IPL 2020, RCB vs SRH: 3 players who flopped | 31 October

52 matches have been played in IPL 2020, but there is still a glaring lack of clarity, with 6 teams still in the running for three playoff spots. On Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squandered an opportunity to reduce that uncertainty, and are still stuck in suspense after a thumping loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Not much went to plan with bat in hand for Virat Kohli's men. After Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli were snaffled by the swing of Sandeep Sharma, Josh Philippe and AB de Villiers attempted to weather the storm a little. Their efforts staved off an RCB collapse, but neither batsman was able to score at a threatening pace.

Their dismissals exposed RCB's feeble batting underbelly, which collectively failed to score quickly enough and collapsed in a heap. The team crawled to 120 by the close of their 20 overs to set a mediocre target for SRH.

Though SRH skipper David Warner fell early, the team's contrasting start by them saw them race to 58/1 within the powerplay, essentially wiping off half the target during the best phase for batting.

However, the pressure on a team fighting to stay alive began to show. The next six overs brought just 29 runs, as RCB applied the squeeze via Yuzvendra Chahal and Isuru Udana and managed to prise out Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson.

The game turned on its head when Jason Holder walked out to bat. Unlike any other batsman, Holder struck the ball cleanly and timed it well. With his 26 off just 10 balls, he ensured SRH did not choke as they had done chasing a similar total while also boosting the team's Net Run Rate.

Both teams will want to win their final game of the season to qualify without much hassle. Here are three players who will have to improve for the all-important upcoming game.

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#3 David Warner (SRH)

SRH skipper Warner had a good day, marred slightly by an early dismissal. [PC: iplt20.com]

SRH skipper Warner followed up an impressive and aggressive knock in a commanding win against DC with a knock that was cut short after a promising start. Chasing just 121 to beat RCB, the Aussie chose to take the aggressive route and perished in the process, though he managed to clear the ropes once before his dismissal.

His score of 8 from 5 left much to be desired, as he was one among a number of SRH batsmen dismissed trying to up the tempo. Luckily for him, SRH's top order held the chase together for the lower order to then finish off. However, the story could have been very different had Warner's dismissal led to a collapse.

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#2 Navdeep Saini (RCB)

RCB's ace Indian pacer got it all wrong on the night.

Defending a small total, it was crucial to adapt to the pitch and conditions on offer - probably taking a leaf out of the SRH book. All the SRH pacers were very effective by mixing up the yorkers, slower balls and back-of-a-length deliveries to deny runs and scalp wickets. Navdeep Saini, with his express pace, would have looked to do the same.

However, it was a different story when Saini had the ball in hand. His first over saw him concede two boundaries within the powerplay to allow Manish Pandey to get settled, while his next over much later in the show was taken apart by Holder and Abhishek Sharma. Saini paid the price for offering pace and length on a ground with small boundaries, and ended up with comfortably the worst economy from RCB.

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#1 Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli had a miserable day as captain and batsman. [PC: iplt20.com]

The RCB skipper has had a very scratchy IPL. Despite being in the race for the Orange Cap, he has found it hard to hit the boundaries and has often gotten out early looking for them. He had a different challenge in this game, having to start against a bowler who had dismissed him the joint-highest number of times.

The ball that eventually got Kohli was a teaser, as Sandeep bowled an outswinger after several inswingers. Kohli was unable to resist, and in the process spooned a catch to short cover. His inability to contribute to the team's result would be a pain point, as RCB would look to get their act together in what has somehow become a very tight situation for them regarding the IPL 2020 playoffs.