Mandeep Singh was the unlikely star for Royal Challengers Bangalore, as he starred in a thrilling run-chase in a rain-affected 10-over-a-side match against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
With the Royal Challengers looking dead and buried after their star-studded top three of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were dismissed, Mandeep struck boundaries from the final two balls of the penultimate over, then hit Andre Russell for a pair of sixes in the last to secure the win that lifts his side to third in the table.
After a torrential downpour that seemed localised entirely within the stadium, the match eventually began almost three hours after the scheduled start time. The Royal Challengers, who won the toss, would have been happy with Kohli’s decision to field first given the strength of their top order in chasing. However, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa made a clever start, looking to time the ball rather than smash it and running sharply between the wickets.
They reached 33 without loss, before Gambhir fell to an excellent catch at backward point by Mandeep Singh in the fourth over. The champions promoted Russell up the order and he struck five fours and three sixes in his 17-ball 45.
Russell’s effective partnership with Uthappa was ended on 38 from three overs when the latter slogged straight up and was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Ryan ten Doeschate looked to continue the momentum that his side had built but, after Karthik ran Russell out, the Dutchman lifted a good slower ball to long-on, halting his side’s momentum.
Nonetheless, 112 was a daunting total in a shortened match. Not that this affected the approach of Gayle and Kohli as, after a watchful first over yielded just four runs, they cut loose, reaching 36 without loss at the end of the three-over powerplay. Gayle struck 21 from nine balls before being caught in the deep off the bowling of Brad Hogg, with 64 runs still needed.
Spin looked to be the Royal Challengers’ undoing as de Villiers fell, bowled by Piyush Chawla with just three more runs on the board. However, though Chawla’s first over cost just three runs, his second was demolished for 18 by Kohli and Mandeep.
If that swung the odds back in RCB’s favour, then Russell tipped them back towards his side with the wicket of Kohli, caught on the straight boundary for 34. After starring for his side with the bat, Russell seemed determined to win the match for them with the ball as he conceded just seven from the eighth over of the innings. However, Mandeep’s tenacious, attacking batting ensured it was not to be.
