Dubai: Riding on a superb display by IPL debutant Devdutt Padikkal (56, 42b, 8×4) and a fine display of leg-spin bowling by Yuzvendra Chahal (3/18) Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) began their IPL-13 campaign in right earnest here Monday. They defeated the highly-rated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 runs.
Chasing a victory target of 164, SRH were well placed with Jonny Bairstow (61, 43b, 6×4, 2×6) and Manish Pandey (34, 33b, 3×4, 1×6) in cruise control. They were well on the way to take their team towards victory when Chahal struck to break the second wicket partnership of 71 runs. From then on, SRH lost wickets at regular intervals to fade away from the game. Chahal also got the crucial wicket of Bairstow, dismantling the batsman’s stumps with a googly.
Earlier Padikkal displayed his highly rated talent with a half century on IPL debut before AB de Villiers provided the much needed final flourish to take RCB to a fighting total.
The class and calmness Padikkal showed in his first high-profile game was remarkable, so much so that Australian limited overs captain Aaron Finch (29, 27b, 1×4, 2×6) was happy to play second fiddle at the other end.
Sunrisers pulled things back in the middle overs following a 90-run opening stand between Padikkal and Finch. However, De Villiers (51, 30b, 4×4, 2×6) came up with crucial boundary hits towards the end to take the team score past 160.
The 20-year-old Padikkal, possessing a near perfect balance in the crease, played all around the ground, playing the pull and aerial cover drive with equal confidence.
Padikkal got going with three boundaries in an over off left-arm pacer T Natarajan. The left-handed opener brought up his half century with a slog sweep over the fielder at deep square leg.
However, skipper Virat Kohli departed after scoring 14 off 13 balls, leaving De Villiers to provide the final flourish. The South African star delivered once again, smashing his 200th six for RCB in the process.
There was also an injury scare for Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who limped off the field with an ankle injury after bowling four balls in his debut game for the Sunrisers.
Brief scores: RCB 163 for 5 in 20 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 56, AB de Villiers 51) beat SRH 153 all out in 19.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 61, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/18, Navdeep Saini 2/25) by 10 runs.
