IPL 2018, RCB vs KKR: 5 talking points

Russell picked up three wickets with the ball
Russell picked up three wickets with the ball

Kolkata Knight Riders brought their campaign back on track by defeating the Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets at Bangalore. Put into bat first, RCB added 175 runs on the board thanks to a 68 from their skipper Virat Kohli.

In reply, KKR chased down the total with 5 balls to spare thanks to Chris Lynn's 62 and crucial chippings from Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthik.

The win saw KKR remain in the fourth position in the table while RCB remained in the seventh position above Delhi Daredevils.

Let's take a look at five talking points of the match


#5 Andre Russell's mixed performance

Andre Russell had a pretty mixed performance tonight. With the ball, Russell went for 31 runs in his three overs.

However, in those three overs, Russell took three scalps- Brendon McCullum, Manan Vohra and Mandeep Singh.

However, Russell's performance with the bat was contradictory to his performance with the ball as he top-edged a length delivery from Mohammed Siraj from which Quinton de Kock took a simple catch. Russell went for a golden duck.

Russell made a crucial contribution for KKR but from an overall point of view, his performance was pretty lukewarm.

He will have to produce better performances with the bat as well as concede fewer runs with the ball if he is to be KKR's talismanic all-rounder.

#4 Murugan Ashwin's drop proves costly

Ashwin's drop turned out to be extremely costly
Ashwin's drop turned out to be extremely costly

Murugan Ashwin may have been expensive with the ball but he was the pick of the RCB bowlers with a spell of 2/36 from his four overs. Ashwin picked up the key wickets of Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa.

However, Ashwin made a huge blunder while fielding during the fourth over. In the fourth ball of the fourth over, Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a leg-breaker at the off stump which found a leading edge off Chris Lynn's bat and in an attempt to lift it over midwicket, Lynn sent the ball towards extra cover.

The ball went towards Ashwin but he wasn't able to take a very routine and juggled with the ball before dropping it.

Lynn had scored just seven runs at the time. Ashwin's drop turned to be extremely costly as Lynn went on to add another 55 runs.

Had Ashwin taken the catch, the match might have been a little different.

#3 The KKR batsmen supported Lynn brilliantly

Uthappa smashed a 21-ball 36
Uthappa smashed a 21-ball 36

Lynn batted brilliantly today but most of his fellow teammates supported him well during the chase.

Narine assisted him well during the beginning of the innings as he scored 27 from 19 balls and stitched an opening stand of 59 with him.

Uthappa was also brilliant. The 2014 Orange Cap winner scored 36 from just 21 balls, smashing three fours and as many sixes.

Nitish Rana also supported Lynn well before retiring hurt. Dinesh Karthik gave Lynn some brilliant assistance during the final overs by doing some crucial eleventh-hour pinch hitting.

The way Lynn's teammates supported him on the crease, he did not have to worry much about the required run rate.

#2 Kohli puts up a fine performance

Kohli played a brilliant innings tonight
Kohli played a captain's knock

Royal Challengers Bangalore began well but they lost the wickets of De Kock, McCullum and Vohra in quick succession. At this point, RCB's run rate was also low and it looked like a score of 150-160 would be their best case scenario.

However, Kohli played a real captain's knock tonight. The RCB captain played some beautiful shots which were just a treat for our eyes.

Kohli batted till the end of the innings and took RCB's total to 175, scoring 68 from 44 balls.

Kohli also had a great moment during the run chase. During the end of the 19th over, Dinesh Karthik lofted a Mohammed Siraj delivery flatly towards mid-on.

However, Kohli came running from long on and took a sensational to dismiss his opposite number. His catch impressed many, including his wife Anushka Sharma.

#1 Lynn's not-so-aggressive knock

Lynn's knock helped KKR cross the finish line
Lynn's knock helped KKR cross the finish line

Lynn played a valuable knock for KKR tonight which was instrumental in his team winning the match. The Australian scored 62 runs but what makes it really unique and not an archetypal Lynn knock is the fact that it came from 52 deliveries.

For someone who is accustomed to maintaining a strike rate of 150+ in most of his IPL innings, maintaining one of 119.23 is not something you daily see.

However, it was Lynn's composure and his concern for the team that made him play a knock that was not so aggressive. Lynn smashed seven boundaries and a six but most of them were shows of occasional but lethal aggression.

The Aussie's knock eventually won him the Man of the Match award.


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Edited by Alan John