Virat Kohli proved the hero for Royal Challengers Bangalore, as they succeeded in an astonishing run chase in a heavily rain-affected match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kohli scored 44 from 19 balls as the Royal Challengers chased a Duckworth-Lewis-revised total of 81 in six overs, reaching their target with a ball to spare in dramatic circumstances.
Electing to bat after winning the toss – before the rain began to fall – the Sunrisers lost Shikhar Dhawan for eight in the third over. Given the power of their top order, they will have been disappointed to reach only 27 for one in the three overs of fielding restrictions.
In spite of the sluggish, wet outfield though, David Warner and Moises Henriques managed to kick on for the home side. The latter brought up the 50 partnership for the second wicket in a fortuitous manner, thumping a full delivery down the throat of Mandeep Singh at long-off only for the fielder to spill a simple catch and see the ball trickle sorrily over the boundary rope. It was not the only egregious fielding error to help the Sunrisers out, as Henriques survived a simple but botched simple run-out in the same over, then was dropped badly in the next.
After RCB leaked 15 runs from the first two overs, their next five yielded 74 as their bowling fell apart. They served up too many length balls that were easily dispatched into the stands by the Australian pair – Henriques bringing up his 50 from 20 balls. Warner was pedestrian by comparison, taking all of 30 but bringing up the century stand with an absurd attempted reverse-straight-slog that took a fine edge to the boundary.
Henriques was dismissed for 57 from 22 balls, with five fours and four sixes in his innings, before the rain returned at the start of the final, 11th over of the innings. Royal Challengers were unhappy about having to bowl in those conditions, as 10 runs came from the over before the covers were brought on at the break.
The additional rain delay meant the Royal Challengers were set a revised target of 81 from six overs. Despite the size of the target, Chris Gayle made it look easy by smashing 35 from nine balls as the Royal Challengers made 41 without loss in the two powerplay overs. However Henriques followed his outstanding batting innings by sending down a brilliant over that leaked only three runs and brought the wickets of Gayle and AB de Villiers in consecutive balls.
Kohli, though, ensured his side were always up with the required run-rate and took them into the final over with 13 needed for the win. But it was not without drama as, with four required and two balls remaining, Kohli was caught by Warner on the long-off boundary. Unfortunately for the Australian, replays revealed him to be celebrating while his foot was on the boundary rope – the error of his hubris realised too late.
On Thursday the Mumbai Indians announced that they had signed the Nottinghamshire and England one-day batsman Alex Hales as cover for the injured Corey Anderson. Hales, who is Nottinghamshire’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship this season and is the only player ever to hit a T20 century for England, will be available for Mumbai’s final group game on 17 May. It may prove his only opportunity, as his side are by no means guaranteed to qualify for the play-offs.
