Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday stunned the Sunrisers Hyderabad by defending a low total of 149 runs in a fantastic fashion. In pursuit of a 150-run target, the Sunrisers were in complete control as skipper David Warner (54) and Manish Pandey stitched an 83-run stand for the 2nd wicket despite losing a Wriddhiman Saha (1) early. The duo made the chase look easier as SRH needed 73 off the last 10 overs.
However, RCB made a terrific comeback in the game after Warner's dismissal. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed’s match-winning performance turned the game upside down. He scalped three wickets in the 17th over to help RCB restrict Sunrisers to 143 for 9.
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RCB captain Virat Kohli looked extremely elated over the heroics of his team. He underlined the benefits his team had in the game due to some ‘extra bowling options’.
“It was a top game for us, the wicket is going to get challenging, we saw that yesterday. You are never really out of the game in these conditions. We have more bowling options and those extra bowling options made those impact performances in the middle overs,” said Kohli in the post-match presentation.
“I told the guys don't think that we struggled to get to 149. I believed we could win with 150. If it was tough for us, it will be tough for them as well. Chasing under pressure and you lose wickets, the game can swing anywhere. The wicket was never a belter and our execution under pressure was spot on. It kept getting tougher and tougher with the old ball,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“I told the guys don't think that we struggled to get to 149. I believed we could win with 150. If it was tough for us, it will be tough for them as well. Chasing under pressure and you lose wickets, the game can swing anywhere. The wicket was never a belter and our execution under pressure was spot on. It kept getting tougher and tougher with the old ball,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}With this win, RCB has now claimed the top spot on the IPL 2021 points table with 4 points and zero defeats. They will now face Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday at the same venue.