IPL 2024: The challenge is still on

Dharamsala, May 9

Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar made superlative fifties before the bowlers joined the party as Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their slim playoffs hopes alive with a huge 60-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL here today.

Kohli’s 47-ball 92 was the cornerstone of RCB’s innings as he starred in two partnerships — 72 off 32 balls with Patidar (55 off 23) and 92 off 46 balls with Cameron Green (46 off 27) to propel RCB to 241/7.

In reply, Rilee Rossouw put up a show with a 27-ball 61-run knock but Karn Sharma’s twin strikes triggered a collapse as PBKS were all out for 181 in 17 overs.

This was a fourth successive win for RCB and it took them to 10 points, while PBKS (8) were knocked out of the playoffs race as they can reach a maximum of 12 points from the remaining two games.

Swapnil Singh (2/28), Karn (2/36) and Lockie Ferguson (2/29) took two each, while Mohammed Siraj (3/43) claimed three wickets for RCB.

Chasing 242 to win, PBKS lost Prabhsimran Singh (6) early but Rossouw looked unstoppable as left-arm spinner Swapnil was carted for two fours before Siraj was belted for three fours and a six. Yash Dayal and Ferguson were then hit for 16 and 14 runs by Jonny Bairstow (27) and Rossouw as PBKS scored 75 runs in six overs.

Once Bairstow was removed by Ferguson, Rossouw turned his attention to Green, blasting two fours and a six on way to his fifty off 21 balls.

Jitesh Sharma was then cleaned up by Karn, while Swapnil got rid of Liam Livingstone (0) as Punjab slipped to 126/5 in 12th over.

They couldn’t recover from those blows and it was all over when Shashank Singh (37), Sam Curran (22) and Ashutosh Sharma (8) returned to the dug-out.

Earlier, Kohli, who was dropped on 0 and 10, timed the ball nicely, used his feet and wrists to bring up his sixth IPL fifty this season. He reached the mark in 32 balls, before slamming another 40 in his next 15 balls. He cracked seven fours and six sixes. — PTI

Brief scores

RCB: 241/7 in 20 overs (Kohli 92, Patidar 55, Green 46; Harshal 3/38, Kaverappa 2/36) vs PBKS: 181 all out in 17 overs (Rossouw 61, Shashank 37; Siraj 3/43, Swapnil 2/28)

Wednesday’s result

LSG: 165/4 (Pooran 48*, Badoni 55*; Bhuvneshwar 2/12) vs SRH: 167/0 in 9.4 overs (Head 89*; Abhishek 75*)

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