Virat Kohli leads RCB’s run chase in Bengaluru. (Photo credit: IPL) BENGALURU: The early phase of the IPL has largely belonged to budding talent and the young Turks. But the midweek match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here was different. It turned out to be vintage Wednesday. Two veterans of the sport from Royal Challengers Bengaluru came to show Lucknow Super Giants how the job is done.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The attack was led by two seasoned warriors. Thirty-six-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/27) set the tone with a masterclass of swing bowling, capitalizing on the movement early before nailing his yorkers to death. At the other end, 35-year-old Josh Hazlewood (1/20) was relentless, operating probing lengths that proved difficult to read. On a spongy surface, the RCB pacers – with Rasikh Dar (4/24) joining the party – used the short ball to unsettle the opposition before bundling LSG for a modest 146.
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Bombay Sport Exchange: Munaf Patel on Gautam Gambhir, Virat vs Bumrah and Indian bowling. RCB flirted with wobbles in their pursuit of the under-par target but eventually sealed a five-wicket win in 15.1 overs to maintain their unbeaten run at home this season.Phil Salt fell early but Virat Kohli, who came in as an Impact Player for Suyash Sharma, quickly found his rhythm. Subsequent boundaries from Mohammed Shami showcased his signature wrist work and timing. Kohli hit 34 off his first 14 deliveries, putting the chase firmly on track.However, disciplined bowling from Avesh Khan coupled with wickets at the other end slowed the pace. Kohli was denied a half-century, falling for 49 (34b; 6×4, 1×6) caught by Nicholas Pooran at long-on. But others ensured the job was done with plenty to spare.
RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood celebrates with his teammates after taking an LSG wicket. (Photo credit: IPL)
LSG’s earlier slow start to the IPL season showed no signs of improvement as their batting unit faltered once again. On the eve of the clash, the franchise’s global director of cricket Tom Moody hoped the venue’s reputation would act as a boost. Instead, LSG’s struggles deepened.RCB’s tactics of using short pitched deliveries effectively unsettled the batting. Hazlewood brought control at the top, Bhuvneshwar was incisive and Rasikh played with clever variations that kept the batsmen guessing.LSG never fully recovered from the early setback. Aiden Markram fell in the fourth over when he mis-threw Rasikh to Devdutt Padikkal at covers. From there it became a slow procession. The batsmen struggled to gauge the speed of the wicket, often committing too early. RCB tightened the screws with 15 balls to spare in the Powerplay, setting the tone for the collapse.Pooran’s slender run continued as he fell to Hazlewood and pulled the short ball back onto his stumps while attempting a pull. Mitchell Marsh (40; 32b; 3×4, 2×6) and Ayush Badoni (38) offered brief resistance and put together a 36-run stand to steady the innings. But Krunal Pandya (2/38) broke through and fooled Marsh with a quicker delivery that hit the stumps before removing Abdul Samad in his next over.39 Mukul Choudhary added some late decency but the innings never gained any real momentum.
INJURY SCARED ABOUT RISHABH PANT
Rishabh Pant’s difficult outing was compounded by an injury scare. He was first bowled outside off by Hazlewood before being hit on the right stomach by a rising short ball. He then internally braced himself on his left elbow while attempting to counterattack, leaving him in visible discomfort. After treatment, Pant departed only to return in the 16th over with LSG in trouble at 118/5. The LSG skipper was still not completely at ease but struggled with timing and was eventually dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar after facing just three deliveries.
