IPL 2018: Three masterstrokes from RCB vs KXIP match

The first game at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy stadium in this year's IPL promised to be a run feast as the home team was to battle it out against the Kings from the North.

With big hitters featuring in both the lineups, it was an absolute graveyard for a bowler to bowl at such a flat surface.

Put into bat by Virat Kohli, Kings XI Punjab were off to a flier courtesy the Karnataka duo of Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul.

The team soon saw themselves in trouble as they were struck by Umesh Yadav as they lost three wickets in a single over.

But some aggressive batting from Rahul and Nair ensured that the run rate was not compromised. Eventually, Kings in their 20 overs were bowled out for 155 runs.

The game was set for RCB when they needed 156 to chase on a batting paradise. They didn't have a great start when they lost McCullum and Kohli in the first six.

But some disciplined batting in the middle overs and despite losing wickets off successive balls, Punjab couldn't resist against the explosive AB de Villiers as they succumbed to defeat by four wickets.

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#1 Bowling with Umesh Yadav in the powerplay

Yadav's fiery spell put a brake on the KXIP's innings

It is said that you learn from your mistakes and RCB skipper learned very quickly from his mistakes in the first game.

He brought Umesh Yadav early on in the powerplay overs to help his side put brakes on the flow of the run.

Yadav was in no mood to disappoint his skipper as he struck in his second over of the spell. He was fast, fiery and most importantly, accurate in his length on a wicket that had nothing to offer to the bowlers.

He rattled the Kings XI top order to give them three mighty blows in the same over. This move from Kohli was definitely a masterstroke after the kind of start Punjab got in first three overs.

#2 Bowling Sundar on the trot

Sundar further restricted Punjab from scoring runs

After Punjab met the Vidarbha Express to offer him three wickets in the same over, Kohli introduced Washington Sundar after the powerplay overs.

The move paid off for the red army as he took two wickets in his spell to restrict the Kings from doing anything big.

The interesting thing to note was that he bowled his four overs of the spell on the trot. The reason to support was his success in the second over after he dismissed the dangerous Rahul.

Not only did he stop at this as he even got rid of Marcus Stoinis in his next over, prompting Kohli to bowl him another over and finishing his spell on the trot.

#3 Giving first over to Axar Patel

Patel dismissed McCullum in the first over

Defending 155 on a batting paradise in Bengaluru wasn't going to be easy for the bowlers. So, Kings XI had to come up with something out of the box to push RCB under pressure.

In order to do so, Ashwin, who is known for his witty thinking about his game, was spot on to ask Axar Patel to open the attack.

Patel, who was retained by the franchise, had been given the responsibility to do some early damage and the all-rounder with the ball in his hand came up with his own plans.

He got the big scalp of Brendon McCullum on his second delivery to give his team the first strike of the game.

The move paid off as Punjab managed to keep the scoring rate under control in the first six overs.

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