The Sunrisers Hyderabad will lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday. While the Sunrisers look good in third position in the standings, RCB are bottom of the table and in desperate need of a win as they have won only two out of their seven games and another defeat will inch them closer to elimination.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017, RCB vs SRH: Face Off
The two previously played the opening match of the tournament where the defending champions defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 35 runs. So far, SRH and RCB have locked horns a total of 10 times with SRH leading 6-4, including three consecutive victories since last year.
Throughout the years, matches involving these two teams has seen some very enthralling moments and here are five of the finest moments from the clashes between the two sides.
#5 AB de Villiers’ match-winning knock of 89 from 41 deliveries in 2014
RCB began their campaign in 2014 in brilliant fashion by winning their first two matches against Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians. However, they lost their next three matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
In their next match, they were up against the Sunrisers Hyderabad who had also won just two of their opening five games. RCB won the toss and decided to bowl first. A 49-ball 61 from David Warner along with a 36-ball 37 from Shikhar Dhawan took the Sunrisers to a total of 155/6 in their 20 overs.
In reply, RCB were off to a disastrous start as they lost Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli early. Chris Gayle looked dangerous but he was dismissed for 27 off 19 balls before Rilee Roussow followed him after a patient 14 from 23 balls.
Extra Cover: IPL 2017, RCB v SRH: 5 factors of winning
At this stage, RCB were struggling at 59/4 with Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers at the crease and the asking rate approaching 10. de Villiers gradually began to show some aggressive intent and he was also given a second life as he was dropped on 30 by Karn Sharma.
The South African took most of the strike and kept on smashing boundaries to keep RCB in the hunt. ABD turned the match in RCB’s favour in the penultimate over when he smashed three sixes and a four off his Proteas teammate Dale Steyn.
de Villiers finished off in style by smashing a boundary off deep midwicket and finished on 89 from just 41 balls, hitting 6 fours and 8 sixes. He was eventually adjudged the Man of the Match for his sensational effort.
#4 Virat Kohli’s 47-ball 93 in 2013
After winning a sensational Super Over against RCB at Hyderabad to clinch their second successive win of the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad were up against the same opposition in their next match at Bangalore.
The Sunrisers won the toss and elected to bat first and were 62/3 during their 11th over before a partnership of 80 between Cameron White and Thisara Perera helped them to a total of 161/6 in their 20 overs.
In reply, RCB were off to a good start thanks to some early hard-hitting by Mayank Agarwal before he was dismissed by Perera for 27. He was soon followed by Chris Gayle who departed after scoring 13. Newly-appointed RCB skipper, Virat Kohli began to play aggressively right from the start and took most of the strike.
Kohli’s rampage took the match out of SRH’s hands and he continued to bash them all over the park before ending the match with a sensational boundary off extra cover. Kohli ended his innings at 93 off just 47 deliveries as RCB chased down the target in 17.4 overs. Kohli was adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant captain’s innings.
#3 Chris Gayle’s sensational 76 in the 2016 IPL final
Chris Gayle was having a disappointing campaign in last year’s IPL but he saved his best for the last i.e. the final, when RCB was up against Sunrisers Hyderabad. A 38-ball 69 from skipper David Warner, helped by a 23-ball 38 from Yuvraj Singh and a 15-ball cameo of 39 by Ben Cutting towards the end of the innings took SRH to a mammoth total of 208/7 in their 20 overs.
Gayle had saved his best for the last and began smashing the opposition bowlers right from the get-go, while his partner Kohli, was saving his wicket and displayed occasional aggression. The West Indian reached his fifty from 25 deliveries and by the end of the 9th over, RCB’s required run-rate had already fallen below 10.
During the 10th over, Gayle skied an offcutter by Ben Cutting straight into the hands of Bipul Sharma which sent him back to the pavilion. The flamboyant left-hander scored 76 from 38 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and eight sixes. Gayle’s dismissal was the turning point of the game as SRH went on to win the final by seven runs.
#2 The Super Over in 2013
Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore had a winning start to the 2013 IPL by winning their opening matches against the Pune Warriors India and the Mumbai Indians, respectively. Both teams would face each other in their second match of the competition at Hyderabad.
RCB had won the toss and opted to bat first. They were off to a terrible start, losing openers Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan early. However, skipper Virat Kohli’s 44-ball 46 and Moises Henriques’ 40-ball 44 rescued them from being dismissed for a paltry total and RCB ended their innings at 130/8.
In reply, SRH lost Parthiv Patel and Cameron White early, but Hanuma Vihari was keeping them in the run-chase through his patient batting. Vihari ran a bye in the final ball of the run-chase to take the match to a Super Over.
SRH would go in to bat first with Thisara Perera and Cameron White given the responsibility to play the Super Over. RCB bowler, Vinay Kumar, was the bowler entrusted with the duty of bowling the Super Over. After scoring four runs from the first two deliveries, Cameron White hit two sixes in the third and fifth deliveries to take SRH to 20 in their Super Over.
In reply, RCB sent their batting mainstays Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli while SRH sent their bowling spearhead Dale Steyn. Gayle scored 3 from the first two deliveries and Kohli hit a boundary off the third ball but followed it up only a single. Gayle hit a six off the penultimate delivery, making the equation 7 from 1 ball.
Thus Gayle would have to hit another six to tie the Super Over and win the match for RCB by virtue of more boundaries scored. However, Steyn bowled a quick length delivery from which RCB could score only a single. The Sunrisers had won their second successive match of the tournament and Hanuma Vihari was adjudged the Man of the Match for his patient knock of 44 from 46 deliveries.
#1 Ben Cutting’s all-round performance in the 2016 IPL final
The 2016 IPL final at Bangalore was played between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. SRH had won the toss and elected to bat first. David Warner’s brilliant 38-ball 69 and Yuvraj Singh’s brisk 38 had put them in a good position at 158/5 by the 17th over.
Ben Cutting hit a couple of boundaries during the 18th and 19th overs to take SRH to 184/7. In the final over bowled by Shane Watson, Cutting began with a four and followed it with an 117-metre long six which sent the ball out of the stadium. He hit another six off the third delivery and ended the innings with a six to propel SRH to 208/7 in their 20 overs. Cutting ended with 39 off just 15 deliveries.
In reply, RCB were in a commanding position thanks to Chris Gayle’s fireworks. Gayle was looking good at 76 before Cutting dismissed him, thus bringing SRH back into the game. He later took another crucial wicket by bowling out KL Rahul. The Australian ended his spell at 2/35 in his four overs and SRH won the tournament by beating RCB by seven runs.
Cutting was adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance with both bat and ball.
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