A rain-affected match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) was looking evenly poised until Nehal Wadhera came out to bat, showed his class, and made it a one-sided chase. A 14-over-per-side game was played as the match started late due to constant light rain showers. The pitch was playing a bit slow from the start because of moisture. This match helped PBKS to gain 2 places in the points table; they were at no.4, and now they are at no.2. RCB had to lose their 1 position, currently, they are at no.4, with 4 wins and 3 losses.
Match Summary:
RCB's Innings: RCB's innings started slowly, and both the openers were back to the pavilion very quickly. At one point, everyone thought that RCB would not even cross the mark of 50 runs, but the finishing touches of Tim David helped RCB to put a respectable total on the board. PBKS were bowling clinically and managed to take 9 wickets of RCB batters, and the final score was 95/9.
PBKS's Innings: PBKS similarly started their innings, losing 2 quick wickets, and kept giving the wickets at regular intervals. The innings of Nehal Wadhera made sure that PBKS didn't lose the match. Punjab managed to win the match by 5 wickets and chased the total of 96 in 12.1 overs quite comfortably.
Key Performers:
Nehal Wadhera: It was Nehal Wadhera was the one who won it for PBKS. He scored 33 off 19 balls on a very tricky pitch where the other batters were struggling to even score singles and doubles. It was an exceptional performance from Wadhera; the match was stuck at one moment, but he was calm and trusted his ability.
Marco Jansen: Marco Jansen bowled brilliantly, giving only 10 runs in his 3 overs, and took 2 wickets. He was supported by Yuzvendra Chahal, who had almost the same figure, giving 11 runs and taking 2 wickets from his 3 overs.
Josh Hazlewood: What a bowling from the Australian, a bowling length which was required on a tricky pitch like that. He gave 14 runs and took 3 wickets in his 3 overs.
Tim David: Tim David's finishing touches gave RCB the momentum at the end of the first innings. He scored 50 runs off 26 balls, the 3 sixes in the last over made sure that RCB put a respectable total on the board.
Rajat's Captaincy Costed them the Match?
Rajat is a great captain who took Madhya Pradesh into the Final in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), and till now has led RCB very well. Yesterday, Rajat used Suyash Sharma incorrectly, Nehal Wadhera played 4 dots in an over by Suyash, and scored 10 runs in the last 2 balls. Nehal had analysed what exactly Suyash Sharma was trying to do, and Nehal scored 15 runs in the next over of Suyash Sharma. That was the moment when RCB completely fell out of the match.
This was the only wrong decision by Rajat, otherwise, he was very good with his field placement too. He placed a short point and a deep backward point to Priyansh Arya, suggesting to him that Hazlewood will try to bowl wide lengths, but Hazlewood and Rajat had other plans. Hazlewood bowled a much straighter length, and Priyansh was ready to hit the ball out of the park eventually got out at long on boundary.
In a game shortened by rain, Punjab Kings showcased calm and composure under pressure, with Nehal Wadhera emerging as the unlikely hero. For RCB, the loss underlines the need for a more consistent middle order. RCB's weakness over the years was their bowling, but now it's their middle-order batting.. As the league stage heats up, this win could prove crucial in PBKS’s playoff journey, while RCB will have to carry on the pace to find momentum going forward. The exciting thing is we are going to witness RCB vs PBKS again tomorrow.
About the Author
Advait Kadam is a sports writer at Vygr Media, specializing in cricket coverage and match analysis. With a background in Sports Management and a passion for storytelling, he brings sharp insights and fresh perspectives to every game.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Vygr’s views.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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