Pacer Kuldeep Sen shines as RR beat RCB by 29 runs

Pune: Fast bolwers Kuldeep Sen (4/20) and Prasidh Krishna (2/23) and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shone with the ball as Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 29 runs in their IPL game here Tuesday. Chasing a victory target of 145 runs, RCB faltered against some incisive bowling by the Rajasthan bowlers and were dismissed for 119 in 19.3 overs. Earlier RR had scored 144 for eight in their 20 overs.

None of the RCB batters got going with skipper Faf du Plessis emerging the highest scorer with 23. Virat Kohli’s woes continued as he was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for only nine. Glenn Maxwell fell for a first-ball duck and a rare failure by Dinesh Karthik (6) ensured that it would not be the night for RCB.

Earlier RCB bowlers had also dished out some good bowling to restrict RR. Josh Hazlewood (2/19), Wanindu Hasaranga (2/23) and Mohammed Siraj (2/30) picked up two wickets each to stifle the RR batting line-up. Riyan Parag (56, 31b, 3×4, 4×6) was the lone bright spot for RR with a scintillating knock.

RCB’s decision to bowl first gave them great results. They picked up wickets at regular intervals, not allowing RR any scope of building a big partnership.

Devdutt Padikkal (7) and Jos Buttler (8) failed to give RR a good start and the decision to promote Ravichandran Ashwin (17) also backfired. Siraj accounted for both Padikkal and Ashwin in his successive overs, while  Hazlewood picked up the all-important wicket of Buttler, caught by Siraj inches above the ground as the batter failed to get over a short delivery, looping his pull to mid-on.

Sanju Samson (27) and Daryl Mitchell (16) tried to forge a partnership, sharing 35 runs for the fourth wicket before de Silva went through the gates of RR skipper as the batter went for an extravagant reverse sweep. Mitchell failed to get going and tried to play the role of an anchor, holding one end up and together with Riyan Parag added 31 runs.

But the New Zealander’s struggle was cut short by Hazlewood as in a desperate effort to break the shackles, he gave a simple catch to Glenn Maxwell at long-on.

At 100 for 5 after 15 overs, RR’s effort to post a decent target received yet another jolt when the in-form of Shimron Hetmyer (3), fell to Hasaranga.

Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals: 144 for 8 (Riyan Parag 56 n o, Sanju Samson 27; Josh Hazlewood 2/19, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/23, Mohammed Siraj 2/30) beat RCB 115 all out in 19.overs (Faf du Plessis 23, Kuldeep Sen 4/20, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/17, Prasidh Krishna (2/23) by 29 runs.