IPL 2017, DD vs RCB: Harshal Patel’s double strike is SK turning point of the match

Royal Challengers Bangalore registered a 11-run consolation victory over Delhi Daredevils in their last league game of the season at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. However, this win didn’t have any effect on the league standings as the match was already a dead rubber.

Still, RCB will be relieved as they finally managed to salvage some pride with this victory after the torrid time they had in this tournament.

Winning the toss, RCB Skipper Virat Kohli chose to bat first on a slowish Kotla track. The opening pair of Chris Gayle and Vishnu Vinod put up a 30-run opening stand in 29 deliveries in which Gayle did bulk of the scoring.

The partnership was finally broken by Pat Cummins who cleaned up the struggling Vinod on the last ball of the fifth over. The entire batting line-up disappointed once again, except Gayle (48) and Virat Kohli (58). It was because of their efforts and a short 13-run cameo by Pawan Negi in the end that got them to a competitive total of 161/6.

The Daredevils in reply got off to a shaky start having lost Sanju Samson as early as the second delivery of the first over. However, Karun Nair (26), Shreyas Iyer(32) and Rishab Pant (45) ensured that their team keeps on sailing smoothly.

They required 70 odd runs in the last nine overs of the innings which is an easy task on any day and on any pitch with 8 wickets in hand. However, Delhi shot themselves on the foot in the 12^th over when they were reduced to 87-4 from a comfortable position of 87-2 in back to back deliveries.

The Turning Point

The real turnaround came when Patel cleaned up the West Indian Marlon Samuels

Daredevils required 75 runs to win from 51 deliveries with Rishab Pant and Shreyas Iyer set at the crease. Pant was again looking in a fine touch as he smashed almost all the bowlers to every nook and corner of the ground. Iyer was nothing different from Pant as he was also playing a classy yet aggressive innings on the other end.

However, Iyer tried to up the ante and tried to clear the in-field off a widish delivery from Harshal Patel. He only ended up giving a simple catch to Shane Watson at cover. The delivery lacked pace and Iyer committed to the shot early. Hence, he paid the price.

However, the real turnaround came when Patel cleaned up the West Indian Marlon Samuels right on the next delivery. It was a beautiful off-cutter bowled at a perfect length. Samuels went through with his shot early and it breached his defence to crash straight into his stumps.

Delhi’s world changed in a matter of two deliveries. They were in supreme command of the match but found themselves under extreme pressure after a couple of deliveries.

Such was the blow that Delhi could not recover from it again. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Although Pant tried his best to see it through for his team, it was Harshal Patel once again who turned out to be his nemesis.

Pant tried to go for a big shot in the 17^th over when DD still required 43 runs to win. However, the youngster only saw his stumps shattered as he went for the big heave over mid-wicket.

Mohammad Shami also tried his best at the end with a cameo of 21(9). However, he fell in the last over and Delhi were soon bundled out for a total of 150 runs.