IPL 2018, SRH vs RCB: Twitter erupts as SRH defend a low total for the fourth time by surviving de Grandhomme's onslaught
The Royal Challengers Bangalore were facing the table toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad in a very important fixture as the Bangalore side were facing stiff competition to qualify for playoffs in the bottom half of the points table. Luck favored Virat Kohli as he has won the toss and put in SRH to bat first.
RCB got the right start as they picked up two wickets in the power play for just 38 runs. In the ninth over, they also got the wicket of Manish Pandey who has been struggling to find some form.
After that wicket, it was a Williamson show as he scored his fifth half-century of the tournament and put on a 64 run partnership with Shakib, before getting out off the last ball of sixteenth over.
After Williamson's wicket, SRH lost wickets on a regular basis and were bowled out for 146 in 20 overs. Mohammad Siraj, who was playing against his previous side, was the pick of the bowlers as he took three wickets for just 25 runs.
Parthiv Patel provided a quick start to the chase with a 13-ball 20 but got out in the third over. Virat Kohli, who came in next, looked in sublime touch as he started to score runs at a brisk pace but RCB were unfortunate to lose the wicket of Manan Vohra as he dragged back one onto the stumps.
In came Rashid and the things changed for RCB as both Kohli and AB de Villiers were trouble by the Afghan-legspinner. Kohli was given a reprieve by Williamson at slips off Rashid's bowling but got out in the next over off Shakib's bowling.
ABD followed Kohli back into the dugout as he bowled by Rashid Khan in the very next over.
RCB lost Moeen Ali soon and looked to be in trouble before Colin de Grandhomme hit two sixes off Rashid's bowling in the seventeenth over and brought back the game into balance as RCB needed 25 off last 3 overs.
But, thanks to some excellent death bowling by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul, SRH managed to win the match by 5 runs. With this win, SRH almost makes it to playoffs with eight wins in ten matches.
Here are the reactions to the thrilling match: