Indian Premier League (Match 31) - 15 October, 2020 - KXIP [177/2] beat RCB [171/6] by 8 wickets

[MenInG]

When: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, Match 31, October 15, 2020; 18:00 Local, 19:30 IST

Where: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

What to expect: 33, 29, 28, 21, 17, 10 - The number of sixes hit at Sharjah have reduced exponentially over the six games played. With the scoring rate reducing to 8.04 over the last five innings at the venue, expect both teams to try and buck the trend of playing conservatively through the PowerPlay and go hard in the first six overs.


Squads:

Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad: Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers(w), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Josh Philippe, Parthiv Patel, Adam Zampa, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmed

Kings XI Punjab Squad: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul(c), Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Simran Singh(w), Mandeep Singh, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Karun Nair, Murugan Ashwin, Krishnappa Gowtham, James Neesham, Sheldon Cottrell, Deepak Hooda, Sarfaraz Khan, Hardus Viljoen, Jagadeesha Suchith, Ishan Porel, Tajinder Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Harpreet Brar

 

[MenInG]

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to bat

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers(w), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

 

[RamLakhan]

Good to see Kohli winning so many tosses! He had torrid time with world cup, overseas tests, etc.

 

[RamLakhan]

Kohli is been playing for RCB for all 13 editions now! Wow!

 

[deep82]

Devdutt Padikkal is real class. I think he is ready for International cricket and considering we need a left hander badly at top of order.

Overall, glad to see Mayank, Rahul, Iyer, Gill and Padikkal as next generation of Indian batters.

Shaw and Jaiswal need more work though. Not convinced yet.

 

[sindhiboy]

Every time rcb bats, everyone wants the openers to get out just to see kohli and ab partnership.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

Devdutt Padikkal is real class. I think he is ready for International cricket and considering we need a left hander badly at top of order.

Overall, glad to see Mayank, Rahul, Iyer, Gill and Padikkal as next generation of Indian batters.

Shaw and Jaiswal need more work though. Not convinced yet.

Jaiswal will be class ODI batsman. He is not a hitter and needs to improve his T20 batting.

Shaw needs better shot selection. He plays too many brainless shots and keeps getting out the same way every time.

 

[RamLakhan]

I think RCB are trying to give some exposure to other batsmen in this not so critical match! This way it would help them a bit in the pressure matches coming up (playoffs). Not such a bad idea actually...

 

[RamLakhan]

But having said that its crazy to see mediocre bowler like Maxwell (that too low in confidence - his batting form) get away with 28 runs (4 overs)...

 

[Ab Fan]

What a joke of decision from RCB.

 

[Justcrazy]

What a joke of decision from RCB.

what decision.

 

[Justcrazy]

Kohli again will look to bat through here

 

[MMHS]

Not sure if Kohli is in his right mind - he is basically putting AB for the Afridi or Brathwaite role. If AB gets out for a low score......

 

[RamLakhan]

What a joke of decision from RCB.

Exactly! It would had some meaning if they were chasing and they knew the target so that there was a planning behind it! Also it would have been OK if it was trying some regular batsman (like Gurkeerat if he was playing). I think RCB have a chink in their armor. I think they lack a batsman at No.5 which could again prove them costly in knockout matches...

 

[Justcrazy]

six sixxx

Dube starts acceleration here

 

[sindhiboy]

Dube looks very very tall. What is his height?

 

[Justcrazy]

outttt

127 . 4

24 balls left , Kohli needs to take charge here

 

[Ab Fan]

Anything less than 180 is an advantage Punjab.

 

[sindhiboy]

Ab at no. 6 is absurd

 

[Ab Fan]

Haha, Good it backfired today! Can't believe anyone can make such absurd decisions.

 

[RamLakhan]

Its probably a low scoring affair and too bowler-friendly pitch! RCB bowlers should gear up... Probably better of playing an extra spinner (do they actually have one? Another good one?)

 

[Rana]

I was so looking forward to some fireworks in Sharjah

This has been so boring

 

[Justcrazy]

Sami gets Kohli

137 . 6

RCB should target 160 here

 

[Justcrazy]

147

six balls left

RCB would look for strong finish here

 

[MMHS]

Punjab’s lineup should chase this inside 15-16 overs if they want to keep any hope alive. They’ll need points & NRR boost up from this point.

 

[Justcrazy]

172 is the target

 

[Rana]

Decent score considering they had 148 after 19

 

[Ab Fan]

Its probably a low scoring affair and too bowler-friendly pitch! RCB bowlers should gear up... Probably better of playing an extra spinner (do they actually have one? Another good one?)

No, it is actually a better pitch than the Kolkata one last game. That game the pitch was a bit slow but here it was still coming well on bat.

Winning toss is an advantage for RCB here but Punjab were favourites at 160 total, it is Sharjah. It's now that we can say even with 170 total to chase.

 

[Justcrazy]

AB is going to keep here .

 

[Justcrazy]

Morris to start the proceedings for RCB here.

 

[Justcrazy]

Kings XI need 113 runs in 82 balls. RRR: 8.26

 

[Justcrazy]

Gayle looks rusted here

 

[Justcrazy]

Kings XI need 47 runs in 32 balls. RRR: 8.81
oth batsmen well set here

 

[JattMaula]

RCB is back to its roots.

 

[Justcrazy]

86 runs partnership , brilliant partnership .

 

[Ab Fan]

Third grade performance. Mood kharab Kar Diya...

 

[Justcrazy]

Punjab one shot away from a win here

 

[Justcrazy]

Run Out !!!

one run from one ball

 

[JattMaula]

Third grade performance. Mood kharab Kar Diya...

Why are you dawn? Real rcb played today.

 

[Justcrazy]

sixxx

Pooran smashes Punjab to victory here !!!

 

[Hasan123]

Putting AB at 6 played a big part in RCB defeat. He was in form, why not send him? Gayle who hardly any game time was hardly troubled. Imagine what AB could have done if he time.

RCB should consider taking Udana out for Ali or Philippe. I think they are worried about lack of a finisher and also want to protect AB workload. Ali can play the finisher and Philppe can keep. Udana isn't always bowling his 4 overs. Something for RCB to think about.

Delighted Gayle performed today. He should have been playing earlier in the tournament.

 

[RamLakhan]

sixxx

Pooran smashes Punjab to victory here !!!

Almost got caught! Only RCB can give them a good farewell...! They were pleading almighty for another defeat!

 

[RamLakhan]

Why are you dawn? Real rcb played today.

Real RCB in the sense toothless bowlers! That's the hallmark of true RCB...!

 

[tyron_woodley]

Real RCB in the sense toothless bowlers! That's the hallmark of true RCB...!

Saini bowlers well. Others were useless.
No matter how good Chahal is, he will always be a lability in crucial games as he can be easily negated.

 

[RamLakhan]

Saini bowlers well. Others were useless.
No matter how good Chahal is, he will always be a lability in crucial games as he can be easily negated.

Such scores should be defended, especially in knockouts (because the opposition will also be under pressure! Like we saw even KXIP were under pressure in this must-win match). I have seen RCB bowlers becoming toothless against good batting sides! All the loopholes will be exposed and they look mediocre! (It is actually the presence of bowlers like Siraj which rubs on others... This Siraj guy should not play anymore. I hope they find another good batsman at No.5. If so, ABD would not have got shielded in this match! Gurkeerat should play, just because he couldn't get chance to bat doesn't mean he should be dropped!)

 

[tyron_woodley]

Such scores should be defended, especially in knockouts (because the opposition will also be under pressure! Like we saw even KXIP were under pressure in this must-win match). I have seen RCB bowlers becoming toothless against good batting sides! All the loopholes will be exposed and they look mediocre! (It is actually the presence of bowlers like Siraj which rubs on others... This Siraj guy should not play anymore. I hope they find another good batsman at No.5. If so, ABD would not have got shielded in this match! Gurkeerat should play, just because he couldn't get chance to bat doesn't mean he should be dropped!)

Siraj is a good test bowler actually. He just isn't suited for T20.

 

[Ab Fan]

Such scores should be defended, especially in knockouts (because the opposition will also be under pressure! Like we saw even KXIP were under pressure in this must-win match). I have seen RCB bowlers becoming toothless against good batting sides! All the loopholes will be exposed and they look mediocre! (It is actually the presence of bowlers like Siraj which rubs on others... This Siraj guy should not play anymore. I hope they find another good batsman at No.5. If so, ABD would not have got shielded in this match! Gurkeerat should play, just because he couldn't get chance to bat doesn't mean he should be dropped!)

I said last time also Siraj is trash in T20s, dunno about tests. The problem for RCB is not that Siraj is trash as they are playing with six bowling options and Shivam Dube is 7th bowling option and that is not even required.

Udana and Siraj combined bowls 4 overs but the problem is that once you know that Siraj has got smashed by Rahul in his 2nd over and you know he will more often get smashed and that is why you are playing extra bowler, what makes our captain give him another over and also at such a crucial juncture.

Punjab needed 45 runs in 5 overs and Siraj comes in and leaks 24 runs. You have 2 overs of Chahal left who in a similar situation got Bairstow in a match vs Hyderabad, Udana and Morris are left for death overs and they bowl Siraj.

Honestly, RCB has a very good team because Dube, Morris, Sundar and Udana all can bat and three of them can smash also but looks like both teams were doing some mehman-nawazi to each other in yesterday's game and RCB ultimately outperformed Punjab in that

 

[silentkiller187]

Putting AB at 6 played a big part in RCB defeat. He was in form, why not send him? Gayle who hardly any game time was hardly troubled. Imagine what AB could have done if he time.

RCB should consider taking Udana out for Ali or Philippe. I think they are worried about lack of a finisher and also want to protect AB workload. Ali can play the finisher and Philppe can keep. Udana isn't always bowling his 4 overs. Something for RCB to think about.

Delighted Gayle performed today. He should have been playing earlier in the tournament.

Looks like Kohli and the think tank over thought this big time, some times its best to keep it simple and go with your best players up front, he cant have been injured otherwise you throw Moeen Ali in instead, strange decision

 

[RamLakhan]

The only reason I can think of not sending ABD at 4 yesterday was to shield him against Murugan! It became like a test match affair! Come on, if ABD indeed gets out quickly (which he did eventually) then so be it and others can then take the responsibility properly! Perhaps Sunder & Dube would have batted even more freely without thinking about multiple things (shielding ABD, guiltiness of robbing ABD's strike, etc). That's exactly what happened against CSK. ABD got out cheaply, but others (even Kohli) played exactly to the merit of the pitch and improvised (Even Kohli couldn't play with clear thought yesterday compared to the one against CSK). Everyone were playing with that devil in the mind (messing with ABD) throughout the match and probably it affected even while fielding & also captaincy!

RCB should bat a proper batsman at No.5 (Gurkeerat) whether its required or not (in some matches). They should not go fancy playing extra bowler, alrounder and trying to be too smart!

Either play Gurkeerat in place of Siraj or Moeen Ali in place of Udana...

 

[Hasan123]

Looks like Kohli and the think tank over thought this big time, some times its best to keep it simple and go with your best players up front, he cant have been injured otherwise you throw Moeen Ali in instead, strange decision

There have been concerns about workload but I think they should either put Moen or Philippe in for Udana if they are worried about AB workload. Phillipe can take the gloves, Moen could play the finisher so AB can bat up the order.

You are right . RCB tried over thinking and cost them.