Punjab Kings restrict Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 95/9 in rain-curtailed match

BENGALURU: Punjab Kings’ bowlers stuck to their plans and restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 95/9 in the rain-curtailed match in which each side will get to play 14 overs.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The duo of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt opened the innings for RCB. Arshdeep Singh removed Phil Salt in the very first over for 4. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar joined Virat Kohli in the middle.

In the second over, Rajat Patidar crossed 1000 IPL runs and became the second fastest Indian batter to do so. Arshdeep took early wickets as he removed Virat Kohli in the third over for 1(3), and Liam Livingstone joined Patidar at the crease.

Xavier Bartlett removed Livingstone in the fourth over, for 4. PBKS players took good catches in the power-play, Jitesh Sharma joined RCB skipper. Veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal removed wicketkeeper/batter Jitesh Sharma for two in the 7th over. RCB kept losing wickets in regular intervals.

RCB’s impact player Manoj Bhandage didn’t make any impact with the bat as he was removed by Jansen for one in the ninth over.

Harpreet Brar, playing his first match of this season, took back-to-back wickets in his first over. He removed Bhuvneshwar for 8 and Yash Dayal in the 12th over.

David was the lone warrior for RCB in batting. He smashed three sixes in the final over and scored fifty.

Marco Jansen (2/ 10)was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS. Arshdeep, Chahal, and Brar took two wickets each, and Xavier Bartlett grabbed a wicket.

Brief score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru ( Tim David 50*, Rajat Patidar 23; Marco Jansen (2/10) vs Punjab Kings. (ANI)