IPL 2021 Live Analysis: RCB nick last-over win over Hyderabad

9.44 p.m: Shahbaz Ahmed snaps up three wickets

This match has turned and how! It seemed Sunrisers Hyderabad more or less had it in the bag at the strategic time out, being on 115 for two, with 35 needed from 24 balls. But Shahbaz Ahmed has pulled a rabbit out of the bag, quite literally. Sunrisers Hyderabad were within striking distance but Ahmed, who bowls left-arm spin, snaps up three wickets in an over, those of Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey and Abdul Samad to leave them floundering. And although Rashid Khan comes up with a cameo at the end, RCB nick this entertaining game by six runs at the Chepauk in Chennai. RCB had managed to put up a total that had seemed below par but they believed in themselves and the Sunrisers Hyderabad wilted under the pressure.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore are up against the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18, the first of the double-headers in Chennai, while Sunrisers Hyderabad meet the Mumbai Indians on April 17.

9.12 p.m: Jamieson prises out Warner after half-century

The Royal Challengers Bangalore finally get a look-in as New Zealand medium pacer Kyle Jamieson prises out opener David Warner. But not before the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper has worked his way to a half-century (54), his 49th IPL fifty. The Australian is third on the all-time leading run scorers with 5311 runs from 144 matches. Warner and Manish Pandey saw off the challenge from RCB with an 83-run alliance from 69 balls for the second wicket. The Sunrisers Hyderabad are 108 for two in 15 overs, with a run-rate of 7.20, needing 42 from 30 deliveries. Pandey is on a run-a-ball 37 with two boundaries and two sixes, while Jonny Bairstow has made six from seven balls with one boundary.

8.49 p.m: Sunrisers Hyderabad on course

The Sunrisers are on course now after that early loss and are 77-1 at the halfway mark of 10 overs, with a run rate of 7.70. They now require 73 from 60 deliveries. Skipper David Warner has scored 38 from 24 deliveries with five boundaries and a six, while Manish Pandey too has been solid in his 30 from 27 balls with two fours and two sixes. The Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 39 runs from the fifth to the 10th over and 27 from the powerplay till the 10th. They should get this through with the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad and Jason Holder, still to follow. RCB, meanwhile, need a breakthrough soon enough.

8.25 p.m: Sunrisers Hyderabad recover from early blip

The Sunrisers Hyderabad lose an early wicket in their chase of 150 with opener Wriddhiman Saha caught by Glenn Maxwell off Mohammed Sirah for one. But captain David Warner and Manish Pandey help them recover from that early blip to take Sunrisers Hyderabad to 38 for one in five overs. They need 112 runs from 90 deliveries and Sunrisers Hyderabad get 50 in the powerplay. Warner is on 28, while Pandey has made 14.

7.46 p.m: Maxwell scores half-century

The Royal Challengers Bangalore batting line-up have very little answers to the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack and splutter to 149-8, after being put into bat. That total is down to Glenn Maxwell, who scores 59 from 41 deliveries with five boundaries and three sixes. The Australian batting all-rounder had made 39 against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener. Captain Virat Kohli had made 33 from 29 balls with four boundaries but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and couldn’t find the impetus. Jason Holder picks up three wickets for 30.

Another tidy spell by Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan, who finishes up with 4-0-18-2. The 22-year-old had taken 2-24 against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening game, also in Chennai. An interesting statistic about Rashid Khan is that he has bowled 37 balls to AB de Villiers, conceded 38 runs and got him out on three occasions, in the IPL.

The other three bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem and T Natarajan took a wicket each.

7.10 p.m: Kohli and AB de Villiers depart

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have lost skipper Virat Kohli after a neat cameo up the order. Kohli was looking in good form but West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder, who replaced Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, brings Kohli’s knock to an end, as the opener holes out to Vijay Shankar. His 33 has come off 29 deliveries with four boundaries. Kohli and Glenn Maxwell managed to stitch together 44 runs for the third wicket. And it is twin big blows as AB de Villiers falls cheaply for one, to leg spinner Rashid Khan and RCB are 103 for 4 in 15 overs. RCB mustered just 16 runs from the powerplay until the 10th and scored 40 for the loss of two wickets from the 10th until the 15th. Maxwell is still there on a fighting 31.

6.47 p.m: Sunrisers make the inroads

Sunrisers Hyderabad have made the inroads with two wickets, those of opener Devdutt Padikkal and Shahbaz Ahmed, who falls to Shahbaz Nadeem after scoring 14 from 10 with a lone six. It is not up to skipper Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, whom the RCB are hoping to be their X factor in this season, to get RCB up and going towards the second half of their innings. They still have the superman AB de Villiers to follow, along with Washington Sundar and Dan Christian. RCB are 63 for two in 10 overs with Kohli on 24 and Maxwell on nine.

6.29 p.m: RCB recover after Padikkal’s wicket

The Royal Challengers Bangalore lose opener Devdutt Padikkal, who returned to the line-up, after making 11 from 13 balls with two boundaries. But the other opener and skipper Virat Kohli and Shahbaz Ahmed have taken RCB to 36 for one in five overs and then 47 for one after the powerplay

Sunrisers Hyderabad hold a slight edge in the 18 matches that they have played, winning 10, while RCB have won seven.

In last year’s IPL staged in the UAE, honours were even with RCB winning the first game by 10 runs, while the Sunrisers Hyderabad won the return leg by five wickets. Sunrisers Hyderabad emerged triumphant in the Eliminator by six wickets.

RCB have only one change with opener Devdutt Padikkal slotting back in, replacing Rajat Patidar.

We are into match six of the IPL and this has a south Indian touch to it with the Royal Challengers Bangalore squaring off against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai.

Royal CHallengers Bangalore will be looking to keep the momentum going after winning the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians, while the Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to bounce back after their opening defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Warner has won the toss and has opted to bowl. They have two changes with Jason Holder coming in for Mohammad Nabi, while Shahbaz Nadeem replaces Sandeep Sharma.

RCB have only one change with opener Devdutt Padikkal slotting back in, replacing Rajat Patidar.

Playing XI:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Washington Sundar, Dan Christian, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), David Warner (C), Manish Pandey, Jonny Bairstow, Vijay Shankar, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Shahbaz Nadeem.

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