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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have managed to score 126/9 in the first innings of the 43rd IPL 2023 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 1, Monday, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
RCB captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and opted to bat first on a dry surface, anticipating that it might get slower as the game progressed. He and Virat Kohli found it difficult in the middle from the outset as the LSG bowlers beat them multiple times in the first couple of overs. There were also some miscued shots that landed just above the fielders.
They got used to the sluggish conditions after a while and went on to score 42 runs in the powerplay. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/21) then bowled a magnificent spell and scalped the wickets of Virat Kohli (31) and Glenn Maxwell (4) to peg RCB back.
LSG bowlers utilized the conditions and bowled accordingly to keep a check on RCB's run rate. The visiting side never got a final flourish in the death overs, as they could only score 126/9 after 20 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq (3/30) and Amit Mishra (2/21) were the top performers for Lucknow in the bowling department.
Reflecting on the first innings during the mid-innings break, Du Plessis said:
"It's a slow wicket, not a lot of bounce. We think 135 was a par score but we dropped off in the end. If we get one or two wickets in the powerplay, it could be a tough chance. The ball really stopped a lot when bowled into the wicket.
"There wasn't a lot of bounce when the spinners were bowling. So, it was difficult to time it with the ball not hitting the middle of the bat. We've got some really good spinners in our line up. If we get some wickets early on, it'll be tough for them in the middle."
Fans react after Faf Du Plessis' sedate 44 takes RCB to 126/9 vs LSG
Fans on social media enjoyed the low-scoring first innings of the IPL 2023 match between RCB and LSG. They expressed their reactions in the form of some hilarious memes.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
