IPL 2016: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets at Raipur, Stars and Flops

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) qualify for playoffs with their thumping victory in the final league match of ninth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 against Zaheer Khan-led Delhi Daredevils (DD) by six wickets.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) qualify for playoffs with their thumping victory in the final league match of ninth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 against Zaheer Khan-led Delhi Daredevils (DD) by six wickets. In the same match, Virat Kohli completed his 900 runs in IPL with his 17th half-century in T20 this year and breaking Chris Gayle’s record of 16 fifties in 2012. Shane Watson also completed his 5000 runs in T20s and became the third Australian to do so.

Following the current trend of IPL 2016, RCB skipper Kohli invited DD to bat first. From the very beginning of the game, DD never had their grip on the game as they kept losing wickets regularly and the only lone fighter from his side was opener Quinton de Kock, who went on to score 52-ball 60. Other than him, Chris Morris played some shots in the end and made 18-ball 27 and rest other seven player from DD couldn’t even touch 20-run mark and ended up scoring a low total of 138 with the loss of eight wickets against a very good batting line up of RCB and credit goes to Yuzvendra Chahal as he took three crucial wickets. Gayle too chipped in with surprising wickets to his name, while Chris Jordan and Sreenath Aravind scalped one each. IPL 2016, Match 56, Pick of the tweets: Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

On the other hand, DD cameback pretty strongly while defending their low total by taking the wicket of opener Gayle in the second over, following by AB de Villiers’ departure soon. Further, Kohli and KL Rahul started building a healthy partnership and kept the scoreboard ticking as they collected 66 runs between them. In between Rahul got out in a bit unlucky fashion and then Watson joined Kohli at the crease but was struggling with his bat and went back to pavilion soon. Later, Stuart Binny and captain Kohli ensured their victory by six wickets in the first ball of 19th over and ensured their place in playoffs. Morris went pretty expensive but other bowlers from DD did pretty decent job with ball.

Turning Point: After getting two key wickets of Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers early in the game, DD bowlers tried much but couldn’t get the next wicket easily and in between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul laid the foundation of their win with their partnership of 66 runs and it changed the whole course of the game.

Brief Scores:

Delhi Daredevils 138 for 8 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 60 (52), Chris Morris* 27 (18); Yujvendra Chahal 4-0-32-3, Chris Gayle 2-0-11-2) Lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 139 for 4 in 18.1 overs (Virat Kohli* 54(45), KL Rahul 38(23); Carlos Brathwaite 3.1-0-18-1, Zaheer Khan 4-0-30-1) by 6 wickets.