Synopsis: Revival artists Patidar and Dayal help extend RCB’s winning streak and keep slim playoff hopes alive, after Kohli produces strokes and theatre to hit DC’s knockout ambitions
Two men quietly behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s turnaround have been Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal. The latter has bowled with wisdom and sharpness, even if he has not been an epitome of control; Patidar has struck four half-centuries in his last five outings, all of which they have won, dispelling the awful memories of his Test faux pas a few months ago. In another must-win game, they whipped up memorable and vital contributions, Patidar with a regal 52 and Dayal with a two-wicket first over plus the scalp of Delhi Capitals top-scorer Axar Patel, who kept his team in the hunt with 57 from 39 balls, in pursuit of 188. All they eventually managed was 140 runs, which was a hammer blow to their playoff ambitions.
Whereas against England, Patidar seemed a nervous wreck, here he looked impossibly imperious, the ball flowing from the sweetest spot of his bat. His first boundary was just a push through the covers, with the briefest extension of his bat and front foot. He is blessed with wonderful hands, and his touches are often delicate and precise. His second four was identical, maybe a muscle or two more. He then swivelled and pulled Mukesh Kumar for his third four in five balls.
One could see the logic behind the national selectors’ leap of faith in handing him a Test cap. He moves smoothly on either foot, plays with soft hands, the easy bat-swing gives a lot of time to execute his strokes, and he has a lot of shots too. Besides, he is an exceptional player of spin bowling, which he displayed by carting Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un down the ground and by picking another brace of sixes off Axar on a track where some balls spun viciously. With Will Jacks, not at his usual free-flowing touch, Patidar combined 88 runs that would form the axis of Royal Challengers’ innings.
Wrapped up in style ⚡️
High fives 🙌 all around as #RCB make it FIVE 🖐️ in a row 🔥
A comfortable 4️⃣7️⃣-run win at home 🥳
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/AFDOfgLefa#TATAIPL | #RCBvDC pic.twitter.com/qhCm0AwUIE
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 12, 2024
The total, though, looked inadequate with the short dimensions of the ground and the power-hitters in Capitals’ cabin. In the first two overs, Capitals raced to 24 for the loss of David Warner. Enter Dayal, who literally killed the game with twin blows. He nabbed Abhishek Porel with a snarling short ball; then ran out the dangerous Jake Fraser-McGurk at the non-striker’s end, with a deflection off Shai Hope’s straight drive.
The Barbadian caned him for three fours in the next over, but he returned at the most opportune moment to deliver the killer blow. In the 16th over, the target still achievable, he bowled a gorgeous slower ball to deceive Axar. That was game, set and match, wherein Kohli yet again took centre-stage.
Kohli produces strokes and theatre
Forget the strokes he has essayed, the verbal punches he had frequently flung, and just soak the pure theatre that Virat Kohli exudes in the middle. He rolled back the ears to the 20-something bundle of energy, displaying his full range of emotions, wearing his heart on the sleeve, getting under the skin of the bowlers, exchanging both glares and words.
The duel with his long-time former India teammate Ishant Sharma was pure pantomime. Kohli semi-edged, semi-steered the first ball of the veteran’s second over past the wicketkeeper. Then he gestured to Ishant that he had played the shot deliberately. Ishant, never one to back away, said that he didn’t think so. The next ball, though, Kohli creamed him over long-on. A slightly over-pitched ball, he bent his back-knee, got under it, whirled his powerful wrists and smeared the ball over the fence. His eyes wandered for Ishant’s. The fast bowler averted his gaze. Ishant retorted with a beauteous away seamer that beat Kohli’s attempt to punch the ball through the off-side. A wide ball followed, and Kohli flashed a mocking smile.
Then came Ishant’s moment. He landed the ball just outside off-stump, on a good length, and seamed it a decimal away. Kohli attempted the semi-edge, semi-steer that had come off on the first ball. But this time, the edge was thinner and wicketkeeper Abhishek Porel duly grabbed it. Ishant tried to celebrate and give a lavish send-off, then changed his mind and pulled at his jersey in jest. Kohli took it sportingly and smiled gingerly, although when he reached the dugout, he seemed aghast at his way of dismissal.
But Kohli had played his bit-part in providing a quick start with his 13-ball 27 that featured three most glorious sixes. The one over extra-cover off Khaleel Ahmed was most wondrous, lofting it over the off-side, closing his bat face at the last split-second before it made contact with the ball. The Powerplay turbocharge propelled his team, and made up for the crawl in the latter half of the innings. More so after they lost the revived Patidar in the 12th over for a smooth as satin 52 off 32 balls. There is definitely something about Kohli this season.
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 187/9 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 52, Will Jacks 41, Cameron Green 32 not out) beat Delhi Capitals 140 all out in 19.1 overs (Axas Patel 57; Yash Dayal 3/20, Lockie Ferguson 2/23) by 47 runs.