RCB captain Rajat Patidar again lost the toss and was asked to bat first. Fortunately, unlike the previous three matches, the Red Army had a strong start in the power play, scoring 59 runs without losing wickets. However, Phil Salt struggled and was dismissed after scoring 26 runs off 23 balls.
But it was Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli who carried forward the momentum from the power play and built a solid partnership. It was ‘King’ Kohli’s first fifty at the Chinnaswamy Stadium this season, while the local boy DDP smashed a quickfire fifty off just 27 balls. At 161/1, RCB looked set to score around 215–220 runs. However, the RR bowlers made a brilliant comeback and restricted them to 205.
Chasing 205, young guns Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi looked to make the most of the power play — and they did just that, scoring 72 runs in the first 6 overs. However, both were dismissed after doing their job, falling to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. Just when the match seemed firmly in RR’s control, Riyan Parag’s wicket added a twist to the tale.
Nitish Rana looked dangerous for a while before Krunal Pandya dismissed him. Despite Shimron Hetmyer’s early wicket, the Royals remained hopeful. They scored 22 runs in Kumar’s over, making the target much more achievable, with only 18 needed off 12 balls. Hazlewood possibly bowled the best two overs of the season, conceding just one run and taking two wickets. Yash Dayal defended 17 runs in the final over, securing RCB’s first home win and their overall 6th win.
Fans react to RCB’s first home win over the Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs
Fans witnessed a thrilling match as RCB edged past RR with an 11-run win. It was a rollercoaster game, with momentum shifting between both teams several times. One fan expressed disappointment with the Royals’ batting performance, as they lost their third straight match while chasing.
One fan claimed that Hazlewood was a better death-over bowler than Bhuvi. Another disagreed, pointing out Bhuvi’s excellent performance in the match against Punjab Kings. Meanwhile, many fans trolled Jurel for failing to take his team to victory. Here are some of the top fan reactions:
One user pointed out that RCB was slowly climbing to the top of the points table with this win. Another said that Jitesh and Hazlewood were the true heroes of the match. Some fans couldn’t believe how RR lost and even called it a fixed match, while others joked that a statue should be built for the Aussie pacer.