IPL 2021 Match 16: Padikkal registers century, guides RCB to a 10-wicket win over RR
RCB
|| India Correspondent ||
After completing their league games in Chennai successfully, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stamped their authority in their fixtures at the Wankhede in Mumbai where they faced Rajasthan Royals as their first opponent.
Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to field first. Rajat Patidar was dropped as Kane Richardson came in the playing eleven. Sanju Samson also made a change to the team as Shreyas Gopal, who had a great record against RCB, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers in particular came in place of the pacer Jaydev Unadkat.
Meanwhile, RR's top-order woes continued as they were dismantled once again at the Wankhede. Jos Buttler (8) was the first one to get out by being bowled off Mohammad Siraj. On the other hand, Manan Vohra (7) once again failed to do well. Siraj (3-27) struck again in the powerplay with a deadly yorker that trapped Miller (0) before the stumps. And, they could only score 32 in the powerplay.
Skipper Sanju Samson (21) fell very cheaply. Meanwhile, the spinner Washington Sundar (1-23) returned in style after giving away a six off the very first delivery of the spell, and send the captain back to the pavilion as well.
Struggling at 43-4, Riyan Parag (25) and Shivam Dube (46) started to steady the ship for the Royals in the middle overs. They added a 66-run stand before Harshal Patel (3-47) entered into the attack and provided with the crucial breakthrough.
However, a quick cameo by Rahul Tewatia (40) helped at the later stage of the innings but RCB's in-form death bowling restricted them within 177-9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing a target, RCB got off to a sensational start by their opening pair - Devdutt Padikkala and Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli (72) played the anchor in the innings as young Devdutt Padikkal (101) took on all the RR bowlers all around the park. The duo added 59 runs in the powerplay as RR failed to take a single wicket.
Meanwhile, the left-handed opener brought up his fifty in just 27 balls whereas the captain took his time to set his eyes in the middle after the initial struggle. Later, he also scored his 40th IPL fifty and also became the first player to reach 6000 runs in the cash-rich league as well.
However, the deadly opening pair registered the highest ever first wicket partnership in their history. Devdutt Padikkal maintained his destructive knock by registering his first hundred in the competition while taking only 51 deliveries and RCB finished the chase in the 17th over and secured a convincing win by 10 wickets.
