IPL 2024: Karthik, Faf, Virat put up a fight, RCB face 25-run defeat to SRH

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 15 (ANI): A fighting half-century by Dinesh Karthik and an explosive powerplay partnership between skipper Faf Du Plessis and Virat Kohli went in vain as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) could not chase the 288-run target set by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), restricted to 262/7 in their run-chase at Bengaluru on Monday.
With this loss, RCB is at the bottom of the table, with just one win in seven overs. They have just two points. SRH now has four wins and two losses, with eight points. They are at the fourth spot.
In the run chase, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) openers skipper Faf Du Plessis and Virat Kohli gave the team the start they needed. Unphased by the scoring run rate and target, both attacked the pacers from the first ball. Abhishek Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first overs went for 10 and 11 runs, respectively, with Virat being the aggressor.
Du Plessis produced a fine third over for RCB, smashing Shahbaz Ahmed for two sixes and a four. The overs produced 18 runs in total. Bhuvneshwar's second over was expensive, with Virat and Faf smashing him for two fours each.
50 runs were up for RCB in 3.5 overs.
Virat continued to target pacers, mercilessly hitting and slashing T Natrajan and Pat Cummins' deliveries. RCB ended the powerplay at 79/0 in six overs, with Virat (42*) and Faf (37*) unbeaten.
However, Virat perished with the introduction of spin. Mayank Markande cleaned up his stumps and Virat missed the ball completely, being dismissed for 42 in 20 balls, with six fours and two sixes.
Faf and Will Jacks continued scoring fast despite such a big loss of wicket, but their short blitz ended unfortunately after one of Faf's shots hit the stumps at the non-strikers end. Jacks, looking for a quick run, left his bat untouched at the crease and was run out for just seven. RCB was 100/2 in eight overs.
Faf also reached his fifty, the second of this edition, in 23 balls, with six fours and three sixes.
Markande got Rajat Patidar caught by Nitish Kumar Reddy for nine runs. RCB was 111/3 in nine overs.
In the 10th over, Cummins helped SRH make a comeback, dismissing Faf for 62 in 28 balls, with seven fours and four sixes and Saurav Chauhan for a golden duck. RCB was 122/5 in 10 overs.
Lomror and Karthik raised hopes of RCB fans, with two big overs. First, Markande was hit for 25 runs in the 13th over, including three sixes and a four, mostly by Karthik except for a six by Lomror. RCB reached the 150-run mark in 12.4 overs.
Jaydev Unadkat continued his poor form this year and was for 21 runs in the next over, including two fours and a six by Karthik.
The 59-run partnership was undone by skipper Cummins, who clean bowled Lomror for 19 in 11 balls, with two sixes. RCB was 181/6 in 14.1 overs.
In the final five overs, RCB needed 101 runs. Rawat and Dinesh scored some vital runs, including a big six by Karthik, to bring it down to 89 runs in 24 balls.
RCB reached the 200-run mark in 16.1 overs, and Karthik reached his fifty in 23 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes. Karthik ended Cummins' night on a poor note, smashing him for two sixes in the next over, bringing down the equation to a difficult, but mathematically possible, 72 runs needed in three overs.
The next over bowled by Bhuvneshwar was expensive due to some extra runs and a six by Karthik. RCB needed 58 in the final 12 balls.
However, Karthik's admirable effort ended when Natrajan got him caught behind by Klaasen. He scored 83 in 35 balls, with five fours and seven sixes. RCB was 244/7 in 18.5 overs.
RCB ended their chase at 262/7 in their 20 overs, with Anuj (25*) and Vijaykumar Vyshak (1*) unbeaten.
Cummins was the pick of the bowlers for SRH, taking 3/43 in four overs. Mayank also took 2/46 in four overs. Natrajan also got a wicket.
Earlier, an explosive century by Travis Head and a half-century by Heinrich Klaasen were the highlights as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted 287/3, the highest total of the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, in their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Bengaluru on Monday.
SRH has broken their own record of 277 runs, which they posted against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in this edition of the tournament itself.
Put to bat first by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma wasted no time in taking RCB bowlers to attack. In the second over bowled by Reece Topley, the Englishman was smoked for two sixes, a four and overall, 20 runs by the duo.
Though the next two overs saw SRH being a bit subdued, Head smashed Lockie Ferguson for two sixes, a four in the fifth over. 50 came up for SRH in 4.3 overs. 18 runs came off his over.
The final over of the powerplay saw Yash Dayal being smashed all over the park for 20 runs, including two sixes and a four by Head. SRH was 76/0 in six overs, with Head (52*) reaching his fifty in 20 balls, with three fours and five sixes. At the other end, Abhishek was unbeaten at 23*.
The carnage continued in the next over as Will Jacks' spin became a victim of Head's clean-hitting, including two sixes and a four. 21 runs came from the seventh over.
With a huge six over Vijaykumar Vyshak's head, SRH's 100 runs came in 7.1 overs.
Topley ended the 108-run opening partnership, with Abhishek removed for 34 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes. Ferguson took the catch at deep backward square leg. SRH was 108/1 in 8.1 overs.
Halfway through the innings, SRH was 128/1 in 10 overs, with Head (86*) being joined by the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen at number three.
With two successive boundaries off Vyshak's deliveries, one through the backward square leg, SRH reached the 150-run mark in 11.2 overs.
Two balls later, Head smashed Vyshak for a four over long on to reach his maiden IPL ton in 39 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.
Klaasen and Head made their 50-run partnership in 23 balls.
The 57-run partnership ended between the duo. Ferguson got his first wicket for RCB and skipper Faf Du Plessis took a catch at mid-on to remove Head for 102 in 41 balls, with nine fours and eight sixes. SRH is 165/2 in 12.3 overs.
RCB had Mahipal Lomror bowl the 14th over and he went for 18 runs, including two sixes by Klaasen and some wide deliveries. Klaasen smashed Vyshak for two fours and a six in the next over, for a total of 16 runs, to bring up SRH's 200-run mark in 15 overs.
Klaasen also reached his third fifty of IPL 2024 in 23 balls, with two fours and five sixes.
Ferguson ended his spell at 2/52, removing Klaasen for 66 in 31 balls, with two fours and seven sixes. Vyshak took the catch to remove Klaasen after he smashed two fours and seven sixes. SRH is 231/3 in 17 overs.
Abdul Samad was out next to bat. He made an immediate impact by smashing Topley for three fours and two sixes in his over. SRH reached their 250-run mark in 18.3 overs.
In the next over, SRH equalled their highest IPL total of 277 runs. SRH ended their innings at a massive 287/3, with Samad (37*) and Markram (32*) unbeaten.
RCB bowlers leaked runs throughout the innings. Ferguson was the pick of the bowlers with 2/52. (ANI)