IPL 2018: RCB need to defend 218 against SRH to stay alive in tournament

On a placid batting track at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) posted 218 for 6 in their 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 51 of VIVO IPL 2018. The run-fest could have been even bigger had Rashid Khan not come to the party. He had figures of 4-0-27-3 amidst the carnage, accounting for the Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali. He also pulled off a stunner at mid-wicket to send back the dangerous Colin de Grandhomme in the final over.

AB (69) and Moeen (65) added 107 in 57 balls for the third wicket to set the platform for de Grandhomme and Sarfraz Khan. The latter duo added a 13-ball 34 for the sixth wicket. De Grandhomme struck 40 in 17 balls, smacking 4 sixes, while Sarfraz remained unbeaten on an 8-ball 22. SRH dropped catches at galore to help RCB's cause.

Sandeep Sharma, who has dismissed Kohli five times in IPL, opened bowling as Kohli opened with Parthiv Patel. One of Parthiv's flicks found the leg-umpire. The single brought Kohli on strike, who got off the mark with a glorious straight drive for four. Sandeep struck with the final ball of his first over, getting Parthiv to miscue a pull as the top edge lobbed to thirdman.

That brought AB and Kohli together. AB belted consecutive boundaries, and in no time RCB raced to 26 for 1 in the first half of Powerplay.

Rashid was brought on in the fifth over. He started with three dots to Kohli, pulled one for four and was then deceived by a googly to lose his stumps. Kohli's problems with the ball spinning in continued in the tournament.

Trivia: Kohli was cleaned up by a Mujeeb Ur Rahman googly against Kings XI Punjab last month.

AB waged a lone battle as RCB managed 44 for 2 after the Powerplay overs. Moeen walked in to counter the leg-spin of Rashid but did not look very comfortable. Basil Thampi, after missing out a few games, returned to the bowling crease in the eighth over, only to be greeted by two sixes by Moeen.

Moeen received a slice of luck in the 10th over when Shikhar Dhawan successfully completed a catch at long-on, but the ball's momentum pushed him back, across the rope. Moeen greeted Rashid into the next over with another six. The carnage continued till Rashid dismissed AB and Moeen in a space of 3 balls in the 15th over of the innings to bring SRH back in the game. De Grandhomme and Sarfraz then gave the innings the finish it deserved.

Earlier, SRH elected to bowl and rested Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His replacement Thampi finished with 4-0-70-0 the most expensive spell in IPL history.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 218 for 6 in 20 overs [AB de Villiers 69 (39), Moeen Ali 65 (34), Colin de Grandhomme 40 (17), Sarfraz Khan 22 (8)*; Rashid Khan 4-0-27-3] vs Sunrisers Hyderabad