JAIPUR, India (AP) — Royal Challengers Bangalore blew away Rajasthan Royals for 59, the third lowest Indian Premier League score, to secure a comprehensive 112-run victory on Sunday.
Left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell (3-10) struck thrice in the powerplay while spinners Michael Bracewell (2-16) and Karn Sharma (2-19) choked Rajasthan further before it was bowled out in just 10.3 overs.
Captain Faf du Plessis (55) continued his run of superb form this season by smashing his seventh half century and Glenn Maxwell made 54 off 33 balls in Bangalore’s total of 171-5 after du Plessis read the slow pitch perfectly and elected to bat after winning the toss.
Anuj Rawat provided a perfect finish by hitting an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls, smashing fast bowler KM Asif for two sixes and a boundary off the final three balls.
“It was really good, we needed it (the win), in terms of the NRR,” du Plessis said. “Today was really good for the team and I am sure everyone will be extremely motivated for the next two matches.”
The victory moved Bangalore to No. 5 in the points table with 12 and also gave its net run-rate a massive boost. Rajasthan’s abject batting in a crucial league game pushed it into a tight corner with 12 points and only a game in hand.
Rajasthan’s young in-form batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit the IPL’s fastest half century off 13 balls a couple of days ago, departed on Muhammed Siraj’s second ball as he couldn’t clear Virat Kohli at mid-on.
With the ball stopping on the slow surface, Parnell had Jos Buttler chipping a catch at cover point while captain Sanju Samson also mistimed a pull shot.
Rajasthan sunk further during the powerplay when Joe Root (10), playing his first IPL game, was trapped leg before wicket by Parnell and impact player Devdutt Padikkal was caught low by Siraj at midwicket.
Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with 35, featuring three successive sixes off Sharma, before he holed out in the deep off Maxwell prompting the Rajasthan innings to fold in a hurry, with the side losing its last three wickets without a run.
Earlier, du Plessis became the fourth overseas batter after AB de Villiers of South Africa, David Warner of Australia and Chris Gayle of the West Indies to reach 4,000 IPL runs as he added 69 for the second-wicket stand with Maxwell.
Rajasthan fast bowlers didn’t let Bangalore accelerate by taking the pace off the deliveries with their knuckle balls with Kohli getting beaten by KM Asif (2-42), caught after scoring a run-a-ball 18.
Rawat and Maxwell revived the innings after a mini middle-order collapse that saw Bangalore losing three wickets in the space of five deliveries. Du Plessis was caught in the deep to give Asif his second wicket and Adam Zampa chipped in with two more in three balls.
Maxwell, who hit three sixes and five fours, was bowled out while going for a reverse shot against Sandeep Sharma’s full pitched delivery before Rawat provided a brisk finish that gave Bangalore the momentum it needed.
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