If the titanic encounter between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore could be depicted through a statistical narrative, it would only appear in one direction; spiked by a gruesome domination of bat over ball. Or rather, paving way for such mighty rainfall of runs that it would lead Rajasthan Royals into a state of absolute ascendancy. From thereon, even threatening discomforts caused by Mandeep Singh and Kohli didn’t hurt much leading to a Royal outing for Rajasthan Royals at the Chinnaswamy.
Samson fires for Rajasthan Royals
But in a game where 415 runs were clubbed in mere 240 balls, Sanju Samson was the biggest contributor. Eating only 45 balls and plundering 92 runs at a strike rate above 200, the dainty right-hander pressured the bowling side into oblivion, taking control of the inning early on as none other than Rahane- 36 of 20- managed to render the attacking Keralite some support. But Samson, in clubbing 10 mighty sixes, the most stuck by a Rajasthan Royals batsman all IPL 2018 thus far placated familiar signs of another D’Arcy short failure- 11 off 17- and Stokes’s ordinary – 27 off 21- when it seemed RCB were out there to put a curb on Rajasthan’s scoring rates.
In doing both- piercing gaps with ethereal ease and blazing powerful cross-batted heaves on the leg side- Samson kept Rajasthan Royals floating about even as at one stage the contest was evenly poised at 102-3 in the 13th over. But from thereon, Sanju Samson, who hadn’t yet reached a fifty would completely subdue any realistic chances of RCB belittling their underrated opponents in a sudden outburst that saw the right-hander dealing in 4s and 6s.
Even as Chris Woakes chipped in with 2 wickets but at the cost of 47 in 4 overs and Chahal mightily impressive in hemorrhaging the top and middle order with an astute and miserly 2 for 22 of 4, the worst punishment went to Umesh Yadav, hero of RCB’s last triumph against Kings XI. Who would’ve predicted that star of Bangalore’s thumping win over Punjab in their last turnout would concede a rain of runs in 59 off 4 overs?
RCB start well, with Kohli in form but Shreyas Gopal turning it around
It wasn’t that Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers had it all easy. With de Kock back among runs, Bangalore began steadily in the Protean’s 26 off 19 even at the back of McCullum’s ordinary run, caught brilliantly by a Stokes stunner of Krishnappa Gowtham, who went for 9 an over. Next man in, Virat Kohli threatened to squeeze the game away from Rajasthan Royals’ in his typical, charismatic and brute exhibition of 57 off mere 30 balls, easily the only other eye-pleasing knock apart from Sanju Samson’s. But just when it seemed RR would be subdued, young, brooding leggie Shreyas Gopal- a reminder of Kumble- according to Sir Gavaskar changed the complexion of the game in clipping both in-form Kohli and dangerman De Villiers.
A royal triumph for Rajasthan Royals: Start of an encore in IPL 2018?
It wasn’t too hard to see why captain Kohli himself admitted how the contest changed completely from the onset of over 10-13 with the dual powers back in the dugout. There were fireworks, late in the day, even as they seemed menacing, highlighting Mandeep Singh’s prudence and talent to ton up some big hits from the lower middle order. But even his unbeaten 47 off 25 weren’t enough to conceal RCB’s lackluster outing against Rajasthan Royals.
