IPL 2018, SRH vs RCB: 4 reasons why Bangalore lost against Hyderabad 

It was the Southern Derby as hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad went up against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to field first.

RCB started well as their bowlers found the right lengths and soon Southee was rewarded. He got the ball to swing and Hales’ middle stump was uprooted. A couple of overs later, Dhawan fell to local lad Siraj as RCB reduced the Sunrisers to 38 for 2 in the powerplay overs.

Pandey was sent packing soon after the powerplay overs to leave SRH in trouble at 48 for 3. SRH needed a partnership and they got one in the form of Williamson and Shakib. Both added 64 runs before Umesh Yadav came back into the attack and dismissed Williamson for a fine 56 of his last ball.

Once Williamson fell, SRH never really recovered and lost wickets in a cluster. They eventually got bundled out for 146 in 20 overs. Siraj and Southee were the picks of the bowlers with three wickets apiece.

Chasing 147, RCB got off to a decent start before Shakib provided the breakthrough to dismiss Parthiv, who was looking in good touch. Kolhi came in at three and started off brilliantly. RCB raced off to 55 for 1 in just six overs and were all set to chase down the score.

All of a sudden, RCB committed harakiri and lost quick wickets including the big wickets of Kohli and De Villiers. They were reduced to 84 for 5 and looked down and out. Mandeep and De Grandhomme came together and stitched a fine partnership but it was not enough as Bhuvneshwar held his nerve to eke out a 5-run win.

Let's take a look at the reasons which cost RCB the game.

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#1 Letting SRH off the hook in the middle overs

RCB began the game well as they picked up Hales and Dhawan in the powerplay and reduced SRH to 38 for 2. RCB needed to cash in on their good start but it was not to be as they let SRH off the hook in the middle overs.

Williamson and Shakib batted sensibly to get SRH back into the game as RCB managed to pick up only a solitary wicket for 67 runs in overs 7 to 15. The middle overs did prove costly as RCB fell tantalizingly short of the target. With that win, SRH have more or less booked their spot in the top 4.

#2 Williamson's fine knock on a tough wicket

SRH were put in to bat and they didn't start well as Hales and Dhawan were dismissed cheaply. Sunrisers once again required their skipper to score the runs and he did exactly that.

The wicket was tough to bat on, but the SRH captain kept his cool and batted sensibly. He started slowly but picked up pace and scored a fine 56 off just 39 deliveries to bring SRH back into the game.

Once Williamson fell, SRH succumbed under pressure and lost 7 wickets and were bundled out. It did not hurt them in the end as SRH pulled off a sensational 5-run win.

#3 Rashid Khan's magical first spell

SRH managed 146 on the board and on a wicket that had a lot to offer for the bowlers, they knew they could defend the score. RCB got off to a flying start and found themselves at 55 for 1 at the end of the powerplay overs.

Williamson needed to turn things around and soon brought on his premier spinner Rashid Khan. He got the ball to talk and the batsmen found it really hard to pick him. Rashid continued to outfox the batsmen and found the edge of Kohli but Williamson put the catch down.

An over later, he was up against De Villiers who failed to read his wrong un and was castled. His sensational spell may have yielded just one wicket but that big wicket of De Villiers turned things for SRH as they ended up winning by 5 runs.

#4 Failure to capitalize on a good start

RCB came into the game needing nothing less than a win. They had their moments in the game but failed to capitalize on the start they got. Chasing 147 on a tough batting wicket, RCB got off to a great start courtesy their captain Virat Kohli. They raced to 55 for 1 in the first six overs to give the visiting team a breezy start.

Once the powerplay overs were done, RCB suddenly found it hard and lost wickets in a heap. De Grandhomme and Mandeep did the rebuilding work but it wasn't enough as SRH bowlers held their cool to eke out a 5 run win.

RCB and captain Kohli will rue their chances as they failed to capitalize on a solid start. The middle overs turned it around for SRH as they once again successfully defended a low score.

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