Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings

Samson ton couldn't take Royals over the line

IPL 2021 witnessed another nail biting thriller. This time RR had lock horns with arch rivals Punjab Kings. There is something about these Royals - Kings clashes. In Royal's second game last season, they chased down 224 in Sharjah where Samson starred with a 42 ball 85. In Mumbai, Samson demonstrated contrasting show and had almost clinch the victory from the jaws of defeat.

Punjab Kings was put in to bat. PK had set the juggernaut target of 222. Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul led from the front and played an exquisite knock to powered up their side to laid down mammoth target. Both Gayle and Rahul stimulated the innings in the beginning. After Gayle's dismissal, Hooda joined the party and got going in no time, clobbering 5 huge sixes in the middle overs. Pooran didn't disturb the scores after the left handed out for first ball duck. 

Chasing a humongous target of 221, RR needed a powerful and explosive start but it turned out to be a disastrous. Both Stokes and Vohra dismissed cheaply. Butler and Samson had laid the foundation and keep scoreboard ticking. After dismissal Butler, Samson got help from young turks Shivam and Parag. They rotated the strike beautifully and took pressure off from the skipper. On the other hand, Samson had swiftly striking the ball and continued playing his shots with the help of ingeniously timing. Arshdeep who held his nerve at the eleventh hour and bowled phenomenally and varied his pace to perfection. With 5 runs required off the last ball, Samson sliced the ball in the air and Hooda took a fine catch, helping Punjab Kings to come out with flying colors.        

RCB VS MI

Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challenger Bangalore 

Harshal and AB stunned MI in a close encounter

IPL 2021 commenced in an effervescent manner. The opening match witnessed multiple twist & turn. RCB kicked started its campaign with a thumping note. After winning a toss, RCB skipper asked MI skipper to bat. 

MI opening pair commenced its innings with  hammer and tongs. However, there was miscommunication between Rohit and Lynn which costs Rohit's wicket. Both Surya and Lynn constructed the innings and subsequently accelerated the scoreboard. Kohli reintroduced his go-to-bowler Kyle Jamineson in the mid over. He provided the breakthrough with no time in the form of Surya. Harshal Patel was entrusted with a responsibility of bowling death overs. He lived up to the expectation and produced tight lines and took 5 wickets. He also put brakes on MI acceleration. MI had set the target of 160 runs.

RCB kicked off its innings with haphazard manner and lost Washington and Padikat in a quick succession. Kohli and Maxwell steered the innings with decent striking. Bumrah and Jansen produced a wicket of Kohli and Maxwell respectively. Then RCB's chase was shepherded by AB de Villiers, whose 27 ball 48 rescued yet another sticky situation. He did what he always does. 

  

  

IPL Mania

ROYAL CHALLENGERS V SUNRISERS, IPL 2014, BANGALORE

     De Villieris's storm fetter Sunrisers to              rise

Royal Challengers Bangalore possess the most power - packed batting line - up in IPL. They hadn't fired in UAE leg of the tournament, but now they back in their home ground their potential and caliber is re ignited under home condition which very much suited the batsmen. 

It was electrifying Sunday when Bangalore chased down 156. No team chasing here 156 or less had ever lost. RCB came close doing that they lost Virat, & Parthiv without scoring. After that Gayle suddenly change his gear for a while but failed to drive the innings at the similar pace. He dismissed at the crucial juncture. Playing first match in IPL Rilee Rossouw, sent in to bat at 6 for 2, was out after scoring 14 off 23. Yuvraj Singh then went for 14 off 16. Royal Challengers needed 61 from 33, and they were sinking.

But they still had A B de Villiers, RCB last hope. AB who was getting down on one knee and launching anything remotely full over the straight boundary. Darren Sammy conceded 17 overs encompassing 2 maximum and a four. After that Steyn and Bhuveneshwar Kumar pulled things back and ball was in Sunriser court. Final show was yet to come in the form of Absolutely Brilliant de Villiers. AB smashed 24 runs in 19th over and bring his team close to victory. AB made the winning hit in the next over and get his team over the line by single handedly. Until AB embrace his arm, the match was totally going in favor of Sunriser. Stupendous AB proved that why he is most destructive and dangerous batsman in the world.

Batting first Sunriser after losing two wickets early, both Shikhar and Warner had put up a great show added 62 runs. After Shikhar departs, Warner had strive to steer the innings well supported by middle order batsmen. Eventually they posted the total 152 runs. It still seemed like they hadn't put enough on the board, considering the venue and their opponents, and in the end Royal Challengers simply had one world - class batsman too many.        

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Kings XI Punjab vs RCB

Kings XI Punjab has again put up a great show

In a game crippled by poor batting, RCB limped to 124 runs and full credit goes to bowling department of  Kings XI Punjab in the lights of Sandeep Sharma, Johnson and R Dhawan. C Gayle playing his first game of the season failed to give improvisation to his team. Rest of his teammates have also failed to steer the innings. Kohli was a beat unlucky who dismissed LBW. The swing took a ball past leg stump when the ball struck Kohli's pad.

The top order fell to some inspired seam bowling attack from Sandeep and Mitchell Johnson. AB de Villiers failed to take charge of the innings. The responsibility fell on the inconsistent Yuvraj Singh albeit he showed some potential but failed to convert this into comprehensive performance. He dismissed at the crucial juncture. It was a questionable shot, considering the circumstances. 

The loss of wickets at regular intervals dried up the boundaries. With a paltry 124 to defend, RCB badly need the wickets, Wicket of Pujara and two sensational catches at fine leg by Starc to dismiss Saha and dangerous Maxwell give some glimmer of hope to RCB to defend the total of 124 runs only. But their hope was not perpetually reach the finishing line. It was Miller and Sehwag who repair the innings and building the base for Kings XI subsequently added 45 runs. However, a double blow by Chahal added the twists & turn to match. But captain Bailey leading from the front again and well supported by Rishi Dhawan to ensure his team to sealed the win.

On the other hand RCB succumbed to their third loss and will need a quick turnaround once the tournament returns to India.

                

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Royal Challengers v Knight Riders

RCB lose after having ball's in their court

T20 is all about change the complexion of a game in a flash. This definition truly symmetrical with what happened last night when Chris Lynn took a blinder jaw-dropping acrobatic catch to dismissed ABD and transformed the game single handedly in favor of KKR. 

Batting first KKR didn't manage to get a flyer losing two wickets in quick succession. Kallis and Lynn have man oeuvre the innings and building base for their team. They put 80 for the third wicket. After Lynn's dismissal KKR was in the back foot and lost the pace and derail the momentum eventually posted inadequate target which seemed not very compatible against RCB fabulous batting line up.  Varun Aaron showed he had control as well as pace, and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal turned in his third impressive performance in a row to keep the Knight Riders in check. Bowlers did good job fettered KKR below 155 runs. 

Royal Challenge braced their innings in tremendous fashion, both Parthiv Patel and Yogesh Takawala provided a strong start and Virat Kohli was at his usual best to monitor and guide the chase perhaps played an anchoring role. Narine was vigilant played out until Kohli was bamboozled off the penultimate ball of his spell to give Knight Riders a faint chance. Yuvraj couldn't capitalize the pace towards the end and left his team to face the music, reviving memories of his painful T20I world cup final innings and giving KKR more of a command on a game, before Vinay and Lynn yanked it out of Royal Challenger's hands.   

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Kings XI Punjab vs Sun riser Hyderabad


Maxwell again unleashed the storm against Sun riser Hyderabad

Maxwell played incredible innings last night which helped Kings XI Punjab to get formidable win over Sun riser Hyderabad and lead in the points table. Aristocratic Maxwell smashed 9 behemoth sixes and scored 95 off 43.  Batting first Kings XI set up the total of 193 runs which was mounting target. Both Sehwag and Pujara laid down the foundation stone for their team and bestowed flying start to their team. The platform was well set up for Maxwell when he walked in subsequently he laid down the finishing stone for his team. He had plenty of luck as well which comprise catch dropped by Warner and caught off a no - ball that reprieved Maxwell . Sun riser also didn't bring on their prominent weapon, Dale Steyn, when the Maxwell was in the midst of his carnage.

The highlight on the onslaught was the 13th over when Maxwell effortlessly cleared mid wicket off the first three deliveries before launching one towards the sightscreen to take 25 runs off Amit Mishra. This innings had fewer of the switch-hits and reverse-sweeps and was more about clean hitting down the ground and, especially, over midwicket.  

On the other hand Sun riser Hyderabad have a dangerous top order - any of Shikhar, Warner or Finch can single-handedly transform the match - but they also have a debacle unbalanced batting line up. After the batting line-up. After the big three, the batting is alarmingly thin - KL Rahul is still finding his way at this level. V Rao and Irfan Pathan both aren't someone team has bank upon and Darren Sammy is great at providing the finishing touches but less proficient at building the base.  

Sun riser Hyderabad had succumb in front of mercy attack of Kings XI. Captain George Bailey was quite complacent with his bowlers yesterday. Johnson hunted Dhawan subsequently Balaji made his double breakthrough, it was a hour - long dirge for Sunriser's fans before it ended in a crushing 72 run defeat, leaving them with plently of questions over the composition of the team. 

Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals

Maxwell & Miller chased down phenomenal target 

Lighting has struck twice. It was Glenn Maxwell and David Miller who showed the fireworks last night to get their team over the line. George Bailey was very disappointed with his bowlers conceded more than 190 runs in 20 Overs. Kings XI Punjab bowlers failed to turn up again. Both Maxwell and Miller smashed 140 runs off 64 balls comprising 12 big sixes and reverse-hit and caressed eight fours.

Kings XI Punjab start was not up to the mark. They lost two wickets in quick succession. But it was again Maximum Maxwell who build ed his innings his own way followed by some serious damaged done by Killer Miller. The innings was full of incredible hitting. Batting first Rajasthan Royal posted total of 191 runs which was comprehensive total on this pitch. Shane Watson once again displayed the fearless knock scoring 50 off 29 balls well supported by young emerging S Samson who played the mature innings scoring 52 off 34 balls. At the end of innings S Smith who played cameo and help RR to lift 191 runs. George Bailey was not complacent with his two departments i.e bowling & fielding. Mitchell Johnson, the leader of the attach, looked very dull again and their ground fielding was not on the expected lines dropped two valuable catches of Watson and Samson. 

Maxwell scored 89 off 45 balls launched 6 super six missiles which deposited in the stands. Maxwell dismissed at 89 runs, another century was missed. Rajasthan Royals were breathing again. They had little clue they were about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, the fire of Miller's 51 off 19. The turning point of game was when Kulkarni got the ball and David Miller grab the opportunity with both hands hitting impeccable 4 maximum in one over and turn the fortunes of Punjab.