but kept them at the bottom of the 10-team standings due to inferior run rate.

SRH lost their third game in eight matches but remained third with 10 points.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 206 for 7 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 50, Virat Kohli 51; Jaydev Unadkat 3/30).

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 171 for8 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 31, Pat Cummins 31; Karn Sharma 2/29).

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